The moment somebody says Bangalore, you remember it as the nation’s leading information technology (IT) exporter. But did you know that it is also nicknamed the Garden City of India, all thanks to the gardens and parks in Bangalore? Yes, in Bengaluru, garden spaces are quite the thing.
About 250 years ago, the garden city of India was described as a land of old strong granite rocks and sand in paintings. Tracing its roots back to the early 1920s, a plethora of parks and gardens were built to commemorate the 25th year of the rule of Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV in Bangalore. Owing to its pleasant topography and climate, it is also praised as the third greenest city of India.
Bangalore, filled with lush green parks, has a total of 1,247 developed parks offering a respite from the stifling Indian heat. Strategically located and carefully planned, the parks in Bangalore are as serene as they can get.
Also read: 30 of the most fascinating things to do in Bangalore
Our Top 11 Suggestions For The Best Parks In Bangalore
1. Lal Bagh Botanical Garden: Literally Translating To ‘Red Garden’
A haven for all nature lovers, the Lalbagh Botanical Garden, literally meaning The Red Garden is a horticulturist’s paradise, and one of the oldest and best parks in Bangalore, covering an area of 240 acres with nearly 1,854 species of plants including some from France, Afghanistan and Persia. The park was established in the 1760s by Hyder Ali and completed by his son Tipu Sultan. Originally called the Cypress Garden, it is beautified with lotus pools, fountains, lush green lawns, and the Lalbagh Rock which is over 3,000 million years old. Lal Bagh in Bangalore is home to many wildlife species—birds like purple moorhen, parakeets, Brahminy kites, mynah, etc.
This popular park in Bangalore is also home to a lake, an aquarium, and a famous glass house where an annual flower show is conducted every year. A nationally and internationally renowned centre for the scientific study of plants, botanical artwork, and also conservation of plants, this botanical garden is a delight for photographers.
Location: Mavalli, Bangalore
Timings: 6 AM to 7 PM
Entry Fee: INR 25 per adult and free for children (below 12 years)
2. Cubbon Park: A Landmark ‘Lung’ Area Of Bangalore
Cubbon Park, officially known as Sri Chamarajendra Park, is located right in the middle of the city and is spread across 300 acres, making it the largest green ‘lung’ area in the city. The lush pathways are surrounded by gulmohars, oaks, and cassia making it peaceful for walks or runs. Enjoy plenty of natural features at this delightful park in Bangalore, from picturesque water features such as a musical fountain and lotus pond to 6,000 indigenous and exotic plants.
Beyond nature, there are numerous century-old historical buildings and statues that are worth checking out around the park such as the Cubbon Park Museum, Attara Kacheri, and Seshadri Iyer Memorial Park. The Bangalore Aquarium which is the second-largest aquarium in India is another famous attraction here. There are many activities and events held here from time to time, especially photo walks. This green belt region of the city is an ideal place for nature lovers seeking calm. It is one of the most popular parks in Bangalore and a must-visit.
Location: Sampangi Rama Nagar, Bangalore
Timings: 6 AM to 6 PM
Entry Fee: No entry fee
3. Lumbini Gardens: A One-Of-Its-Kind Park In Bangalore
Named after a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Nepal, Lumbini Gardens stretches over an area of 1.5 km along Nagavara Lake. The park is ideal for family time as the area accommodates up to 5,000 visitors each day. This water amusement park in Bangalore is one-of-its-kind, with an eco-friendly boating facility. In addition to natural beauty, it also houses diverse plant species and well-groomed lawns. The park has a wave pool, kids’ rides, a play area, and other amusement rides for a small price.
Additionally, there is a clock tower resembling Big Ben in London and a 25-foot-high statue of Buddha inside the park. You can choose to dive into the artificial beach for some fun with the kids or enjoy the tranquillity that comes with proximity to nature. Perhaps the first of its kind in the city, there is also a floating restaurant in the park to satiate your hunger.
Location: Hebbal, Bangalore
Timings: 11 AM to 7 PM
Entry Fee: INR 50 per person and free for kids (below 3 years)
4. Bannerghatta National Park: A Biological Reserve
Any nature lover, who has a keen interest in wildlife, will surely enjoy a visit to the Bannerghatta National Park, a rich natural biological reserve that works towards the conservation of wildlife. Established in 1970, this national park in Bangalore also features a zoo, the pet corner, Bannerghatta Biological Park, a snake house, a butterfly enclosure, and a safari park.
