Renovated bonsai garden at Lal Bagh in Bengaluru.
| Photo Credit: CHANDAN M. NAIK
The officials of the Horticulture Department said that the renovation of the bonsai garden inside Lalbagh Botanical Park will be completed by March 2026. The garden has been under renovation for over two years now. After the renovation, the garden will have a bonsai eco shop, refined landscaping, a central fountain within a bonsai circle, an expanded variety of bonsais, and a bonsai gallery.
In January this year, after the completion of the first phase of renovation at a cost of ₹50 lakh – ₹60 lakh, the garden was opened to the public in its revamped form. The officials also said that Anupama Vedachala, a city-based international bonsai expert has been assisting in the redevelopment of the garden for three years now.
The bonsai garden situated near the Double Road entrance of Lalbagh is spread across an area of two and a half acres. Before the renovation work began, there were already 700 bonsai trees in the garden.
The garden was set up in 2003 after S. Srinivas, who was popularly known as Bonsai Srinivas, had donated his collection of over 450 bonsai plants. The bonsai trees are also displayed during the two flower shows held in Lalbagh annually.
The upgraded garden features around 200 new bonsai trees, well-laid pathways, a Japanese pagoda-style entrance, and a bonsai display with bamboo background and fencing.
“Bonsai culture is a part of the garden, and we wanted to enhance it. Work such as the installation of directions and information boards is still pending, and it will take another year to complete. We will resume the work in June,” said M. Jagadeesh, Joint Director of Horticulture (Parks and Gardens) at Lalbagh. The work also includes the construction of a bonsai gallery for the visitors.
The visitors who have noticed the changes give their approval to the garden. “Quite a lot has changed here in the bonsai garden. There were no pathways before; they are newly laid down now. The park looks more spacious and well-designed,” said Rajath, a frequent visitor of Lalbagh from Basavanagudi.
“The garden needed this renovation as it always looked a bit dull before. Now, it looks more vibrant and I am excited to see how it looks once all the work is completed,” said Sakshi. K., another regular visitor from Wilson Garden.
Published – April 05, 2025 12:53 am IST
