Cubbon Park, Bengaluru is one of the most shady and cool tourist garden spots in the city.
Cubbon Park is one of the many green areas of the city of Bengaluru which has retained its charm over the years. Named after Sir Mark Cubbon, the former British Commissioner of Mysore, it is centrally located in the administrative hub of Bengaluru. Whether you are a fitness enthusiast, a casual walker, or just want some fun time out with friends and family, Cubbon Park is a good get-away kind of place. In fact, Cubbon Park provides much needed space away from the chaotic traffic jams of the city!
Cubbon Park Aquarium
Before you start wandering around the park, you should first buy admission tickets to visit the beautiful Cubbon Park Aquarium. Note the architectural style of the building itself – it is in an unusual octagonal shape. It is regarded as one of the largest aquariums in the country, with a superb variety of aquatic residents, in sizes, shapes and hues of the kind you have never seen before, including of the ornamental pet variety. Some of the fish look as exotic as their names' sounds – Moon Tail, India Tiger Bob, etc. The Cubbon Park Aquarium is open from Friday to Wednesday from 10a.m. to 5p.m.
Cubbon Park Greenery
From the smallest shrub to the tallest tree, Cubbon Park's greenery is a welcome sight the minute you step over the threshold. There is no mass needless planting; instead, specific species have been lovingly raised and maintained in specific areas of the Park. Known and unknown botanical species are everywhere. There are majestic fig trees, lovely laburnums, gently swaying silk cotton trees, and presiding over them all huge banyan trees. One of the unusual trees in Cubbon Park is the Albizia lebbeck – it literally means "woman's tongue tree", apparently named so because the pods of the tree rattle and make a sound in much the same fashion as the sound of ladies jabbering. Then there is the silver oak tree, botanically named Grevillea robusta. This tree was first brought to the city from Australia and its species is to be found adjacent to the tennis pavilion in Cubbon Park. If you are truly interested in knowing such and other exact names and types of the trees, it is a good idea to find a naturalist as your guide!
Cubbon Park Attractions
Other than the major trees and plants, you should look around at the other green patches and architectural beauties of Cubbon Park. As you enter, you must definitely wander into the lovely bamboo grove towards your right. Towards the eastern section, you will see neatly laid out terraced gardens. At its center is the well-known Bandstand area, where lately music jamming sessions are held by local youth.
There are 5 major Trees Avenues in Cubbon Park:
1. The avenue of Swietenias is in the northern section of Cubbon Park.
2. The avenue of Araucarias stretches on either side of the road from the City Central Library to Hudson circle.
3. The Java fig avenue is to be found along the road leading to the Government Museum.
4. The Polyalthia avenue winds its way along the road from the Queen Victoria statue to the King Edward statue.
5. The chestnut tree avenue is a real grandiose sight, right from the Chamarajendra statue to the Siddalingaiah circle.
Statuesque Splendors of Cubbon Park
Around Cubbon Park are a number of statues, some easily identifiable by face, others less so. Here's a handy guide:
1. The Queen Victoria statue is near the Mahatma Gandhi Circle;
2. The King Edward VII statue is located at the North-Western point of the Queen's park;
3. The statue of Major General Sir Mark Cubbon (the former British Commissioner of Mysore State) is near the terrace garden;
4. The Rajya Dhurandhara Sir K. Sheshadri Iyer statue installed is in front of the Central Library;
5. The statue of Sri. Chamarajendra Wodeyar has been installed near the tennis pavilion with a fairy fountain in front of it.
Finally, don't forget to take a really close look at your surroundings in Cubbon Park – in the midst of the greenery, you will spot some colourful ladybugs or may catch sight of a squirrel scampering up a tree and if your are really lucky could even see an eagle. Happy spotting!
|