Renovated Botanical Garden thrown open to public in Puducherry

The landmark Botanical Garden in Puducherry was thrown open to public on Friday after being closed for almost a year for renovation. Chief Minister N. Rangasamy inaugurated the new facilities at the garden in the presence of Speaker R. Selvam and Minister for Agriculture C. Djeacoumar.

The oval-shaped garden, spread over 12 hectares, was closed for public in 2024 for the Puducherry Smart City Development Limited to take up various civil works, renovation of fountain, setting up of a dancing musical fountain, providing four-battery operated cars, landscaping, sprucing up of the garden, pathways, reconstruction of ticket counter and operation of a new battery-operated joy train. The renovation work cost the government exchequer around ₹9.89 crore, said a government release.

According to an official, the garden will be open for public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on all days. While adults would have to pay an entry fee of ₹20, children between the age of 5 and 12 years would be charged ₹10 and students ₹5. Foreigners would have to pay ₹50 as entry fee. The ticket rate for a ride in the joy train has been fixed at ₹10 for adults and ₹5 for children. 

The musical dancing fountain will function only on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be two shows — one at 6.30 p.m. and an another at 7 p.m. on weekends. Adults would be charged ₹10 and children ₹5 for watching the dancing fountain.

The garden was established in 1826 by the French botanist, George Samuel Perrottet, on an experimental basis to preserve the unique vegetation of the region. The garden has a collection of over 2,400 trees, 213 genus types and 293 species. The garden is the venue for the annual flower show in Puducherry.