In my school much importance is given to plants and their usefulness. We have Nature Walks ( to identify plants and their medicinal uses) & Nature Corners (corners dedicated to plants in every class) for students of all the classes. From the very beginning, we have been taught to care for the environment.

But still it took us eight long years to finally visit Calcutta’s very own Kew Garden with my parents, but it was a wonderful experience.

The Indian Botanic Garden is a copy of Kew Garden, London. It was built when the British ruled India. Kew Garden is on the banks of the river Thames while Botanic Garden is in on the river Hooghly.

Tickets to the garden can be purchased from the counter as well as online. They also provide a map of the 17km garden for free (yes, the garden is huge with many man-made lakes inside it). But if you are short of time or energy just book a golf-cart ride. Its 40 rupees for Indians ( higher for foreigners) and the easiest way to explore the whole place.

Without wasting much time on words, let me walk you through my mothers brilliant photography 😉 keeping her happy increases my chance of a study free day

Indian Botanic Garden on the banks of river Hooghly, green cannot get greener than this.

The great Banyan tree is the largest on our Earth. It is over hundred years old and still uncontrollably growing. The bamboos which you can spot are holding the hanging roots of the banyan tree. It is important to keep the roots alive now since the main trunk died after it was struck by two cyclones. If you look carefully from the visitor area, you can spot the grave of the dead trunk.

These are the Malaysian palms planted right opposite to the Hooghly bank. The idea was to let the cold breeze of the Hooghly enter the garden through this pathway.

A clump of Mangroves, oldest trees of the garden. Our golf cart driver cum guide said these are worth 1 crore each. Its wood is used in making fancy furniture and is very expensive. Also, the seed inside the fruit of this tree is beneficial for diabetic patients. I collected a few for my grandmother, who can never give up on sweets even if she has to consume the bitterest of the bitter for it.

WaterLily (world’s largest leaves). I could have gone to the Amazon rainforest to see them, where you can find these in abundance. But God is kind. You can not only spot these easily in our botanic garden but also sit on them and enjoy a free ride (ofcorse children my age and younger).

This is just a small glimpse of my visit to the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic garden. I had a great time seeing foreign trees brought together from five continents.

My tip –

Don’t forget to carry your skates for a better and quick experience and to save yourself from a serpentine queue for the golf-cart. And if you are always high on energy, just walk. Good luck !