Spread over an area of around 104.27 sq. km, Bannerghatta national park is home to vibrant species of butterflies and around 101 species of birds. The country’s first biological park to have a fenced forested elephant sanctuary, it houses several elephants and other animals like sloths, Bengal tigers, etc., rescued from circuses. There is also a restaurant, a souvenir shop, and a toy train to tour the park. A popular activity to pursue here, the jungle safari allows you to get a close-up view of the wildlife here. All of this is available to the public for nominal prices.
Location: Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore
Timings: Butterfly park and boating: 9:30 AM to 5 PM, Grand Safari: 10 AM to 4:30 PM, Closed on Tuesdays
Entry Fee: Indians: INR 80 per adult, INR 40 for kids (6 – 12 years), INR 50 for Senior citizens; Foreigners: INR 400 per adult, INR 300 for kids
5. Cariappa Memorial Park: A Military-Themed Park
Covering an area of almost 22 acres of land, Cariappa Memorial Park is one of the most famous parks in Bangalore. Built to honour Marshal KM Cariappa, an Indian army officer, the park exhibits around 3,000 varieties of trees and plants. Established in 1996, Cariappa Memorial Park one of the unique features of the park is the games and children’s play area are based on a military theme.
Cariappa Memorial Park also consists of a pond that attracts different varieties of birds, a small waterfall, grassy dunes which are ideal for resting on, a bandstand where six military bands perform every two weeks, and tracks for walking and jogging.
Location: Cubbon Road, Shivaji Nagar, Bangalore
Timings: 5.30 AM to 8 PM on weekdays, 1 PM to 7 PM on Saturdays, 9 AM to 7 PM on Sunday
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
6. Jaya Prakash Narayan Or JP Park: Home To Exotic Migratory Birds
Being both fun and educational at the same time, JP Park spans over 25 acres and is among the best parks in Bangalore. The children’s play area has slides, see-saws, swings, merry-go-rounds, and other recreational equipment. The rest of the park has well-maintained lush green lawns, pathways for walking or jogging, and life-size figurines depicting life in the rural areas, the forests, and farming.
The acupressure walkway is a top attraction at JP Park where you can walk barefoot for a relaxing experience. Additionally, there are more than 250 kinds of trees under which to relax and four lakes where you can spot exotic birds.
Location: Brindavan Nagar, Mathikere, Bangalore
Timings: 5 AM to 9 AM, 4 PM to 8:30 PM
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
Also read: Best places to see migratory birds in India
7. Bugle Rock Park: Famously Known As ‘Rock Garden Of The City’
Famously known as the ‘Rock Garden of the city’, the Bugle Rock Park was built around a 3,000 million-year-old rock called Bugle Rock and is one of the finest green spaces in Bangalore. Located next to the Bull Temple in Basavanagudi, one of the main attractions of Bugle Rock Park is the watchtower built by Kempe Gowda I which offers a 360-degree view of the city. It was from here that a soldier would blow a bugle to warn of impending danger to the city. The park is tree-lined, making it ideal for runs and walks.
Within the premises of the park, you will also find two famous temples— the 16th-century Bull Temple, also called Dodda Basavana Gudi, and a Ganesha temple. If you are looking for more things to enjoy outside of this park, there are also waterfalls, fountains, and an amphitheater at the park as well. Set amidst nature’s natural perks, it is one of the most unique parks in Bangalore and experiences a regular influx of tourists besides scientists and regular geologists.
Location: N R Colony, Basavanagudi, Bangalore
Timings: 9 AM to 7 PM
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
Also read: 22 incredible natural rock formations you have to see
8. Freedom Park: Formerly A Central Jail
A former prison that has been now revamped into a park, Freedom Park, as the name says, is a theme park depicting the freedom struggle of India. Divided into different sections with scenes from the Indian freedom struggle recreated with life-size figurines, there are also various amenities like a socio-cultural library, a joggers’ park, and a children’s play area here.
Opened to the public in 2008, this famous park in Bangalore also has a watchtower, a statue of a prison guard alongside the prison, and an area allocated for protests and rallies by civilians. On a few weekends, even cultural shows are organised here.
Location: Seshadri Road, Gandhi Nagar, Bangalore
Timings: 5 AM to 8 PM
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
9. Ranadheera Kanteerava Park: Preserving Karnataka’s Heritage
The Ranadheera Kanteerava Park is one of the most well-maintained and famous parks in Bangalore, created to inform people about the heritage and history of Karnataka. The park has several beautiful sculptures of the ancient kings and rulers of Karnataka. The park also has a few other giant figurines of just faces, a blue tree man, a small pond with a fountain, notes of the poetry of various famous Kannada poets, a play area, and a play gym.
