Unwind With Nature

Earlier this week I took time away from work to meet a friend and enjoy an afternoon at Lalbagh (Red Garden), a botanical garden in southern Bangalore. The garden was originally commissioned in 1760 by the ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali, as a private garden and was completed by his son Tipu Sultan. It continued to be expanded over the years and in 1856, during the British Empire, Lalbagh was officially declared a botanical garden. Today, it spans across 240 acres and is home to over 1,000 species of plants including trees that are over 100 years old. With an entrance fee of $1.10 for an adult with a camera, this place is worth a visit.

We wandered from the main gate in the north to the band stand and the glass house. For two weekends each month, the band stand is the location of Janapada Jaatre, a folk fair, which features cultural folklore of Karnataka. There are also two annual flower shows at the Lalbagh Glass House which occur during the weeks of Republic Day and Independence Day (26 January and 15 August, respectively).

From there, we made our way past a rose garden and stopped to sketch at a lotus pond.

On our way out of the gardens, we walked along the lake and enjoyed watching the birds and the people walking past.

Purple swamphen wading in the shallows.

I plan to go back at least once more, but possible twice, over the next few months to see the rest of the gardens – perhaps during one of the flower shows. I’ll remember to put on insect repellent next time though.