Kolkata is popular for the various sightseeing spots that you can visit in the city. From historical monuments to amusement parks to places of entertainment it has so much to offer to its visitors. But what about a location that is all about nature and its natural beauty. If you are in search of such a palace in Kolkata then the Botanical Garden Kolkata can be the ideal spot to visit for you. Indian Botanical Garden Kolkata is one of the oldest and one of the most popular Botanical Gardens. It is huge and has so much to explore that it would be practically impossible to see every corner of the park in a single visit. This popular garden is a popular spot for picnics as well. The Botanical Garden Kolkata is an ideal spot for a whole day of fun with your whole family.
For a plant and nature lover this will be the best spot that you can visit. Also the various information that you will be able to collect from here is precious. Truly this is an educational site as well so this is a must visit location in Kolkata. In this article I will mention each and every thing that you probably need to know about the Botanical Garden in Kolkata. After reading this article it will be really helpful for you to plan a trip to this spot. So keep on reading and then plan a trip to this garden as soon as you can.
Location of Botanical Garden Kolkata: Shibpur, Howrah, Kolkata
Botanical Garden Kolkata timing: The timings of Botanical Garden Kolkata vary on the basis of season. From March to September the timings are from 8 am to 5:30 pm and from October to February the timings are from 8 am to 5 pm on all days except Mondays. Mondays are closed.
Entry fee of Botanical Garden Kolkata: Botanical Garden Kolkata ticket price is Rs. 10 for Indians and for foreigners it is Rs. 100. There is an additional charge for cameras which is Rs. 20.
How to reach Botanical Garden Kolkata
Located in Howrah at the end of Hooghly River you can reach there by hiring a cab or a taxi. However you can also opt for a bus as well to reach here. Take buses that have B Garden written on it and get down at the bus stop of AJC Bose Botanical Garden. If you wish to travel by train the nearest railway station is the Shalimar Railway Station which is only 1.9 km away. You can reach there easily in about 8 minutes. But the only con is that this railway station is not connected to the suburban local train stations. The major railway station that is connected to majority locations is Santragachi Junction that is 3.1 km away. It would take around 15 minutes to reach the Botanical Garden from there. You can easily get local transport like rickshaws to reach the garden.
Best time to visit Botanical Garden Kolkata
The ideal time to visit this garden is the winter season as that’s when the flora here looks beautiful. A lot of exotic flora blooms during this season. Also the weather here is really nice during the winter season so that also makes the visit more comfortable. You will be able to explore the whole area really well. Many exotic migratory birds also visit here during the winter season. If you are a bird lover then you would love looking at the varieties of birds here. So you can plan your visit accordingly.
Overview of Botanical Garden Kolkata
The Botanical Garden or Indian Botanical Garden or Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanical Garden is a huge ancient garden that dates back to the 18th century. The area of this garden spreads across 273 acres or 109 hectares in Howrah Shibpur. Located towards the west end of the city this is a popular picnic spot in Kolkata as well. Originally Colonel Kyd founded this garden in 1786. His main motive was to maintain this garden as a space to grow commercial plants that would help in minting money. However, at present this park is the largest as well as the oldest Botanical Garden in the whole of Southeast Asia. Presently this is one of the most important locations for botanical research and studies.
The Botanical Survey of India (BSI) of the Ministry of Environment and Forest under the Government of India is in charge of this garden at present. Along with a well manicured garden and beautiful artificial lakes the garden gives a peaceful vibe. Also this garden maintains a zero plastic and zero littering policies inside its premises. For a visitor it would be extremely enjoyable to explore the whole area of this park.
History of Botanical Garden Kolkata
An army officer of the British East India Company, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Kyd established this garden in Kolkata in 1787. At first the name of the garden was East India Company Bagan. Later the official renamed the garden multiple times like Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta Botanic Garden and Indian Botanic Garden. The main aim behind setting up this garden was to grow and maintain plants and trees with commercial values like teak, cloves, cinnamon, pepper etc. Mostly the idea was to grow the economy as well as carry on with trade. This was a fruitful plan in the eyes of the British and the East India Company agreed to go ahead with the plan. Their main intention was to compete with the Dutch in terms of spice trade who were leading the market at that time. Robert Kyd was therefore the superintendent of the garden.
