India is not only a culturally diverse country, but it has also been blessed with immense natural diversity. Being a popular tourist destination in the world, it has plenty of gardens where one can just relax and leave all their worries behind. Gardens are like a fantasy world having fountains, lakes, and lush greenery. When one does not have the time or the mood to exclusively go to a hill station or a place that reflects the beauty of nature, gardens serve as a go-to place that takes them close to nature in a typical city area. India has a plethora of serene gardens that soothe your soul and offer you the peace you need. Here are 20 famous gardens in India that are must-see for tourists from all around the world:
Lal Bagh
Situated in the south of Bangalore, Lal Bagh is one of the most diverse gardens in India. It was put up by one of the most popular rulers of Mysore, i.e. Hyder Ali and has been embellished with exquisite walkways and floral sculptures.
Nishat Bagh
Gifted to Nur Jahan by his brother Asif Khan, Nishat Bagh is a breathtakingly beautiful garden in Srinagar. The beautiful Dal Lake and the Zabarwan mountains enliven this garden.
Mughal Garden
The Mughal Gardens in Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi are known for having a wide variety of seasonal flowers like roses and tulips, fountains, and water channels. This range of gardens consists of a Bonsai garden, herbal garden, musical garden, and a cactus garden.
Chambal Garden
Chambal Garden is situated on the banks of the famous river Chambal in Kota. It is famous for a pond that used to exclusively house crocodiles and alligators and has lush greenery, colourful fountains, and water channels. People often come here to enjoy the view of Chambal.
Brindavan Garden
Being a globally popular garden, Brindavan garden is located on the outskirts of Mysore. Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya proposed the idea of this garden with the intention to let people enjoy the beauty of the Krishnarajasagara dam and enliven the Cauvery river banks.
Gulab Bagh
Also known as Sajjan Niwas Garden, Gulab Bagh was laid out by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1878 and is situated close to the Pichola Lake in Udaipur. It has a wide variety of roses and tropical trees, e.g. bananas, mangoes, litchis, and pomegranates.
Auroville Botanical Garden
The Auroville Botanical garden was created in 2000 as an attempt to conserve plant diversity in a variety of climatic conditions. Being an ideal place for environmental education, it has over 250 tree species and a TDEF (Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest) plant nursery.
Chashm-e-shahi Bagh
Created by Ali Mardan and commissioned by Dara Shiko in 1632, Chashm-e-shahi Bagh is a beautiful garden in Kashmir offering an equally beautiful view of the Dal Lake.
Hanging Garden
Built in 1881, The Hanging gardens are situated at the top of Malabar Hill in Mumbai. They offer an exquisite view of Mumbai during the sunset and are known to be well-maintained.
Lodhi Garden
Created by Alauddin Alam Shah in 1444 as a tribute to Mohammad Shah, Lodhi Garden is the most popular garden in Delhi. It encompasses the tombs of Mohammad Shah, Bada Gumbad, and Sheesh Gumbad.
Mehtab Bagh
Also known as the Moonlit garden, Mehtab Bagh was laid out by Babur in Agra way before Taj Mahal. It is the eleventh garden built by the Mughals alongside Yamuna. It got its overdue attention after the unfavourable effects of the sands coming from its unmanaged version were noticed.
Pinjore Garden
Originally laid out by Nawab Fidai Khan in the 17th century on the outskirts of Chandigarh, Pinjore garden was reconstructed by Maharaja Yadavindra Singh as it lacked proper care before. It has seven terraces and has been studded with the Hawa Mahal, Shish Mahal, Jal Mahal, and the Rang Mahal.
Sarita Udyan
Situated near the deer park and on the banks of Sabarmati in Gandhinagar, Sarita Udyan is a popular garden in Gujarat. It encompasses an assorted range of garden trees and flowers, which makes it an ideal tourist destination in Gujarat.
Lloyd’s Botanical Garden
Lloyd’s Botanical garden was made in 1878 during the British rule in Kolkata and is one of the most beautiful gardens in Asia. It is famous for having wide varieties of cacti and Himalayan indigenous plants and a beautiful orchidarium featuring over 250 orchids.
Shalimar Bagh
Gifted by a Mughal Emperor named Jahangir to his wife Nur Jahan, Shalimar Bagh was built in 1619 and based on the famous Persian garden design. It was built amongst the beautiful splendour of Srinagar.
Rock Garden
Founded by a government official Nek Chand in 1957, Rock Garden in Chandigarh is full of stunning sculptures made of the home waste materials collected by him during the city’s construction. It was studded further with man-made waterfalls and caves.
Rao Jodha Rock Park
Located in the foothills of the Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, Rao Jodha Rock Park was built to preserve and display the diversity of the Rajput culture. It offers a beautiful view of the Rajasthani architecture.
Sayaji Bagh
Sayaji Bagh, also known as Kamati Bagh, is the biggest garden in the western part of India. In 1879, it was gifted to the Baroda locals by Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad III. It has over 90 plant species and also consists of the Sardar Patel Planetarium, Baroda museum, Sayaji Bagh zoo, and a floral clock.
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden
Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden or Siraj Bagh in Srinagar is a mesmerizing garden filled with more than 70 types of gorgeous tulips and roses. The garden becomes a major tourist destination during the Tulip festival which takes place in the month of April. The garden is spread across five hectares and is easily accessible by road.
Government Botanical Garden
Located in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, Government Botanical Garden is one of the finest gardens in India. This park was designed by WilliamGraham Mclvo in 1848 and is divided into five sections, namely the Lower Garden, New Garden, Italian Garden, Conservatory, Fountain Terrace and Nurseries. The garden has about 127 species of ferns, three hundred varieties of hybrid tea roses, Floribunda and Polyanthas, and arboretums. This park is a major tourist destination in May as it hosts the famous flower show which displays its rich and different varieties of flora.
Make sure you visit at least some of these stunning Indian gardens for the peace you desire the next time you plan a trip.