Japanese garden to come up in Lalbagh

Japanese garden to be the new attraction at Lalbagh

Vijay Times News

Bangalore: The Horticulture department has drawn up plans to upgrade and replant the Lalbhag Botanical Garden - a major tourist destination in the garden city. The Rs 50 lakh project, whose fundamental aim is to further diversify the biological wealth of the garden, is expected to get underway sometime next year.
If the project is implemented, the 250 acre garden may attract more number of tourists as the project includes setting up of herbarium where the department plans to grow variety of plants by controlling the climatic condition in accordance with the needs of plants.
The botanical garden is currently home to over 1,800 species apart from the famous glass house and the project may strengthen the bio-diversity by including more plants.
The special feature of the project will be the Dhanwantharivana, where the department will grow medicinal plants and also set up a laboratory to teach people how they can make use of herbs for medicinal purposes. “Nothing will be sold in Dhanwantharivana. It will rather work as a school of herbal medicine,” said Dr. G K Vasanth Kumar, director of the Horticulture department.
The “Japanese Garden” is the most attractive feature as it is expected to mirror the gardens in Japan. Though the Japanese Garden is slated to cover a small part of the Lalbhag, it has been designed to become the centre of attraction as it includes Pagodas and large number of lanterns hung on the trees that would glitter during nights giving an ethereal effect.
''We estimate that the project may cost Rs 4 crore. Department of Forest, Environment and Ecology of the Union Government has assured Rs 50 lakh. And we are looking for financial resources from two other sources,” said Vasanth Kumar.
Meanwhile, the Bangalo-re Development Authority, has almost de-silted the Lalbhag lake and begun the process of laying water pipes along the fence so as to help labourers draw water wherever they want around the Garden.