Robert Kyd started growing a variety of trees here but it was a failure. Spices like nutmeg and clove did not grow here. Also he grew tropical fruit plants and teak but that also did not yield the desired result. By the time his tenure was ending there were more than 300 varieties of plants here but it certainly did not become the commercial hub as Kyd had envisioned. After his tenure William Roxburg who was a surgeon and a botanist became the first paid superintendent of this garden. He proposes a lot of changes for the development of this park like getting plant species from all over the world. He also focused more on scientific research and studies here. Also he introduced various exotic plants here like tea, mahogany, rubber etc.
What’s more?
Later Nathaniel Wallich, a Dutch surgeon became the fifth superintendent here who subsequently contributed to the development. He developed commercial crops like cotton that fetched higher profits for the East India Company. Later after the independence of India in 1950 the garden was named as the Indian Botanic Garden. In 2009 officials again renamed the park as Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanical Garden to honour the great Indian scientist. At present this garden has 2.5 million specimens of dried plants and is the oldest and most extensive garden in the world.
Major attractions and collections in Botanical Garden Kolkata
The Botanical Garden Kolkata is the oldest botanical garden in the whole of South Asia and obviously it boasts a massive collection of plant species. From native plants to exotic plants to endangered and rare plant species you will find it all here. You will find bamboo, palms, jasmines, bougainvillea, screw pines, orchids, palmae, water lilies and more here. There are over 14, 000 trees, climbers and shrubs here. Also a huge number of 1400 species of herbaceous plants are also present here. Different methods of conservations like glass house, conservatories and greenhouses are present here and conserved in 25 major divisions.
You will also find some rare plants here from across the world like Malaysia, Brazil, Nepal, Sicily, Java, Sumatra etc. there are Mahogany trees, Tamarind trees, Mango trees, Cuban Palms, Branching Palm trees etc. One of the things that make this garden popular is the collection of palm trees here. You will find 153 species of palm trees here in 8 subfamilies as well as 53 genera. This number of palm trees is also one of the largest in South East Asia. This collection of palm trees is not just beautiful to look at, these are also of immense importance in terms of horticulture. You will also find a rare variety of water lily here, Victoria Amazonica. Also rare exotic collections here include Krishnabot, Double Coconut, Bread Fruit Tree, Shivalinga Tree etc.
What’s more?
One of the most interesting aspects of this Botanical Garden is the presence of 24 artificial lakes. These lakes are interconnected through underground pipes and also connected collectively to the river for smoother outlet and inlet as and when required. Through sluice gates these pipes are connected. The serpentine lake here is the most famous one out of all the 24. This lake is also popular for activities like boating that the visitors enjoy here. However with the rich flora here the park also boosts a generous population of birds, reptiles, butterflies, insects and mammals as well.
Botanical Garden Kolkata Banyan Tree
The banyan tree in the Botanical Garden Kolkata is one of the major highlights here. According to official records the tree is over 250 years old and has the largest canopy in the world. Popular as the Great Banyan Trees you will find mention of this tree in many travel books. However there is an exact date of planting of this tree and the age of the tree is based on speculations. After the tree was hit by two major cyclones in 1864 and 1867 the main trunk of this tree started to decay. So in 1925 the main trunk was amputated.
At present the tree looks like a forest itself and not a single tree. It is spread across 1.89 hectares or 4.67 acres. The highest branch is 24.5 meters tall and the crown of the tree has a circumference of 486 meters. In total there are approximately 3772 aerial roots. The tree also finds a spot in the great Guinness Book of World Records.
Wrapping Up!
Botanical Garden Kolkata is undoubtedly one of the most interesting places that you can explore in Kolkata. The variety of plants present here would be really exciting for a nature lover. You can check out the Botanical Garden Kolkata images but unless you spot it with your own eyes you would not get the essence of it. And for that you need to plan a visit to this location as soon as you can. So when are you planning a visit to the Botanical Garden in Kolkata? Also let me know if this article on Botanical Garden Kolkata is helpful for you in planning a trip to this location.
