History

Lalbagh Botanical Garden Glass House, dating from 1889

Lalbagh Gardens of Bangalore were originally laid out by Hyder Ali and were modeled
on gardens in Sira[citation needed] laid out by its last Mughal Subedar, Dilawar
Khan (r.1726�1756).

The Lalbagh Glasshouse at night

Lalbagh or Red Garden, Bengaluru by Nicholas Bros. (1860s)

Hyder Ali commissioned the building of this garden in 1760 but his son, Tipu
Sultan, completed it. Hyder Ali decided to create this garden on the lines of the
Mughal Gardens that were gaining popularity during his time. Hyder Ali laid out
these famous botanical gardens and his son added horticultural wealth to them by
importing trees and plants from several countries. Hyder Ali deployed people from
Thigala community who were extremely good in gardening.[2] The Lalbagh gardens were
commissioned by the 18th century and over the years it acquired India's first lawn-
clock and the subcontinent's largest collection of rare plants. [3] A menagerie
established in the 1860s was under the charge of G.H. Krumbiegel in 1914. Captain
S.S.Flower reported that it included a Court built between 1850 and 1860 having
tigers and rhinoceros; an aviary; a monkey house with an orangutan; a paddock with
blackbuck, chital, Sambhur deer, barking deer and a pair of emus; a bear house and
a peacock enclosure.[4]

The Lalbagh gardens are based on the design of the Mughal Gardens that once stood
at Sira, at a distance of 120 km from Bengaluru on the main NH4 at Tumkur District
in Karnataka. This is amply supported by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) and
other historical records. At that time, Sira was the headquarters of the
strategically important southernmost Mughal "suba" (province) of the Deccan before
the British Raj.[5]

In 1874, Lalbagh had an area of 45 acres (180,000 m2). In 1889, 30 acres were added
to the eastern side, followed by 13 acres in 1891 including the rock with
Kempegowda tower and 94 acres more in 1894 on the eastern side just below the rock
bringing it to a total of 188 acres (760,000 m2).[6] The foundation stone for the
Glass House, modeled on London's Crystal Palace was laid on 30 November 1889 by
Prince Albert Victor and was built by John Cameron, the then superintendent of
Lalbagh.[6][7] It was built with cast iron from the Saracen Foundry in Glasgow UK.

Overview
Lalbagh is a 240 acres (0.97 km2) garden and is located in south Bengaluru. It
holds a number of flower shows, especially on the Republic Day (26 January). The
garden has over 1,000 species of flora. The garden also has trees that are over 100
years old.[1][8]

The garden surrounds one of the towers erected by the founder of Bengaluru, Kempe
Gowda. The park has some rare species of plants brought from Persia, Afghanistan
and France. With an intricate watering system for irrigation, this garden is
aesthetically designed, with lawns, flowerbeds, lotus pools and fountains. Most of
the centuries-old trees are labelled for easy identification. The Lalbagh Rock, one
of the most ancient rock formations on earth, dating back to 3,000 million years,
is another attraction that attracts the crowds.[1]

Gates
Lalbagh has four gates. The western gate is situated near Siddapura Circle and one
can enter this gate and enjoy the sylvan atmosphere of the garden. Outside,
touching the compound gate, is Krumbigal Road. The other side of the road touches
the compound wall of R.V.School. The National College, Rashtriya Vidyalaya,
Chikkamavalli and Doddamavalli are nearby. The other side of the road goes to
'Krishna Rao road', where you can see The Indian Institute of World Culture, a
beautiful library and a fine auditorium, which hosts a programme every week.
Farther south, Model House street and the Yediyur Terminus are the main points.

The eastern gate has a wide road with Jayanagar close by. The southern gate is
often referred to as a small gate and is near Lalbagh Road. The northern gate is a
fairly wide and big road leading to the Glass House and serves as the primary exit.