Lalbagh may get trained guides

Lalbagh may get trained guides
The Times of India

Bangalore: “Many interesting...Lalbagh sir...240-acre botanical garden...take guide?’’ They ask in accented broken English as tourists’ cars pull in. Many of these self-styled guides with unshaven faces, dirty clothes and intimidating looks have been around for long. But the information they sell is seldom authentic.

Several complaints from tourists about these guides have prompted the authorities to install a proper system of guidance in Lalbagh.

The horticulture department has sought assistance from the tourism department to get some new faces fluent in English, Hindi and other languages and trained in the history and heritage of Lalbagh. They are also mulling a proposal to train some of these existing guides, provide them with uniforms, identity badges and a centralised hiring point for accountability.

“Guiding visitors and tourists is important,’’ said horticulture director G.K. Vasanth Kumar, pointing to an extensive map of Lalbagh hung in his office. “Maps like these will be nailed on trees across Lalbagh and brochures with similar information will be sold here. For details there is a Lalbagh library and a website under construction,’’ he said. Vasanth Kumar said there are 1,800 plus species in Lalbagh. Each species has different varieties — 1,800 varieties of roses, 250 varieties of bougainvillea, 400 varieties of hibiscus, 250 varieties of croutons, 5,000 types of anthuriums, 14 water lilies, cactus. Not even experts can get the right name of each of these plants, creepers and trees.

The Times of India approached a guide, M. Prasad (35), educated up to 3rd standard. He said he would charge Rs 250 for English and Rs 150 for other languages for giving a guided tour of Lalbagh. There are 8-9 people like him hanging around at the Double Road entrance between 9 am and 6 pm.

His friend G. Srinivas, educated up to 4th standard, said, “I have been here all my life. As children we used to beg. It has been over 30 years, our parents and grandparents worked here. We do not let other guides come here.’’
The result: some of the enthusiastic visitors return with a distorted image of Lalbagh.

As many as 5,000 people visit the botanical showcase everyday while on weekends the number of tourists is between 8,000 and 10,000.