29 June: Botanical Gardens

Having decided that Sundays would be great ones at Kolkata, the escapade on the last Sunday of June was to Botanical Gardens. Greenery and solitude (courtsey the less number of interested souls) welcomed the father-son duo. I do not know whether the less number of people was because of the Sunday factor or that the trees could not perform a reality show. There were some serious souls both solo and in groups, some young couples and then there were photographers (some with their 2 ft. long lens) because this den is a delight for every snap-per.

The plants are so dense at places that even sunlight leave aside a torch beam (mobile) cannot see through them. At the first instance itself, I was besotted with the natural beauties around. There are lakes here and there amidst the groves; that adds to the beauty. The stretches being too rather too-too long and we were tired off at times; but there are places to sit under a huge tree. I cannot fathom the way the same would be maintained; appreciate whoesever does the maintainance. The kid was excited in the beginning but the excitement waded off after sometime because of the monotony. I had to bring about a discussion on his science chapter stating the different types of plants; he was then excited to see live creepers, shrubs and herbs. God, he would have realised how less I know about trees and particularly the types of trees. I simply had no answer; poor me how was I suppposed to know the names of the 1000 different types of trees (the total collection is more than 12000) that he asked me to explain and distinguish.

Hats off to this gentleman Robert Kyd who established this as the Company Bagaan in 1787. Stood by his memorial and pondered over a old quote which used to be written on the top of the Class photographs i.e. "Nothing But Memory Remains". Indeed, what a creation and appreciate the concept of the same 230 years ago.

The catch of the gardens is the banyan tree. Trust me, this is an amazing piece of art; yes, art for sure because I have'nt seen anything like that. Sheer providence by nature, any artificial thought pygmies in that aspect. The prop roots are there and the kid besides me had to be explained that these are not different trees but that all of them were interconnected. This infact is a materpiece in the sense that the main trunk has been removed in 1925 but still the tree continues to grow with the same vigour.

The grandeour of the banyan is visible in the above photograph; it looks more of a forest than an individual tree. It must be difficult maintaining the same. The prop roots shall flow down and make the area more unapproachable with time; the authorities are trying to bend the prop roots to fall within the protected periphery. The dimensions captured in my pictures that I captured there am sure shall change in few years. That is probably nature and the magnficience of time. 

Juxtaposed among the trees and the plants were proper sitting places. One could sit there as a dewan of the forest at one's back. Trust me, it felt nice sitting under some tree; beettles (natural ones) in the background, chattering of the kid interspersed with some intelligent (read unanswerable) questions and the mind not wandering anywhere from the place; it was a breath of fresh life.

There was this magnificient tomb of an ex-superitendent Mr. Roxburgh. What attracted me was not the design of the tomb but the inscription written on a stone below which read as follows: "Whoever you may be, if this place soothes the mind with its sweetness or teaches you to think of God with reverence, you must hold in high honour Roxburg".

There were many more stuff but I did not wish to tire off the kid with no water with me (plastic bottles/items are strictly not allowed). The other attraction i.e. the cactus collection was closed for visitors because of Sunday. I have no clue how much the stretch was but sure Kolkata has much in store for me. 

I would have made this just a write-up blog but for my colleague Dr. Biswas who insisted that it should be pictorial too.

Bouquets and bricbats welcome...every Sunday some new thing should come