Slow down, smell the roses….Bapu Deedwania
Hanging Gardens, one of the citys most famous landmarks, is once again a must-visit spot after an impressive facelift
Hanging Gardens, one of the citys most famous landmarks, is once again a must-visit spot after an impressive facelift
Bang in the heart of this city, better known for its din and chaos, heres an oasis where you can soak in some peace and quiet. Youd be forgiven if you thought that the Valley of Flowers has come to Walkeshwar when you step into the revamped Hanging garden, says 52-year-old local resident Sushil Shah while talking of the new look that one of the citys forgotten landmark sports. Its breathtakingly beautiful with vast stretches of flowers, some of which you wont find anywhere else in Mumbai.
The revamped look of the garden is a joint effort by residents and officials of the municipal administration aimed at making your stroll in the garden pleasant.
The garden has a picturesque view – sunflowers and lilies swaying gently. Besides the usual garden variety, there are also a range of exotic flowers.
All this thanks to painstaking efforts put in by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation along with residents of the locality and groups from neighbouring areas that worked together to plant and preserve the different varieties of flowers. The work, which commenced more than a year ago, has now borne fruit – or flowers, if you will.
Some of the flowers you see at the garden are unique and not to be found elsewhere in Mumbai, say municipal officials.
Horticulturist with the municipality, Krishna Yadav, who has been working closely on the project, said their efforts were successful thanks to the active cooperation and support of citizens. There were frequent discussions we had with the residents during which we exchanged ideas on how we could better the look and feel of the garden, the civic officer said.
The horticulturists ideas were amazing. They came up with the idea of flower beds with different varieties, each in keeping with the weather, said a member of Green Garden group, an association of citizens from south Mumbai involved in the revamp project.
Horticulturist Tushar Shinde told Mumbai Mirror that while Hanging Gardens always had a variety of flowers, this was the first time there was such variety. Weve increased the variety of flowers -by introducing at least 25 new ones, said Shinde.
Additional municipal commissioner Rajeev Jalota said that the garden is not only used by local residents but is a major tourist attraction. So, we ensured that people who visit the garden are not disappointed. We are also carrying out repair work which will be completed by May after which the garden will be beautified further, said Jalota.
WHATS NEW AT HANGING GARDENS