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
