On
a grassy expanse over a few hundred acres in the centre
of Bangalore is the Cubbon Park, planned and laid
out in 1864 by Sir Richard Sankey, the then Chief
Engineer of Mysore. It is named after Sir Mark Cubbon,
Bangalore's longest serving Commissioner. Lawns with
vibrant flower beds, shady bowers and flowering trees,
make this an ideal place for fitness freaks and the
elderly to take their morning jogs or evening walks.
The
Park has elegant classical buildings like Attara Kacheri
(the Karnataka High Court) and the Visveswaraya Industrial
and Technological Museum, Government Museum, Aquarium,
Venkatappa Art Gallery, Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall
all of which are well known.
Besides these, it also
houses Bal Bhavan - an amusement park for children.
Cubbon Park is open to the public at all times, but
is closed to traffic from 5 am to 8 am every day.
In spite of the monstrous pollution in the city, it
still remains an Oasis of greenery in the heart of
modern Bangalore. Situated close to the High Court
is the State Central Library, worth a visit for its
rare treasure of books and building has the "pompeian
red" colour and architectural style of stone
and fluted pillars, with walls finished in lime plaster.
Apart from its rich flora, Cubbon Park houses a number
of other institutions of significance like the Cheshire
Dyer Memorial Hall, Ottawa Chatter, Century Club and
the Press Club