Location: Jaya Nagar, Bangalore
Timings: 10 AM to 9 PM
Entry Fee: No Entry Fee
10. Butterfly Park: A World Of Butterflies
The first green space of its kind in the country, the butterfly park is located within the Bannerghatta National Park. The biggest feature of the park is a 1 km butterfly trail that leads to a dome-shaped greenhouse, that is home to mainly five species of butterflies: Pieridae, papilionidae, nymphalidae, hesperiidae, and Lycaenidae.
This park in Bangalore also has a breeding area for insects, a landscaped garden to create a favourable habitat for the insects, and a waterfall. The park also has a polycarbonate roof and an audio-visual dome, where visitors can watch a documentary and gain knowledge about the butterflies.
Location: Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore
Timings: 9 AM to 5 PM
Entry Fee: INR 30 per adult, INR 20 per child
11. Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park: Home To An Advanced Musical Fountain
The Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park is artificially created and one of the most technically advanced fountains in India built by B.N.A. Technology Consulting Limited, Hong Kong in 1995. The park is home to several shrub varieties, creepers, rosaries and tree species like cypress, peltophorum, silver oaks, and eucalyptus. The garden is beautifully landscaped and a pleasure to see. However, the biggest attraction of the park is the dancing and musical fountain which is based on multimedia technology, MIDI interfaces and hardware architecture. It is among the unique parks in Bangalore.
This beautiful fountain, surrounded by pleasant lush gardens with the rhythmic dancing of sparkling water, hosts two-night shows every day. Maintained by the Department of Horticulture, this famous park in Bangalore also houses a play garden for kids and a dummy train engine in the honour of the then Chief Minister C. K. Jaffer Sharief who constructed the fountain.
Location: Raj Bhavan Road, Bangalore
Timings: 7 PM to 8:30 PM, Closed on Mondays and second Tuesdays of every month
Entry Fee: INR 10 per adult, INR 5 for kids (between 6 and 12 years)
Why Are Parks And Gardens Important In A City?
Parks play a major role in our childhood memories for many of us. We’re probably aware, to some extent, that the parks where we spent most of our childhood made an impact on who we are today. The parks in Bangalore are a crucial part of the community and help benefit our physical as well as psychological health. They also have a significant impact on the happiness of everyone in the neighbourhood.
The trees in parks help remove a wide variety of pollutants from the air. Each park has its own ecosystem which provides important habitats for many animals. Parks help improve the economy of the city as it attracts tourists, fill hotel rooms, and invite customers to use local restaurants and stores. It can even be used to hold concerts, festivals, and athletics events, bringing an additional boost to the local economy. In fact, parks should be a major part of any city planning going forward and are crucial to healthy development in our city.
When visiting parks in Bangalore, we must do our part in being a responsible traveller by following the rules and regulations. We should also remind fellow visitors to do so by politely reminding them to contribute to the continued preservation of the place. Here are some tips to help you travel better while visiting the gardens and parks in Bangalore:
- Report any signs of vandalism or misbehaviour to park rangers.
- Remember, plants and animals are protected, so ensure you leave them undisturbed and try not to trample plants when you are walking.
- Rock art and other sites in parks represent thousands of years of living culture with special significance to indigenous people. These sites are easily damaged and are irreplaceable so you should refrain from touching or damaging them.
- People visit parks and forests to breathe fresh air and enjoy the sounds of nature. So you should always make an effort to smoke away from other visitors and bin your butts.
With rapid urbanisation in Bangalore, sometimes, the cacophony of the city streets can deafen you, but Bangalore has a solution for it. If you are planning to take a break from bustling city life, then enjoy some peace in solitude at the parks in the garden city of India; the perfect getaway for nature lovers.
FAQs About Parks In Bangalore
There are about 1,247 developed parks in Bangalore.
Laal Bagh is the biggest park in Bangalore.
Laal Bagh is the most famous garden in Bangalore.
While both the parks in Bangalore cannot be compared, a lot of people prefer Cubbon Park over Lalbagh, possibly because of its proximity to the city centre and its maintenance. The Cubbon Park looks lovely in all seasons – summer, winter, and monsoon.
very useful to the people who really loves nature and environment. and also helps as a guidance to the everyone who are new to that particular place. thank you this is the 1st time i am visiting this and got pure help. keep posting more like this.