The Glass House

‘The Glass House’ in the city is not as delicate as you think. It has fought the battle against the time to prove itself as a major attraction sideling all the major spots

The exotic ‘Glass House’ located at Lalbagh Botanical Garden is an establishment of prime attraction which attracts thousands of tourists everyday to admire its beauty and structure. The magnificent erection of glasses constructed at the place of Glass House does its work of creating excitement and a word of bombasting its world famous popularity. The world famous structure was established during 1889-90 to commemorate the arrival of a voice-roy to then Mysore state. John Cameron the then Superintendent of Lalbagh Botanical Gardens conceptualized the idea to building a glass house to make the grand welcome to the vice-roy a memorable event. Though the his ideas impressed the vice-roy with an unforgettable event yet the solid presence of the Glass House at Lalbagh Botanical Garden is still serving to visitors as it did earlier.

The plush garden beside the Glass House beside to it is also an added attraction to it. The venue of the Glass House has been used for organizing many events for horticultural and agricultural purposes. The State Government of Karnataka has been organizing flower and fruit shows twice a year on the occasions of Independence and Republic days. The increasing number of visitors from all over the country and abroad has intensified the Department of Horticulture to invest more infrastructural facilities to make the Glass House a beautiful spot indeed. Very recently a mango exhibition was organized at the Glass House to lend an opportunity to the mango growers to exhibit their variety of mangoes and a platform to earn profit. All sort of events organized at the Glass House creates a flutter among the general public creating a huge popularity among the mass.

Before allowing the general public to take participation in the events organized at the Glass House, the venue was used as the preferred location for organizing political events during Congress regime at the Centre. Most of the national leaders have participated in these political events like AICC Conference or the other. Those who are included among the VIPs who had participated in the above political events are Jawaharlal Nehru and various other prominent leaders of Congress who had played a pivotal role in building the nation and the party. After sensing their hidden objective of establishing the brand image of the party motives, the then Mysore Government imposed a ban on political parties from organizing any of the party events that are associated with the general public.

When the Glass House was established during 1889-90, it was a huge success in India abroad. Because of its artichitectural beauty and the use of imported quality worth glasses picked carefully from abroad created a marvelous impact among the general public. The Glass House was built in the model of British Glass House, which is situated at Hide Park. The one in England is considered as the best architectural structure in the world. Comparing it with the Glass House in the heart of the city, it is still preserved and maintained carefully from going into ashes in the course of time. Thanks to the Department of Horticulture and the State Government of Karnataka for doing a great job in preserving its heritage. In 2003-04 the Bangalore Development of Authority (BDA) renovated the entire Glass House with imported glasses to make it look more glamorous and beautiful as ever. The fading glasses used earlier during the British regime started cracking within creating a panic among the maintaining authorities to replace them with a new ones. So, then came the rescue call from BDA which agreed heartily to renovate entire glasses by the new imported glasses.

Dr Jagdish, the Deputy Director of Horticulture Department at Lalbagh Botanical Garden has to say that, ‘foreign tourists who throng everyday to the garden in more than thousands to the Glass House has become a common phenomenon. It is indeed a great matter of pride for the City of Bangalore for having such a structure which is built in the model of international standards. If you could examine closely of the irons and metals that are being used to create the Glass House was caste-iron, which is a rare and the best metal in the market. Need to say that apart from issuing tickets to the visitors so far the State Government of Karnataka has never used any tool to give a publicity to project the Glass House as the prime attraction spot than not concentrating the whole concept of tourism in Bangalore only on the Glass House. A tourist from UAE opined that, ‘I have reached at last here at the Glasshouse after enquiring all the details of the prime locations in Bangalore and at last I’m here landed. It’s a once in a life time opportunity for every tourist to have a glimpse on the marvelous structure. The whole botanical garden is maintained nicely by the authorities and still there is much need to be done to make it more edgy and beautiful.’ Another family from Tamil Nadu had to share an opinion that, ‘We have started our city tour right from the Glass House because we were told by the localities that this is nuclear attraction to all the rest of the city attractions. So, the journey all the way from Tamil Nadu is begun with the Glass House.’

Next time if you heard of any flower and fruits show in national and international standards then it would be definitely organized at the Glass House. Because the glasses at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden doesn’t lies and its mirror can be seen in all over the world.

For further information contact:
Director of Horticulture
Department of Horticulture
Lalbagh Botanical Garden
Bangalore- 560004. Karnataka .
Tel: 0806571925
Email: dirhorticulture@vsnl.com