Those who have not heard of Senganthal ( Gloriosa superba ), the State flower of Tamil Nadu, will see this name more often in Chennai, especially in Gopalapuram and Royapettah.
The Horticulture Department has created a new spacious park in the land it retrieved from the private Horticultural Society after a legal battle in the Supreme Court. It is located between Radhakrishnan Salai and Avvai Shanmugam Salai.
“We have quietly done the work. The project cost is ₹5 crore.The place has turned out to be a lovely park,” said Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Principal Secretary of the Agriculture Department.
“It has been named after the State flower. We have sought an inaugural date from the Chief Minister and it will be opened shortly,” said N. Subbaiyan, Director of Horticulture and Plantation Crops.
The 6.3 acre park with a shell-shaped entrance on Avvai Shanmugam Salai has a self-contained waterbody, where rainwater can be collected. It also has solar panels to run the motors.
“There is a gathering point for people and an open gym,” he explained.
“The walls of the park are being decorated with traditional paintings and there will be space for playing traditional games like paramapadham ,” Mr. Subbaiyan said.
Mr. Bedi said besides old trees, a lot of new species had been planted. “The park will house 150 species of trees and 34,000 ornamental plants,” he said.
The government has also spent money to improve the condition of the Semmozhi Poonga, created on the land which once housed the Woodlands drive-in restaurant.
