The Lal Bagh Gardens in Bangalore come as a surprise, in this Capital City of High Tech. The idea for building a garden, along the lines of the Mughal gardens, popular at the time, came from Hyder Ali, the sultan and ruler of Mysore and the project was duly started in 1760. It was completed by his son, who imported plants and trees from all over the world, turning it into a botanical garden of great distinction. It's now known affectionately as the 'Kew Gardens' of India.
It's said that the jewel in the crown, of these magnificent gardens, is 'The Glass House', built by James Cameron, the then Superintendent of the Gardens, to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince Albert Victor, who laid the foundation stone in 1898.
The Glass House was modeled on the Crystal Palace erected in Hyde Park, London, in 1851 to house an International Exhibition, the inspiration of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, to showcase Britain's industrial successes, amongst other things. It was designed by Joseph Paxton, on the basis of his experience as a designer of green houses. It had a massive iron frame, 1851 ft x 454 ft which was entirely filled with glass. The Exhibition was a great success, drawing visitors in huge numbers. The following year it was dismantled and relocated to Sydenham, in a park like setting and used for various purposes, but it was burned to the ground one night and entirely destroyed, in 1936.
The Glass House at Lal Bagh, apart from making a gracious centre piece for the gardens, also houses the annual flower show.
It's said that the jewel in the crown, of these magnificent gardens, is 'The Glass House', built by James Cameron, the then Superintendent of the Gardens, to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria's grandson, Prince Albert Victor, who laid the foundation stone in 1898.
The Glass House was modeled on the Crystal Palace erected in Hyde Park, London, in 1851 to house an International Exhibition, the inspiration of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, to showcase Britain's industrial successes, amongst other things. It was designed by Joseph Paxton, on the basis of his experience as a designer of green houses. It had a massive iron frame, 1851 ft x 454 ft which was entirely filled with glass. The Exhibition was a great success, drawing visitors in huge numbers. The following year it was dismantled and relocated to Sydenham, in a park like setting and used for various purposes, but it was burned to the ground one night and entirely destroyed, in 1936.
The Glass House at Lal Bagh, apart from making a gracious centre piece for the gardens, also houses the annual flower show.
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