Top 5 Best Gardens in India

There are days when you want to curl up by your window with a hot mug of coffee and watch the world pass by. And then there are days when you just have to take a long walk to de-clutter your head. A leisurely stroll down a garden can be therapeutic. Not only does it help free your mind but it also fills you with a radiant positive energy. India is thankfully blessed with quite a few beautiful gardens, which are oases of peace and happiness in an otherwise congested noisy world. If gardens are your thing, you might want to visit some of these while in India.

Shalimar Bagh

In the beautiful paradise that is Kashmir, this garden was designed during the period of the Mughal emperor Jahangir, as a gift to his wife, Nur Jahan. It was subsequently extended by other Mughal emperors and it even served as a guesthouse for European visitors before being converted to a public park. Bagh means garden (in Hindi) and Shalimar Bagh is one of the most popular places to visit in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir. Set against the backdrop of the Dal lake, this garden is based on the principle of Persian gardens and has some stunning pieces of architecture.

Lodi Gardens

Located in the heart of the national capital, Delhi, this garden is believed to have architectural works and tombs built by the Lodis, a dynasty that ruled over most of north India for about 70 years from the mid-1400s to early 1500s. The garden comes to life in spring and the best time to visit it would be March-April or October-November. This garden is a haven for history and nature enthusiasts and a number of heritage and photo walks are organised here.

Brindavan Gardens

A major tourist attraction in Srirangapatna near Mysore, Karnataka, Brindavan Gardens is best known for its beautiful dancing fountains, among others. Constructed between 1927 and 1932, this garden is spread across 60 acres and consists of several flowering plants, shrubs and it even has a lake where one can go boating. The garden is located very close to the Krishnarajasagara dam that is built across the Kaveri river.

Pinjore Gardens

Built in the 17th century by the rulers of the Patiala dynasty, this garden is located in the town of Pinjore, Haryana, and is 22km from the state capital of Chandigarh. This garden is a great example of Rajasthani-Mughal style of architecture and is laid out in seven terraces complete with manicured lawns, flowering plants, ponds and elaborate gateways. The garden also has an open-air theatre and a zoo in the vicinity.

Rock Garden

This is a modern sculpture garden built in 1957 in Chandigarh. It was constructed by Nek Chand, a government official who designed this garden as his own creative project. It ran into controversy because technically what Chand was doing on the 12 acres of forest buffer land adjoining the Sukhna lake, was illegal. However, thanks to his passionate work, the area had already transformed into something so beautiful that the government acknowledged his effort and even helped him complete the garden and threw it open to the public in the 1970s. Built entirely of industrial and domestic scrap and recycled materials, the garden also has artificial waterfalls and central courtyards.

Seek some inspiration from these gardens and create your own green patch in your backyard or balcony. Do not forget to deck it up with Satara’s range of garden furniture so you can sit back and enjoy the view.

Image sources:

By Lucido22 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Sunil Nallode (http://www.pbase.com/nallode/image/82766991) [CC-BY-SA-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
By Nagesh Kamath from Bangalore, India (Window to Magic in stone Uploaded by Ekabhishek) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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By Vinayaraj (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons