Lalbagh is the place of legends and beauty! A place of rarity and wonders! And a place of paradise and land marks!

The paradox of nature and man over time has made Lalbagh a rare piece on earth gifted with breathtaking landmarks, which naturally remain green in the minds of every enthusiastic visitor who makes a purposeful visit. The greyish-white peninsular gneiss rock mound situated on east, draws a bleak resemblance with the snow capped mountains of Himalays! The serene and tranquil lake reminds us of the ‘Land of Morning Calm’. The tall, stately and majestic trees lead our imagination to the ‘Garden of Eden’. The soothing cold and the pleasant breeze from the grooves comes like the sprinkling of Ambrosia from the great heavens. Here, the nature smiles, the elements kiss and greens bless the piligrim who enters the ‘Sasya Kashi’ or the ‘Paradise of Plants”. Come let us enjoy one by one!

The great plate of South India bears the name ‘Gondwana land’, which is known for its archaean age!, being one of the oldest land formations on earth, emerged at the beginning of the geological time. The rocks of this earthcrest are believed to be older than the oldest rocks on earth, dating back to about 3000 million years. A rare exposure of this antiquity can be seen at Lalbagh in the form of a rock mound, referred popularly as the ‘Lalbagh Rock’.

The geologists term this rock as “peninsular gneiss”, a term often imparted to the igneous rocks formed with the complex pattern and proportions of granite, quartz and mica. These three ingredients mixed in the molten lava stage in a differential design, have revealed grayish to blackash streaks and lines of various curvature and which are uniquely represented in the Lalbagh rock.

This rock had aroused the curiosity of geologists since long time and it was Dr.W.F.Smith of the then Mysore Geological Department, who made ever first scientific study and analysis of this rock in the year 1916. it is he who classified this rock as the ‘Peninsular Gneiss’. Since then, the antiquity of this rock has attracted the geologists all over the world, and has given rise to erudite scientific papers on the geological of the then Mysore Geological Department, the Geological Survey of India and the scholars from various related academies and institutions. The study and analysis of these rocks is still giving endless source of information on the very formation of our planet earth. Such an important natural land mark is the ‘Lalbagh Rock’ and in recognition of which this natural monument is being preserved by the Geological Survey of India, on the orders of the Government of India.

Now, let us forget geology and try to view this rock in a common man’s way. It is sloping steeply on western and northern directions and merging gently with soil on east and south. The best look of it can be had from only north, where the originality of rock is by and large intact. From the angle of aesthetics, the view from west or north-west is panoramic, with greysh-white clean plates like appearance due the to extensive and senseless quarrying in the past when the people were unaware of the worth of this area gift of nature. In the broad sunlight, especially after rains, the rock shines like snow perched peak and this kindles interest in young and aged alike to scale to its tower top, with unexplained enthusiasm and joy. On scaling, they feel as if they feel as if they have conquered a big mountain, cheer and wave their hands in pride of achievement! A trip to Lalbagh becomes incomplete if any one does not undergo this experience!.

Let us descend from ‘Lalbagh Rock’ to the ‘Lalbagh Lake’.

A short walk from the rock on south western direction takes the visitor to the celebrated Lalbagh lake. This is yet another place of thrill and enjoyment at Lalbagh and its vicinity provides a place of seclusion to the young, romantic pairs, who step into Lalbagh in order to find a piece of privacy. But, yet the singing Koel (Cuckoo), the chirping birds and whistling squirrels, who dwell in and around the lake challenge the solitude of these reclining pairs!

There is nothing much on record to say really how old this lake is. Probably; it might have been a groge before it was constructed due to the natural action of erosion, or might have been a small pond due to the removal of soil. It is said that during the period of John Cameron, Superintendent of Lalbagh, this tank was developed and brought to the present grandeur. This happened around 1890. The laying out of the attractive and ornamental steps to the tank bund, construction of the waste weir, pitching of the stones on the inner side of the bund, formation of path on bund, creation of ornamental stone and mortar seats, planting of flowering and other trees, construction of gatevalve, etc., were takenup during his tenure. The unauthorised quarrying of stones towards Siddapur gate was also completely stopped at this time. The depression that had formed due to quarrying also eventually filled up with water and became the eastern wing of the Lalbagh Lake. In the beginning of the last decade, two islands were formed in the lake as a part of improvement o environment of this lake, after the silt was removed from the foreshore. These islands are interconnected, beautiful lawns, tree cover and shrubberies have been developed on them. Now, the front portion of lake is fenced. From time to time, efforts are being made to remove the waterweeds and silt from this lake. For some period in the past, sewage water was also allowed into lake, which spoiled the quality of water, but flowing of sewage has now been completely stopped into this lake. A net barrier has also been erected to check the spread of water weeds into the lake proper from the swamp in the foreshore. A small and narrow bridge is also created to conncet the bund with training school.

