Cubbon Park still retains its old charm despite the onslaught of development in a rapidly growing city.

In pollution-filled Bangalore, the sprawling Cubbon Park is perhaps the lone green zone which absorbs toxic carbon monoxide fumes and fills our lungs with life-giving oxygen. Hundreds of walkers and joggers flock to the the park every day and, unlike the other fast-dwindling green patches in a rapidly growing city, it has remained an exception.

The park, which was set up as an embellishment to Attara Kacheri (High Court) and a resting place for traders, is today a major carbon sink that ensures mercury levels remain at moderate levels in the heart of the city.

Designed by Major General Richard Sankey in 1870, the park was inaugurated the same year. Initially, it was called Meade's Park after Bangalore's in-charge commissioner, Colonel Meade. The park was later named after Major General Sir Mark Cubbon, who had served Bangalore for the longest period.

"The park was used as a resting place by traders and businessmen who visited the Cantonment area from the old Bangalore area as it was located in the middle of both places," says S Ashwath, joint director (parks and gardens), horticulture department.

The park was first developed on a 100-acre plot around Attara Kacheri to provide a contrast to the red High Court building. Soon, the adjoining orchards and paddy fields were acquired to increase the area of the park. Today, it hosts many historic and heritage buildings.

Bangalore's first fountain was built inside the park in 1935-36 at a cost of Rs 5,000. It was presented by the Queen of Nepal. Though a small hillock over 91.3 acres and filled with boulders and rocks (between High Grounds and GPO) was not part of Cubbon Park then, it was bought by Sir Cubbon, who built a mansion on it in 1842. The state government bought it back in 1862 and renamed it as Raj Bhavan in 1960, making it the Governor's residence.

The park had to survive several threats to its existence. With the administrative buildings being planned around it, the area soon gained prominence. Hence, the government enacted the Karnataka Parks Preservation Act, 1975 and declared Cubbon Park a protected area.

Though it is rare to see tourist places inside a park, it boasts many attractions spread over 1,000 acres. The Cubbon Statue, Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Hall (Central Library), terrace garden, the Band Stand, fountain, flower pot, Ring-Wood Circle, Queen's Park, bamboo pond, Bal Bhavan and Karaga Pond are some of them. The Band Stand, perched on an octagonal platform, was perhaps the first-ever in the entire country. It was initially located in the Rose Garden area, but was shifted near the High Court. The park also holds the record of being the only one in the entire south India to feature five statues of renowned personalities: Sir Mark Cubbon, Queen Victoria, Sir K Sheshadri Iyer, King Edward VII and Chamarajendra Wodeyar.

The park is a treasure house of 68 exotic species of plants, like Araucaria, Bamboo, Castanospermum australe, Grevillea robusta, Milletia, Peltophorum Schinus molle, Swietenina mahogany and Tabebuia sp. There are also 6,500 varieties of native species including Artocarpus, Cassia fistula, Ficus and Polyalthias.
Recently, the authorities added yet another attraction for the visitors: a musical fountain.



You Must Know !
A part of the park in front of MS Building once housed a stable to accommodate the royal horses that the resident commissioners rode.

Raj Bhavan, the erstwhile mansion of Sir Cubbon, was purchased by the government for Rs 32,000.

The location of Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha was once a rocky hillock spread across 91 acres.

Source: BangaloreMirror

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