Bangalore’s Lalbagh: A Chronicle of the Garden and the City Paperback – 1 January 2021

‘𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓,’ 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑨𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇, ‘𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒍: 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕—𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕, 𝒏𝒐, 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕—’ (𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒚𝒂𝒓𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔), ‘𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔! 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉! 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒍, 𝑰 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆—𝒏𝒐, 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔𝒏’𝒕! 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆! 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏, 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒚!While Alice’s adventures was like this in the Garden of Live Flowers, a true Bangaloreans adventure continues to be similar in Lalbagh, the Garden of Our Gardeners and City Dwellers. The recently released book on this green lung of our city by Suresh Jayaram is a labour of love, more so a chef-d'oeuvre.As one passes across or strolls inside Lalbagh, they can definitely feel the natural magic in its air. A space that has stood the test of time with rapidly progressing urbanization engulfing the city it has managed to stay like an emerald crown for more than two centuries. Touchwood or touch all the trees of Lalbagh!What moved me in this book was the personal perspective to the narrative. The authors experiences and memories kindled many of mine. The many walks with Amma, Appa and my brother. The flower shows and the school picnics. The water mist from sprinklers in the glass house. The bonsai plants. The hillock with a view. The photograph in which Appa & Amma are sitting against the Mandapa in the background, and whenever I see I ask them why I am not in the picture ( without knowing that the shot was taken before I was born!)There are seven chapters which extensively cover the origin and evolution of Lalbagh and Bangalore with exquisite photographs, maps, and illustrations. From how Bangalore shaped itself as a Garden City with Bungalow Gardens to anecdotes of the local 'Chipko Movement' to save a Mahogany tree, read the book to know more!Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan’s contribution to the making of Lalbagh. Francis Buchanan Hamilton’s research followed by the Britisher’s interest in naturalization of exotic species and indigenous production. The monuments of Lalbagh, particularly the Glass House as a symbol of structural reorganization along with the write up on the lost monuments like the Krumbiegel’s Lecture Hall, the Darwinia, the Zoo and the Aquarium with rare pictures was some food for thought. The support of Wodeyars with Sir M Visvesvaraya & Sir Mirza Ismail in shaping the landscape of Bangalore, more importantly the four stalwarts of Lalbagh who are solely responsible for its existence- John Cameron, GH Krumbiegel, HC Javaraya & Dr MH Marigowda. Reading about them was inspiring.The most notable chapter in the book is on the Thigalas, the Gardeners of Lalbagh tracing ancestral roots and discussing the amalgamation of nature with culture. Be it ‘Kote’, ‘Pete’ or ‘Kere’, Bangaloreans of those times had strong value systems built on their environment. An inheritance that we must preserve. The list of birds and botanical illustrations from the archival records in the book are real treasures.If valued and nurtured, this temple of flowers like Kuvempu rightly said “𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙢” and projected at the main entrance, Lalbagh can give the city back it’s name of ‘Garden City’.I only hope that more people read this book, revisit their memories, and value their roots. The green canopies can exist for the present and spread for the future only if we till the soil and ensure that there is water underneath.For some its an elusive apple tree, for some it’s a flying dandelion, for some it’s a corn cob on the hillock, for some it’s a morning jog, for some it’s their first kiss, for some it’s their family photograph in front of the Glass House or HMT Clock, for some it’s the lily plant from the nursery and for some it’s the chilly plant from the same nursery.All Gates lead to Lalbagh!Visit for some fresh air.Read this book for some fresh perspective and more.

I had no idea on what I would receive, but this book on Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, far surpassed my expectations, both in its production quality as well as it's content, which is so thoroughly researched, that this tiny tome is so ownable...I wish the other garden venues of Bangalore too get their own volumes, which are similarly researched and documented...Hats off to Suresh Jayaraman, for creating this terrific volume.He's shown us how good the production values of a self-published book can get.

My love for lalbagh is picturized perfectly

Just finished reading the book "Bangalore's Lalbagh". I enjoyed every page and hope all the flora lovers of Bangalore get to read this book.The eloquent language used by the author is remarkable. The evolution of Lalbagh and the monuments surrounding it is very well articulated. Amazing to know that the Lalbagh Rock is 3.5 billion years old!The Chapter Thigalas gives an insight of the community, culture, occupation and their passion for nurseries.The pictorial depiction provides a good description of life in Bangalore in the early 19th century.This book will act as a reference guide during my next visit to Lalbagh. 🙏

Suresh Jayaram has produced an elegant, illustrated volume on Lalbagh, which was long overdue. Extremely well printed, the book gives necessary background information about the history of Lalbagh.