I visited the Lalbagh Botanical garden and put it right away on my list of places to visit in Bangalore – you simply can’t miss it! Here goes my experience in the gardens – the Lalbagh Botanical Garden Blog.
I wasn’t aware of its facts but apparently, the garden belonged to Hyder Ali – the ruler of the Mysore Kingdom. The construction began by him and was further taken care of by his son – Tipu Sultan.
Fast-forward to Bangalore’s residents today, it serves as a lush green spot on the clustered maps, a break away from the busyness. It’s one
While we didn’t get to see the colorful flower blossoms in the glasshouse when we visited in mid-October, the nursery garden made up for the disappointment.
Get there in the Mornings!
Being a hotspot in Bangalore, thousands visit it every single day. While many sites tell you it’s a calm open space, it can get crowded in the evenings and the weekends.
Thus it’s best to visit in the morning on a weekday. We visited the garden on a Monday and yet we felt like the place had a good number of visitors. The earliest to get there is 9 am – the timings are from 9 AM – 6 PM on usual days.
The entry ticket price per person is Rs. 20 and extra for taking pictures.
Visiting Bangalore? Read my full list of things to do here!
We were a group of 3 with the 4th person to meet us directly inside, but we ended up meeting outside as none of us had cash to pay for the tickets. Like most public attractions in Bangalore, the Lalbagh Botanical garden only accepts cash – no cards, no UPI payments.
Luckily, our last friend had some cash so we got in with ease.
Through the Gates of the Garden
The Lalbagh Botanical Garden has 4 main gates each in a different direction. The West Gate and the Main Gate are the most walked-through gates. The main gate offers vehicle parking while the west gate is right by the Lalbagh Metro Station.
We got in through the West Gate as the last friend who joined along commuted on the metro. The West Gate entry is typically less crowded, unlike the Main gate where you’ll find ice cream vendors on hot afternoons, cheap colorful toys for kids, and a whole nursery where you can purchase a variety of exotic ornamental plants.
However, from where we entered, it wasn’t any less exciting. The air was calm with lesser people roaming about with a few vendors who offered to take pictures and sell copies for 50-100 rupees.
The Instagrammable Shrubs
As for the greenery itself, the garden is well-organized throughout every corner. Though it was getting humid with our t-shirts sweaty at first, we found escapes under canopies of the big old trees.
Speaking of trees, every small shrub is shaped to allure its visitors. Every large tree has its name pinned to it. Tiny beetles, ladybirds, and other cute bugs crawl here and there.
Though I didn’t get much of my own pictures, I couldn’t help but take shots of the pavements with all kinds of greens on other sides. Here are some of my best shots on Lalbagh Botanical Gardens!
From someone whose friends absolutely love taking pictures, I’d suggest spending a day here if you’re into photoshoots. In fact, there are numerous wedding photoshoot services that offer this spot as a highlight.
Lalbagh Botanical Garden blog: Floral Clock & King of Mysore
Walking north towards the garden’s main gate, there were lesser tall trees and more open lawns. We found the floral clock that I’d seen earlier on various Google images. Honestly, it wasn’t that appealing as a visitor – not more than a glimpse.
Past it, we came to a larger pathway into a wide circle with flowers on either side. A considerable black statue of a man on a horse stands at the center of the circle. Below it is two more curious statues facing opposite sides of two women.
Though unaware of our history, it was still a sight to see. Later did I learn that the statue of the man was of the King of Mysore (1868-1894) – Chamarajendra Wadiyar X. Unfortunately, there aren’t any clear inscriptions of the standing artifact here.
More Articles on Bangalore to Read:
- Visiting Nandi Hills for a Breathtaking Sunrise
- Secret places where you Can Pet Doggies while you eat!
- Complete Visvesvaraya Museum Blog
- The Shimmers of Bangalore
The Infamous Glasshouse
As we’d entered the botanical garden around 11:30 AM, it’d been a couple of hours of wandering and we were already drenched in sweat by noon.
I’d seen the Lalbagh glasshouse on pictures before and assumed we could take refuge under it from the heat. Yep, I was wrong. Apart from the beautiful water fountain making the air a little moist around before the glasshouse, it was wary inside.
On the contrary to my experience, a fun fact about the Lalbagh Glasshouse is that it was built after the Crystal Palace in London. However, with London’s Crystal Palace destroyed in 1936, this very glasshouse remains a unique structure today. Read the story further on IndiaTimes.
According to TripAdvisor, August’s the best time to visit the Lalbagh Botanical Garden as there’s a flower show this month while others suggest visiting between November and March.
Either way, we visited in October and there weren’t many flowers at the time. The entry to the glasshouse was restricted too.
However, the glasshouse stands at the center of the park and looms as the biggest part of the attraction.
Vibrant Littlies for Sale! The Nursery
This was my favorite part of the entire visit, the nursery! A narrow pathway next to the east side gate (close to a parking lot) led to a gardening tools shop.
We pondered through the shop filled with organic soil, different plowing tools, water cans, and the nursery lying right after it.
This was the most colorful part of our visit. We couldn’t resist picking up the cute baby bonsai plants. They were of all sizes and many being exotic, they weren’t cheap either. Most of them started at Rs. 250-300 and the large ones even reached up to Rs. 9000!
We couldn’t buy them as we lived in a hostel, so all I did was get pictures. A LOT of pictures.
Lalbagh Botanical Garden blog: Bonsai Garden
Coming to the end of our tour, the heat had come down and the sky seemed rather cloudy. The Bonsai Garden close to the nursery was the last spot we covered.
The Bonsai section is more quiet compared to the rest of the place with more ancient plants – the bonsai. All the bonsai plants here had their specific names as well as their age pinned to them. Some bonsais were over 85 years old!
We sat at the center of the bonsai garden where all the plants nestling in their pots circled around us. With the bonsai being a high-maintenance plant, the care taken of all the plants was a remarkable view.
Before long, it started drizzling and we had to leave the heavenly sight.
Accommodations Nearby the Garden
The cheapest way to get to Lalbagh Botanical Garden is obviously by the Lalbagh Metro line. But if you’re someone looking to tour Bangalore – probably visit the Visveswaraya Museum and Nandi Hills at dawn, it’s best to get a stay in central Bangalore.
Since the botanical gardens are situated in the city, getting a place to crash nearby should be a reasonable choice.
Here’s a map of stays from Booking.com around the Lalbagh Botanical Garden along with their prices. Help yourself. Go crazy:
Tailpiece
That concludes my Lalbagh botanical garden blog. The next time I go there, I’ll make sure to buy myself a plant from the nursery. Or just take a walk around – either way’s pretty enjoyable.
Like Cubbon Park, it’s a hub for many locals in Bangalore. It’s great for friends’ meetups, a sweet date, or even a family picnic. Yes, edibles are allowed in the garden. Pack up homemade food for the weekend or you can just buy street food from the local vendors inside.
I wouldn’t buy it though – I got expensive ice cream in the afternoon and it wasn’t worth its price. Oh, and clean up the place before you leave. It’s a sweet place to visit. Keep it sweet.
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