New book on Lalbagh

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Lalbagh: Sultans' Garden to Public Park

It is delightful indeed to hear that the deeply knowledgeable VR Thiruvady , a core member of #HeritageBeku has released his new book on Lalbagh a few weeks ago. The books are available in bookstores on Church Street and online, both in paperback and hard cover.

Vijay Thiruvady is well known for his Green Heritage Walks And is an authority on the space so we look forward to read more deeply on the detailed history and heritage of the Botanical Gardens as well as the glimpse of its incredible biodiversity and green world, so symbolic and redolent of Bangalore, the Garden City.

The book‘s jacket reads : ‘If Karnataka is known as the Horticultural State of India and Bangalore the Garden City, it is not by accident but because of the labours of a number of dedicated horticulturalists over a period of two centuries.

Lalbagh: Sultans' Garden to Public Park delves into the evolution of Lalbagh through the centuries. Vijay Thiruvady presents a scholarly book on the park's history and how, after Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, it was helmed by a German missionary, two army men, a Scottish surgeon and six Kew gardeners including two Indians. Having researched extensively into the archives of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the related published works of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, poured through letters written by the East India Company, and dug into the Karnataka State archives and various contemporary accounts of Mysore, Vijay Thiruvady painstakingly recreates the history of Lalbagh. The text is illuminated with botanical illustrations, photographs and images rarely seen before.’

With the Lalbagh Botanical Garden architect G Krumbiegel’s great grand daughter Alyia Gardiner Phelps Krumbiegel a core Heritage Beku & TaskForce member , her blurb on the dust cover is especially relevant and touching. Great to note thay the other two ie noted writer and historian Maya Jayapal and acclaimed environmentalist Prof Harini Nagendra are also on #HeritageBeku from its inception.

Bangalore must be waiting to get its hands in this tome .

I know I am!