Botanical Garden, Puducherry

Botanical Garden, Puducherry

Botanical Garden is located between Puducherry Main Bus Stand and Puducherry Railway Station in Puducherry Town in Union Territory of Puducherry. The gate leading to the garden is reminiscent of French architecture and it stands out from its immediate surroundings because it is in the middle of the old Tamil town. The Botanical Gardens were laid out in 1826 in the ornate French style, with pruned trees, flower beds and gravel lined paths and fountains. Perrottet was largely responsible for transforming the place into a botanical garden in 1831. His memorial can be seen inside the premises. 

History

The Botanical Garden was established by the French in 1826, however mention of it has been made in 1740 itself. The main purpose of the Botanical Garden at that time was to study the performance of various cultivable plants and to identify suitable plants based on their adoptability to the agro-climatic conditions of Puducherry. In the year 1829 a vast collection of eight to nine hundred species were grown in an area of 7500 square meters was reported by the famous traveler Victor Jacquemont. 

In 1838, an eminent Botanist Mr. S.G. Perottet took charge of the garden and enriched it with new and rare species of plants uniquely for their value of plant collection and creating a live herbarium. Besides, introducing new species he was also responsible for beautifying the garden. Later, Mr. Countest Lacour (1870), Mr. Pelletier (1875) and Mr. Reynaud (1885) succeeded and were instrumental for introduction of a number of new plants. 

In 1890, Mr. Achart was appointed as the chief of Agriculture in Puducherry and in 1900 he was appointed as the Director of the Botanical Garden. Other eminent botanists who succeeded Mr. Achart are Rev. Father Dessaint, (1884), Monseigneur Leveille’ (1887 to 1892), Dr. Paramanandha mariadassou, Mr. Soupramania Poulle, Mr. Giblon and Dr. Bigot. After the merger of Puducherry with the Union of India in 1954, the Department of Agriculture was entrusted with the responsibilities of maintaining the Botanical Garden. The Botanical Garden now is a garden of tree and plant collection.

The Botanical Garden

The sprawling 22 acres garden houses more than 1500 species of plants with placards indicating the species, common name and interesting information like the uses of the tree, amount of oxygen generated and its medicinal value; this could well qualify as one of the best botanical gardens in South India. A mix of endangered and exotic species of plants is spread out all over the place. There are 28 plots dividing the Botanical Garden and each has a separate theme. The trees in the Botanical Garden are a mixture of indigenous and exotic trees ranging from deciduous to evergreen species, each contributing to the general floral wealth, glory and beauty of the garden.

The endangered species and specimens of the Tropical Dry Evergreen species. The tall and monster like Khaya senegalensis greeting the visitors is an introduced species from Central Africa, the huge Cannon ball trees (Couroupita guianensis), which produces sweet smelling typical flowers from the trunk adds fragrance and beauty, the tall and erect majestic royal palms (oreodoxa regia), the old and gigantic silk cotton trees (Bombax malabaricum) with its broad green trunks revealing its old age through the well developed at the bottom buttresses, the sweeping callistemon (bottle brush), are unique to this.

Adenanthera pavonina, Anthocephalus cadamba, Samania saman, Albizzia, Lagerstroemia lanceolata, Michelia champaka, Crescentia cujeta, Sweitanea mahagoni, Kignelia pinnata, Ficus species and the colourful flowering trees of Delonix regia, Peltophorum ferrugineum, Saraca indica, Butea frondosa, Plumeria species, Spathodia caampanulata, Milligtonia hortensis, Tabebuia rosea are a few of the others members adding an array of unimaginable, chroma, aroma beauty and naturalness to the Botanical Garden.

The diversified collection of tree species with their varying colour of the flowers, shape of crowns, height and different periods of flowering, fruit production, leaf shedding and the visit and cries of seasonal insects like the call of the cycads after the first rains and the birds, bats offers a variety of scenery and every month there is something new to be seen in the garden. The Nature’s offering of flowers and fruits all-round the year satisfies one’s peace and joy makes the visit to the Garden a worthy one.

The fossil park displayed amidst the palm collection and the cycads are rare and unique and indeed a curiosity even for a casual visitor. Perrottet was largely responsible for transforming the place into a botanical garden in 1831. His memorial can be seen inside the premises. The garden houses a children’s train, a dancing fountain, the aquarium with several rare varieties of ornamental fishes and six fountains. The aquarium has a wide variety of marine life which makes it a very popular tourist attraction. It affords the visitor a unique glimpse of aquatic life.

The gardens also offer Toy train rides, six fountains one of which is a musical and dancing fountain - active on weekends, with two shows in the evening. The timings and the frequency of the shows may vary depending on the season. It also boasts of a Japanese rock structure and an aquarium. The Annual Flower Show with display of flowers of all kinds are conducted to create a reconnaissance among nature lovers and children to update their knowledge about flowers and the bounty of nature. The flower shows are so popular among the public and tourists that it can be referred as a “Flower Festival”.

Timings

·        Opening Time: 10:00 AM

·        Closing Time: 05.00 PM

Fees

Train rides are chargeable and require a minimum head count to start. Visiting the Aquarium is also chargeable.

·        Adults: Rs. 10/-

·        Children: Rs. 5/-

Connectivity

The Botanical Garden is located close to Puducherry Old Bus Stand. The Botanical Garden is located at about 250 meters from Puducherry Old Bus Stand, 850 meters from Puducherry Main Bus Stand, 1 Km from Puducherry Railway Station, 6 Kms from Puducherry Airport and 150 Kms from Chennai Airport. The Botanical Garden is situated on Pondicherry Bus Stand to JIPMER (Gorimedu) Bus Route. Tourists can get down at Puducherry Old Bus Stand. The Botanical Garden is located at a walkable distance from this Bus Stop. Taxis and Autos are also available to reach this Botanical Garden from any part of Puducherry. Nearest Railway Station is located at Puducherry. Nearest Airport is located at Puducherry and Chennai.

Location