Botanical Garden

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Location: Shibpur, West Bank of Hooghly.

Significance: Nature retreat.

Botanical Garden Kolkata is counted amongst one of Asia's biggest Botanical Garden. Now a popular nature retreats, it was born on 6th of July, 1786 and since witnessed a gradual and continues increase in its popularity. The main idea behind the botanical garden was to have a place where the over worked British officers and administrators can have a sort of get away adequate to rejuvenate their weary senses.

Kolkata being the then capital of British India, a need was felt for a pleasure retreat of nature resort that would take the British administrators away from the hustle bustle of daily life. The task of identification of such a destination was assigned to Col. Kyd of the East India Company. Lying close to the Hooghly River, the present area of Botanical garden was chosen unanimously resulting in the birth of what today is a popular nature retreat.

The garden sprawls over 272 acres of lush green landscape at the city’s outskirts. Although a great variety of exotic flower and fruit bearing trees are found here, its star attraction in without any doubt the enormous 250 year old Banyan tree. Aquatic plants like Victoria Amazonica, and other species including the Sicilian double coconut tree, the multibranched Palmyra tree, bamboo trees, cactus, orchids and other plants makes this a heaven for nature lovers.

The in-house library housing a rare collection of monographs on botany and agriculture is also worth a visit. India’s tea production owes its origin to Botanical Garden as it was here that it made its entry from China before being sent to Darjeeling and Assam. The garden has now developed into a famous retreat for eco tourist serving as an ideal retreat for stressed out citizens.