BENGALURU: The horticulture department’s move to spend nearly Rs 1.5 crore to build a sunken garden and mini-Niagara waterfall of 7.5 metre height at Lalbagh, which will be thrown open to public during for the forthcoming Independence Day flower show, has drawn sharp criticism from heritage enthusiasts.
They are upset about the lack of attention towards reviving crumbling heritage structures within park premises. "For officials this is just a way to make a fast buck, instead of restoring important ancient structures that are currently in ruins,” said Syed Mansoor, a noted patron of Bengaluru's history and heritage and seventh great-grandson of Tipu Sultan. Referring to the poor condition of a lecture hall named after Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel, one of the designers of Lalbagh, he said, “This is crumbling and on the verge of collapse," he added.
Tipu Sultan's father, Hyder Ali had commissioned the building of Lalbagh garden in 1760. Syed remarked that if he were to see the current state of the structures, he would be very disappointed. Even former superintendent Dr M.H. Marigowda, who is known as 'Father of Karnataka Horticulture', would be unhappy to see the state of the library in his name, he added.
"The Marigowda Library is integral part of our patrimony and is over 150 years old. The officials claimed to have take some measures preserve it, but I don't see any improvement. They are talking of sunken garden and aquatic plants when they have completely ignored the Bonsai, Japanese gardens," Syed remarked. He said the poor maintenance of the garden could be judged by the death of a boy in December last year, when a stone sculpture fell on him.
