The Four Gates of Lalbagh

18.07.2009.

I was in Bangalore on a training assignment.

In the evening I went for a stroll in Lal Bagh. I was accompanied by my friend from

long ago. She had suggested that I come to

the West Gate to meet her. We walked together in companionable conversation discussing our mutual interests: a love for nature, poetry and good literature. While I am also interested in social issues, our views differ on this. She prefers activism and direct action in supporting the down trodden, while I prefer an approach that would enable people to become self sufficient and proactive.

As you must be aware Lal Bagh has four Gates:

The Main Gate which attracts most tourists.

The Double Road Gate which leads to a small hillock and thereafter the mai

n gardens. This is equally popular. The other two gates are less popular but offer natural attractions that are worth a look.

The West Gate, which gives access to the

small curved lake that is home to numerous birds. There are ducks, cormorants, pond herons and kingfishers.

The pathway that runs round the lake is a regular space for both Bangalore Walkers as well as Lovers. The Elephant grass thickets around the lake and a natural dyke raising in the landscape effectively conceal this lake and hence most “tourists” do not venture beyond the “main attraction”—The Glass House.

My friend mentioned a visit to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary near Delhi when she saw people driving straight down the reserve to see a rare Australian bird and then make a bee line for the exit without pausing to enjoy the othe sights. It appeared as if they wore blinkers and were totally oblivious to the other equally interesting birds that my friend and her group saw as they cycled down the reserve park.

We quit Lal Bagh when it was almost dark through The Siddhapur Gate. This is a desolate and barren areaof the park least frequented by visitors both local and tourists possibly because this gate gives access to slums and othe lower income areas. But the peace and tranquility of the park is best enjoyed here where there is more opportunity to listen to the “Voice of Nature.”