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| Glass House, ‘The Jewel’ of LalBagh |
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The city of Bangalore, Known as the ‘garden city’, occupies a special place of pride in India. This is so not just on account of its external beauty, but also because of its finer qualities, seen through its countless parks and gardens.
In the necklace of Bangalore’s parks, Lalbagh is the pendant. And set at the heart of this pendant is a diamond in the form of Glass house, which was built in the year 1889, to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales. The Glass house was originally. Designed on the lines of the Crystal Palace of England, it was built with the specific Objective of providing a sequestered locale for flower shows. But, over time, its scope is widened. The Glass house is now a national venue for conducting various meetings And public functions. It is gratifying that this magnificent and enduring structure has now completed 100 years of history.
The Lalbagh garden has demonstrated a marvelous capacity for accepting, accommodating and sheltering its vast and varied collection of flora. Its collection Covers a broad spectrum of intercontinental plant wealth. Bountiful nature and an ideal climate have helped making this garden something of a beauty spot.
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| HYDER ALI’S DREAM |
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Lalbagh was established during the time of Hyder Ali on the model of Mogul garden at Sira. It was later enlarged by his son Tippu Sultan, who enriched this garden by the addition of varieties of flower plants by procuring seeds and plants from Kabul, Persia, Mauritius and Turkey. We cannot fail to mention, on this occasion, Sir Mark Cubbon, the Chief Commissioner of Mysore, who took over this garden in 1856 and Cleghorn, the then Chief Conservator of Forest in South India who elevated it as a Botanical Garden. Due to the remarkable work done in this field by succeeding generations of Horticulturists, Lalbagh has grown to be the treasure house of rare and sub-tropical plants, indigenous and exotic fruit trees. The garden in now regarded as a guiding centre for research, extension and developmental activities in the entire State. Today, Lalbagh and the Glass House have come to symbolise the development Of Horticulturists of our country.
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Hyder Ali |
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| GLORIOUS FUTURE: |
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The potential for export of fruits, flowers and vegetables is unlimited and it should be explored fully by planning, development, and export programmes, in a systematic manner. Suitable varieties will have to be bred and popularized so that the production will increase, and costs come down to competitive levels.
The poet Keats said:
“A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOR EVER”
Let the Glass house bring eternal joy to the people and May the glass house celebrates not one but many centennial years in perpetuity.
[Speech read by H.E. the president of India, Sri R.Venkataraman, on the occasion of the inaugural function of the Glass house centenary held at Glass House in Lalbagh on 16.12.1989.]
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| The Crystal Palace of India |
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There is a stunning resemblance between Bangalore in India and London in England, as many structures in Bangalore city have been modelled upon the structures in London. The foremost of these structures is “The Glass House of Lalbagh”. Constructed in the year 1890 on the model of Crystal Palace of London. The Crystal Palace was constructed in the year 1851 at Hyde Park, London, to house the world’s first and great exhibition. This was a huge glass conservatory measuring 1600’X 384’.
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After the exhibition was over, the glass conservatory was removed from the exhibition ground and refixed on the top of the Sydenham hill in South London. There it remained as an important centre for musical programmes, athletic and exhibitions until 1936, during that year it accidentally caught fire and was burnt down. Thus, the glory of the great structure ‘CRYSTAL PALACE’ ended. Only its model remained with ‘The Glass House’ in Lalbagh, Bangalore. Hence, it may not be wrong to call the Glass House of Lalbagh as the Crystal Palace of India.
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[Courtesy: "Glass House – The jewel of Lalbagh " – The Lalbagh Glass House Centenary Souvenir, published by the Secretary, Mysore Horticultural Society, Lalbagh, Bangalore.]
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| OTHER ARTICLES |
- LalBagh Glass House
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