Lalbagh’s mystery island
.jpg) For all the lovers, joggers and philosophers who frequent the Lalbagh Botanical Garden, none are permitted to stray beyond one locked green gate. This is the entrance to Lalbagh Lake Island, where humidity is hailed as a virtue and despair deemed a vice.
The mystery surrounding this nook can be dispelled by GK Vasantha Kumar, Karnataka’s director of horticulture. The island, which measures 2.7 acres including a 175-foot pathway connecting it to the shore, dates back to 1881 and was later enlarged and fortified. Planners hoped that it would become a serene haven for nesting birds and induce a spirit of tranquillity among visitors.
No such luck. “They tried to catch the ducks. They tried to catch the fish illegally. They endangered the birds’ nests,” recounted Kumar. Naturally, the ornithologists complained. Security was also a concern. Given its relatively isolated locale, the island presented a suicide risk. One retired plant specialist recalls the jarring sight of a woman’s corpse largely hidden by algae. By the time the body was discovered, it was so decomposed that neither the police nor a hired team was willing to extract it. (A few passing volunteers recovered it.)
In 2003, the island was declared off-limits. By early 2007, however, a new activity took hold. In response to a proposal by veteran botanist
T Ananda Rao, the site was selected for orchid cultivation due to its humid climate. So far, 53 species have been planted, with dozens more to follow.
On a rare authorised visit, it took some jiggling to unlock the green metal gate, patterned with stars. It swung open to reveal a path strewn with hibiscus stalks, newly pruned. Further on, an eagle nested in the broad canopy of a 70-year-old Brazilian raintree. Abandoned benches sagged amidst a firewheel bush, a powderpuff shrub and a peepul tree. Huddled in terracotta, a few orchids bloomed. Others bided their time.
“This is the best place to have lunch!” said gardener Eerappa Maiyestry, who recalled a fine picnic with his wife and two sons.
That experience won’t extend to Lalbagh’s 10,000 daily visitors. Officials don’t want to watch the island overrun by rowdies or mourn any stolen orchids. Still, they are warming to the idea of opening the site to “select” orchid fans and bird watchers. No more than three to 10 at a time, and always with an escort, warns Kumar. Visitors shall be expected to “maintain that sanctity and silence”. Margot Cohen
Directorate of Horticulture, Lalbagh (2657-8184). Daily 6am-7pm. |
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