The trees are the gifts of nature and they stand around us as a testimony of their firmness, endurance, dominance and longevity. Their presence gives life to the earth, colour and vibration to the painting tended by the Benefactor of all life systems on earth!

The trees of Lalbagh not only provide cool breeze, but also warmth to the botanists! The multitude of species and varied types of native and exotic flora often make botanists to scratch their heads! What to talk of them! Of their size? Or of their form or of the lovely foliage, flower and fruits they bear? What and what not to appreciate? Only poets can bind them into their poem! They can understand and converse with them!

Look, here is a botanist standing near Glass house and looking at tall, tall and tall trees, towering to the edge of the sky! He says these are Araucaria cookii trees or cookpines, waving only their top gently and proudly against the blue sky and whisper slowly as “We are the tallest trees” and “We are the tallest trees in Lalbagh”.

The monkey puzzle plant (Araucaria bidwilli) standing near by has developed jealousy with cook pines, and cannot allow anyone of us to touch, lest prick us. Neither the birds sit nor the monkeys climb, the monkey puzzle tree poses a look of an orphan!

There are countless trees in Lalbagh, but there are 3 trees that are unique. These are near fernery. They are unique in the sence that they exist since last 250 years. They have withstood the vagaries of nature over time and some have undergone surgery for protection!

Then, come to the trees with graceful foliage with ‘sculpture’ like trunk near the main entrance of Lalbagh. These are Java Figs (Ficus benjamina). Till recently there were five such trees and the guides tell us that they were planted by Pandavas, one each! These trees were brought here towards the end of last century from Indonesia. The foliage of these trees is so majestic that, they stand to hold a good reception to the every visitor who enters this garden of paradise. For this very quality of them, a grand civic felicitation function was held their canopy to honour the Noble laurate Rabindranath Tagore during his maiden visit to Bangalore in the year 1919.

Putrajiva (Child’s life) tree, Dividivi, Fever nut, Monkey Jack, Tung oil tree, Cabbage tree, Flame of the forest, Ylang Ylang, Cannon Ball tree, Lignum vitae, Tree tomato, Elephant apple, Fern tree, Bastard Cedar, Sausage tree, Mummy apple, Cork tree, Tree of Sorrow, Kadamba, Swamp pine, Tamar tree and Damar tree etc are all there.

Among various things, the Lalbagh botanical garden is known for its vast number of fruit and edible nut yielding species. These plants are collected from all over India and the five continents. Most of these fruits and nuts have acclimatised very well to the salubrious climate of Bangalore and are performing excellently. In the following para, an attempt has been made to give an exhaustive list of fruits and nuts growing in Lalbagh botanical garden:

Mango, Sapota, Custard apple, Bullocks heart, Cherimoyer, Atemoya, Sour Sop, Jack fruit, Bread fruit, Monkey jack (Amsul), Bilimbi, Kamrakh (Star fruit), Coronda, Natal Plum, White Sapota, Star Apple, Lime, Lemon, Sweet orange, Mandarin, Calamondin, Rough lemon, Pummelo, Grapefruit, Sour Orange, Sebastinian fruit (Challe Hannu), Elephant Apple, Persimmon, Mangosteen, Apple, Pear, Peach, Loquat, Jamun, Dog Jamun, Rose Apple, Barbados Cherry, Brazillian-cherry, Pineapple, Pineapple Guava, Wood Apple, Fig, Country Fig, wild Fig, Governor’s Plum, Garcinia cambogia, G.indica, Phalsa, Manila Tamarind (Seeme Hunse), Rambutan, Litchi Passion fruit, Avocado (Butter fruit), Anola, Star Anola, Data Palm, Hog plum, Pleiogynum solandri, Guava, Cattleya Guava, Chinese Guava, Pomegranate, Tamarind, Vangueria edulis, Grape, Ber, Bael, Dovyalis caffra (Kei apple), Papaya, Banana, Surinam Cashewnut, Castanospermum australe, Colanut Coconut, Arecanut, oil Palm, Coffee, Cocoa, Macadamia nut, Soapnut, Marking nut, Tropical (country) almound, etc.

