Soon, butterfly lovers in the city won't have to travel all the way to Bannerghatta to see the multi-hued insects. The Horticulture Department is planning to create a open-to-air butterfly park within Lalbagh. When opened, it will be the latest aesthetic and environment-friendly addition to the park, which saw a waterfall and sunken garden being created last year.
The botanical garden has close to 900 genera and 2,500 plant species, many of which attract butterflies. These plants are distributed across the length and breath of the garden.
“Though a number of butterflies can be spotted inside Lalbagh, they are spread across the 240-acre garden. We want to create a natural, open butterfly park, which will be a great attraction for visitors,” said M. Jagadeesh, Joint Director of Horticulture (Parks and Gardens).
The proposed park in Lalbagh will come up near 'Peninsular Gneiss National Monument', the 3,000-million-year-old rock formation.
The department will be planting around 150 host plants in an acre near the 'Peninsular Gneiss National Monument', the nearly 3,000-million-year-old rock formation inside the garden. “Hosts plants are those which are liked by butterflies to lay eggs, and for pupation and feeding. By planting these varieties, we can ensure the number butterflies visiting the park increases 20-fold,” said Mr. Jagadeesh.
The park will be open air and will have shrubs, herbs, climbers and tree species that attract butterflies. A walking path will be created so that visitors can go around the park. Apart from the entertainment aspect, the department is also planning to make this into an educational visit for people. Information boards about the various butterfly species and their life cycles will be displayed.
At present, the Doraisanipalya Jallary Reserve Forest, off Bannerghatta Road, is the major hotspot for butterfly diversity owing to its lush green environs. Another place where butterfly lovers head to is the butterfly park within Bannerghatta Biological Park.
The park is a butterfly conservatory with a circular enclosure, inside which an environment has been carefully designed to support various species of butterflies.
“We have started work, and the butterfly park should be ready in six months,” said Mr. Jagadeesh.
