Lalbagh Bangalore - Botanical Garden

Lalbagh, Bangalore Overview

Lalbagh Botanical Garden is located in Bangalore and is nationally and internationally renowned centre for botanical artwork, scientific study of plants and also conservation of plants. A haven for all nature lovers, Lal Bagh covers an area 240 acres in the heart of the city and has nearly 1,854 species of plants. It was commissioned by Hyder Ali in 1760 and completed by his son Tipu Sultan. The garden features rare plants of French, Persian and Afghani origin and has attained the status of a Government Botanical Garden. The Lal Bagh Rock which is over 3000 million years old is found here and is a major tourist attraction.

This botanical garden, a delight for photographers, also consists of the famous glass house where an annual flower show is held every year and is also a home to an aquarium and a lake. Tipu Sultan brought in imported trees and plants from countries all over the world and planted them here and today, Lalbagh Botanical Garden has one of the world's largest collection of rare plants. In addition to being rich in foliage, this garden also houses a number of birds such as Myna, Parakeets, Crows, Brahminy Kite, Pond Heron, Common Egret and Purple Moor Hen.

History of Lal Bagh

Referred to as Rose or Cypress Garden up till 1856, this garden was commissioned by Haider Ali in 1760 who was a big admirer of Mughal Gardens and wanted to set up one in his own city as well. He was influenced by his father who used to work for Dilawar Khan, a viceroy of the Mughals and was especially passionate about setting up gardens. The garden is modelled on another one that existed in Sira which was situated 120 km away from Lalbagh. Over the years, many species of rare plants, trees and shrubs were added to Lalbagh and most of these were added by Tipu Sultan himself.The garden area stood at 45 acres in 1874 with major additions done in 1889 (30 acres) and 1891 (94 acres). The foundation of the famous Glass House was laid down in the year 1898 and was further built by John Cameron in the image of London's Crystal Palace.

Attractions in Lal Bagh

This garden has a lot of points of interest that will keep you engaged for the entire day. Some of these are the Floral Clock installed at the entrance of the park, Tree Fossil which is a carbonised remains of a 20 million year old coniferous tree, Glass House which is a magnificent edifice built out of glass, Deer Paddock, Aviary, Lecture Hall which was used for delivering horticulture lessons in the olden times, Lalbagh House, Lalbagh West Gate Guard Room, The Directorate Building, Lalbagh lake, The Museum which houses a wide variety of artefacts, Pigeon House which is an establishment made for attracting pigeons and other birds, Statue of Sri Chamaraja Wodeyar, Aquarium building which has some very interesting illustrations of underwater life, Kempegowda Tower and Bandstand. The garden also offers courses in post-harvest technology, Ikebana classes, horticulture training, mushroom and Bonsai cultivation.

Flowers at Lalbagh

Since its very inception, the caretakers of the garden have ensured a vibrant and flourishing plant variety by continuously adding to its collection. Even in the medieval times, the rulers imported plants from far-flung places like Persia, Cape Town, Kabul, Turkey, Mauritius etc. Exotic species from around the world are curated, introduced, acclimatised and further multiplied resulting in a stock of 1854 species which continues to grow. Some of the exotic plants here include Amherstia Nobilis, Adansonia digitata, Ficus bengalensis var - krishnae, Araucaria Cookie, Bombax Ceiba, and Dillenia Indica among many others. The presence of these plants elevates the beauty of this place to another level, making it one of the most important horticulture hotspots in the country.

Layout of the Garden

Spread over an area of 240 acres, Lalbagh is situated in south Bengaluru and is built around a tower built by the founder of Bengaluru, Kempe Gowda. The most meticulous part of this garden's construction is perhaps its sophisticated watering system which irrigates over 1,000 species of flora including trees that are over 100 years old. The garden itself is a medley of lawns, flowerbeds, lotus pools and fountains. It also has a rock formation which is believed to be 3,000 million years old. There are four different entry ways to the gate. The northern gate provides easy access to the Glass House, while the southern gate is often considered to be the main gate as it opens up to the Lalbagh Road. The eastern gate lies close to Jayanagar and the western gate is situated near the Siddapura Circle.

Flower Shows At Lalbagh

Every year on Republic Day and Independence Day, Flower Shows are held in the premises of Lalbagh. Organised by the Department of Horticulture and Mysore Horticulture Society, it is a beautiful illustration of the flora in the garden and is widely popular among the locals. Flowers such as Cymbidium Flowers, Impatiens, Begonia and Fuchsia can be seen here during this time. In addition to these, the flowers are also arranged in the form of butterflies, which is an endearing sight to behold. A kaleidoscope of delightful blossoms, this event is a sight to sore eyes, and a photographer's delight too!

Best Time To Visit Lal Bagh

Best time to visit is during the Flower Shows in January and August. Morning or evening hours are ideal for a relaxing outing to this place.

Restaurants Near Lal Bagh

Restaurants near this place include Shyvan Restaurant, Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, Nandhini Restaurant, Bangalore Belly and Naidu Military Hotel where you can have a quaint meal.

Tips For Visiting Lal Bagh

1. Pedestrians can enter the flower show from any of the 4 gates.
2. You can buy the tickets to the flower show online at official website.
3. There are cloak rooms at each entrance of the Lalbagh Botanical Garden.
4. Plastic disposable bottles are not allowed

How To Reach Lal Bagh

Located in the southern part of the city, Lal bagh Gardens can be easily reached by the local means of transport such as buses and auto rickshaws. You can hire cabs to this place as well.

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Lalbagh Reviews

Your rating

Ronald Mascarenhas

on Lal Bagh 5 years ago

Very pitiful condition ...Very badly maintained ...Rose Garden does not have any roses ....Lotus pond does not have any lotuses ... Aquarium is in shambles with no fishes ...Bonsai garden has no flow (Read More)ers or fruits on bonsai ....Wild grass everywhere ...Only suitable for lovers wanting to get cozy ...Plants so dry even if it's July end ...No food or water allowed in but hawkers selling wares inside ....Very disappointing!!

Dr. S. SUMA

on Lalbagh 3 years ago

Average. Couldn't easily observe all the plants variety as it is. There is no signboard or anything...Nature alone is nice. Good climate. Can be improved more to make it more tourist friendly.

beaulah sahana

on Lal Bagh 6 years ago

Lalbagh is a wholesome picnic spot. One of the things about this park that adds to the excitement of the child in you are the stalls that sell wooden jewellery, wooden toys, handmade goodies, food an (Read More)d more. Although small and sometimes may even be missed in plain sight, these stalls definitely add to the perfect day out at Lalbagh.

Kovid Kapoor

on Lal Bagh 6 years ago

Lalbagh is, without a doubt, my favourite park in the Garden City (or at least the former garden city) Bangalore. (Yes, I like it much more than Cubbon Park). It is huge, and I love the variety of tr (Read More)ees in the park. Some of the individual trees are huge, with trunks that are incredibly thick, and they are famous by themselves! You can walk all around in the park for hours at end, enjoying the greenery in the typical nice Bangalore weather. The lake inside Lalbagh is quite nice itself, unfortunately rare for Bangalore lakes. It's also a great picnic spot for city residents - you can lie down on the grass practically anywhere in the entire park, and enjoy a few hours in the middle of lush greenery. The different sections within the park are all slightly different, and I recommend you walk around all of them to experience it completely.