Travel: A VISIT TO LAL BAGH, BENGALURU

Kempegowda Tower on top right. This is Peninsula Gneiss rock

After some hot tea served by the caretaker at the guesthouse, Vini and I took a rickshaw to Lal Bagh, the famous gardens that I had visited when I was a small kid. The weather was simply amazing – so cool whatever time of the day. In fact, it was quite cold in the night. Can you believe that in the middle of June? I just loved it.

There was a riot of colours in the form of Bougainvillea at the entrance to Lal Bagh

The rickshaw ride took us via a golf course and Cubbon Park before we finally reached the botanical gardens. It’s a wonder that Bengaluru has so many green spaces. The Karnataka Forest Department takes care of maintaining all the gardens in the city and I must say that they have done a superb job.

Vini and Yours Truly

Wikipedia says: Lal Bagh or Lal Bagh Botanical Gardens, meaning The Red Garden in English, is a well known botanical garden in southern Bangalore, India. The garden was originally commissioned by Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore, and later finished by his son Tipu Sultan. It has a famous glass house which hosts an annual flower show. Lal Bagh houses India's largest collection of tropical plants, has an aquarium and a lake, and is one of the main tourist attractions in Bangalore.

A view in reverse - yonder is the entrance to the park

We walked over one small section of Lal Bagh. The garden is set in 240 acres of land, said a map. There was a mound of rock with some roughly cut steps. We climbed over it and walked around before getting off. I found it quite scary but fun as well. Then we walked around the garden for about an hour and a half. It was so calm, quiet and oh, so green! A feast for the whole system!

Click here to know more about the rock which is called Peninsular Gneiss.

The adorable Pomeranian puppy

We met a Pomeranian puppy that had come for a walk with the owners. She was adorable and we stopped to play with her for a few minutes.

Vini with the little pup

There was the glass house on the right of our path, only it was too dark and we could neither see it properly nor take photos. In fact, it was already twilight when we reached there. Just about 15 minutes before we got out of another gate, a small snake crossed our path. It was about a foot long and quite thin. I am not too familiar with the species and don’t have a clue of what type it was, but it was an experience. I am not sure who wanted to get away faster, the snake or us. It slithered away into the greenery without stopping to say ‘hello’.

The next time I visit Lal Bagh, I hope not to miss the rose garden if nothing else.