Cubbon Park

• History/story of Cubbon park 

• What is unique about Cubbon Park 

• Entry fee and time  

• Nearby location 

• How to reach/location 

HISTORY/STORY OF CUBBON PARK: 

Cubbon Park, officially Sri Chamarajendra Park, is a landmark park in Bengaluru, located in the heart of the city in the Central Administrative Area. Initially created in 1870 under Major General Richard Sankey, then British Chief Engineer of Mysore State, it covered an area of 100 acres (0.40 km2). Subsequent expansion has since taken place, and the park's location is now reported to be 300 acres (1.2 km2). It has a rich recorded history of abundant flora and fauna plantations coupled with numerous impressive and aesthetically located buildings and statues of famous personages in its precincts. 

This public park was first named Meade's Park after Sir John Meade, the acting commissioner of Mysore, in 1870 and subsequently renamed Cubbon Park after the longest-serving commissioner of the time, Sir Mark Cubbon. To commemorate the Silver Jubilee of Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar's rule in Mysore State, in 1927, the park was again renamed Sri. Chamarajendra Park, in memory of the 19th-century ruler of the state Sri Chamarajendra Wodeyar (1868–94), during whose rule the park came into existence. 

The landscaping in the park creatively integrates natural rock outcrops with thickets of trees, massive bamboo, grassy expanses and flowerbeds and the monuments within its limits, regulated by the Horticulture Department of the Government of Karnataka. The predominantly green area of the park has many motorable roads, and the well-laid-out walking paths running through the park are frequented by early-morning walkers and naturalists who study plants in the tranquil natural environment. Tourists visiting this park in the city of Bengaluru have nicknamed the city itself as 'Garden City'. The importance of the park to the city's environment is best stated by two urban architects who have won the national competition to design 'Freedom Park'. 

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT: 

The formal gardens, from the central hall of the original Attara Kacheri (which means 18 government offices), now the Karnataka High Court, extend along the canal promenade and develop symmetrically with avenues to the museum building. Another impressive artistic structure is Iyer Hall, which houses the Central Library with a rose garden as a frontage. It is undisputedly the most extensive public library in the state, as evidenced by the college students who are thronging to read here, and it has the world's most comprehensive collection of Braille books. Other buildings located within or at the periphery of the park are the Indira Priyadarshini Children's Library, the Venkatappa Art Gallery, the Aquarium (stated to be the second largest in India), the YMCA, Yuvanika the State Youth Centre, Century Club, Press Club, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Tennis Pavilion, the Cheshire Dyer Memorial Hall and the Ottawa Chatter. 

A bandstand, in an octagonal shape made with cast iron, was built in the early part of the 1900s. Before India's Independence, the British Royal Air Force used to play Western band music at the bandstand every Saturday evening. An attraction for children is the well-planned children's amusement park as part of Jawahar Bal Bhavan, which has the toy train, Puttani Express that runs (0.75 miles or 1.2 km) within the park, the Doll Museum and a boating facility. A 20-million-year-old fossilized tree, a gift from the Geological Survey of India, is also reported at the park.  Memorials in the form of marble statues in honour of Queen Victoria (installed in 1906), King Edward VII (installed in 1919), Major General Sir Mark Cubbon, Sri Chamarajendra Wodeyar (installed in 1927) and Sir K. Sheshadri Iyer (installed (in 1913) are seen located in front of the historical buildings within the park. 

Attara Kacheri, built in 1864 A.D. during British rule, is a stone structure in an intense red hue, a two-storied building with Corinthian columns in the Gothic Style of architecture and is located at the entrance to the park. The public offices (Secretariat of the Government of Karnataka) were located here from 1868 AD to 1956 A.D., and they were later moved to the Vidhana Soudha opposite it. The building now accommodates the Karnataka High Court. In the Central Hall, a portrait of Sir Mark Cubbon is displayed on the ceiling. An equestrian statue of Cubbon by Baron Marochetti is located at the back of the building. 

The State Archeological Museum, one of the oldest in India, was built in 1876 by Colonel Sankey and is located within the park. It is similar in design to the Attara Kacheri in its architectural style and hue. While the original collection in the museum belonged to Benjamin L. Rice of the Mysore Gazetteer, antiquities from the Mohenjodaro period are on display in the museum. Exhibits in the museum include specimens of Vijaynagara and Halebid architecture, ancient coins, and stone inscriptions that are as old as 5000 years. 

Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall, built in 1915 in a classic European style with Tuscan and Corinthian columns in honour of Sir K. Seshadri Iyer, who was Dewan of Mysore State from 1883 to 1901, is an impressive red building with gables. It houses the Seshadri Memorial Library. The memorial building is ensconced in the middle of the park, framed by the greenery of the park and fronted by the rose garden. In 2000, the library was awarded the Raja Rammohan Roy Library Foundation Award for the best state central library in India in recognition of its outstanding contribution to meritorious services rendered in the spread of knowledge and gearing up of library movement in the city of Bengaluru in particular and in the state of Karnataka in general. The library presently has a collection of 265,000 books and also a braille section. After being ignored mainly since Indian independence in 1947, a large number of people have slowly started to acknowledge the pioneering work done by Mark Cubbon and other British administrators. On 23 August 2013, the statue of Mark Cubbon was garlanded for the first time since 1947 by Advocate S Umesh of the Cubbon Park Walkers' Association. The occasion was to mark the 238th birth anniversary of Sir Mark Cubbon. Special permission was obtained from the Karnataka High Court, and police protection was provided. The group credited Mark for being one of the chief architects of Bengaluru and Mysuru. 

ENTRY FEE AND TIMING: 

• Timing: 10 am to 5 pm 

• Entry fee: Free 

NEARBY LOCATION: 

Venkatappa Art Gallery, Vidhana Soudha, National Military Memorial Park, Freedom Park, Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park, Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium Bangalore, Gandhi Bhavan Bangalore, Bangalore Aquarium, Bangalore Place, Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath, Jawahar Bal bhavan, vishveraya Industrial And Technical Museum, Etc,. 

LOCATION/ HOW TO REACH: 

The park is accessible from M.G. Road, Kasturba Road, Hudson Circle and Ambedkar Veedhi (Road). The motorable roads which run through the park are allowed for light motor vehicles only. All locations of the park are accessible through walking paths. The park is open to the public at all times, but the roads around the park are closed to traffic from 5:00 to 8:00 am every day to provide a safe and fresh environment for morning walkers and exercisers. Also, this park will be closed every Sunday. 

The nearest metro station to reach Cubbon Park is the Cubbon Park Metro Station, which is 15 meters away from one of the entrances to the park. 

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