Some of the above plants growing in Lalbagh have completed one or even two centuries! Some have attained gigantic height and propotions! The three legendary mango trees (of seedling origin) dating back to the times of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, are still in a grand form and satisfying the people with their untiring service by way of providing tasty fruits. Not only sects and birds are being benefited by the fruits and nuts of Lalbagh.

Ever since the main has come across the fragrant plants, he has been fascinated by their aroma, and has literally surrendered to them. The history reveals us of the prospering trade of scented oils, the explorations and wars that have happened on account of essential oils, and the stories of love origination from the fragrant flowers! Fragrance has the character of attracting, stimulating, provoking, enchanting and even maddening the man and animals who come in contact with them!

As a tropical botanical garden, Lalbagh is abounding in fragrant plants and flowers. A walk, whether in morning or evening, in day or in night, takes our senses to the abode of fragrance that always pervades the air and atmosphere of Lalbagh!

When viewed from the borad angle, anything and everything that is created by the ‘Nature’ is sacred. All the plants are the creations of the ‘Nature’ and thus they are to be considered as sacred. Yet the mythology, Customs and beliefs make us to feel that some plants are more sacred than the rest!

Such sacred plants have become an integral part of the routine life and religious procedures of people belonging to various faiths on earth. All the world religions to recognise this fact and thus the plants control the way of life and feeling of human beings.

The trees and woods are the abode of Gods, Yakshas and Ghandharvas. The Hindu mythology is full of description of countless ‘Vata’, ‘Vana’, ‘Lata’ and ‘Pushpas’. The saints and sages used to perform penance in the lovely, serene, tranquil and peaceful surroundings of ‘vanas’. Lord Buddha got ‘enlightenment’ beneath a ‘Bodhi Vriksha’ (Peepul tree). ‘Parijatha’ (Nyctanthus) was “the tree of heaven”, and ‘Karmala’ (Lotus), the seat of ‘Brahma’. ‘Bilva’ aborned the head of ‘Linga’ and ‘Champaka’ pleased ‘Lakshmi’. Offering of flowers and leaves to Gods, means of performing ‘pooja’. It is still firm in the minds of people that the sacred plants and trees bring good fortune in their life and protecting and paying reverence to them, leads them to path of salvation. It is also strong in the minds of most people that such plants if planted in the house yard garden make the whole area sanctified; looking them in the morning of everyday purifies the thinking and provides solace of the religious mind.

If the objective of the visitors to Lalbagh is to see and acquaint with the sacred plans, there is a surprising lot for them. The collection includes the following:

Bilva (Aegle marmelos), Banni (Acacia ferruginea), Nagalinga (Couroupita guinensis), Crataeva religiosa, Krishna’s Butter Cup (Ficus krishnae), Peepul (Ficus religiosa), Shivashakthi (Glorisa superba), Tree of Life (Guaiacum officinale), Madhavi lata (Hiptage madablata), Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Impatiens balsamina, Heavenly Blue (lipomoea leari), Mehandi (Lawsonia albha), Champaka (Michaelia champak a), Himchampa (Magnolia grandiflora), Parijata (Nyctanthus arbortristis), Kadamba (Anthocephalus cadamba), Rudrakshi (Elaeocarpus ganitrus), Nag Champa (Mesua ferrea), Margosa (Melia azadiracta), Bakula (Mimusops elingi), Lotus (Nelumbium spacious), Tavare (Nymphaea sp.), Oleander (Nerium Oleander), Sacred basil (Ocimum sanctum), Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), Olive (Olea europaea), Passion flower (Passiflora cerulean), pagoda plant (Plumeria sp.), Christmas flower (Poinsettia pulcherrima), Peacock flower (Poinsettia pulcherrima), Peacock flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), Kanaka Champa (Pterocarpus acerifolium), Child Life Tree (Putranjiva roxburghii), Ashoka (Saraca indica), Nandibattalu (Tabernaemontana wallichiana), Rabun tree (Terminalia arjuna), Tare (Terminalia bellerica), Portia tree (Thespesia populnea), Indian Laburnum (Cassiafistula), Honnarike (Cassia auriculata), Vishnu pada (Clitoria ternatea), Shrikalli (Euphorbia tirucalli), English Holly (llex aquifolium) and countless other sacred plants can be sen at Lalbagh.