Botanical Garden
The gardens were originally founded in 1786 by Colonel Kyd, containing about 12,000 living plants and over two and half million dried out plant specimens in the herbarium collected from all over the world. This is the oldest of all the Botanical Gardens in India. It was from these gardens that the tea now grown in Assam and Darjeeling was first developed. Trees of the rarest kinds, from Nepal, Brazil, Penang, Java and Sumatra can be found here. There are towering Mahogany trees, an avenue of Cuban Palms and an Orchid House. Mango and Tamarind trees shade the grassy lawns. Col. Alexander Kyd of the East India Company developed it for the collection of plants, indigenous to the country and for the introduction and acclimatization of plants from foreign parts. It remains opened from sunrise to sunset. This ethereal ambience is ideal for fun, fiesta and frolics.There is a serpentine lake where boatÂing is possible. Botanics posseses a priceless collection of books in its library. The main trunk was infected by fungus and had to be removed in 1945, but 1573 aerial branches from the mother tree took roots all around covering 404 sq metres.
Enchanting attraction of the gardens
Nearby Attraction Main attraction Banyan Tree and lake Location Botanical Garden is situated at Shibpur area of Howrah District. |