Lloyd’s Botanical Garden: All you Need to Know

Botanical Gardens are gardens where one can find a dedicated collection of a wide range of plant species. These gardens serve educational purposes, where students get the opportunity to study species of flora. Nowadays, most botanical gardens are accessible to the general public and visitors. The botanical garden may be an independent institution, a governmental operation, or may be associated with a college or university. 

In this hectic life, we forget to cherish ourselves; as a result, anxiety and depression grip us, and we don’t realize it. We are surrounded by negativity, workload, family pressure, and other responsibilities that we have to shoulder. We don’t recognise, and we are already in the lap of stress which acts as a catalyst, inviting other health issues. To combat all these, we need to come out of the cocoon and enjoy the cherishing beauty of nature. Lloyd botanical garden is one of the oldest Botanical Gardens established during British rule in India, on the hills of Darjeeling, West Bengal.

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Source: Wikemedia.org

 Source: Wikemedia.org

History of Lloyd Botanical garden

Lloyd Botanical Garden is located in Darjeeling, and is expanded to 40 vast acres of land. The foundation of this garden was laid back in the era of Britishers, in 1878. William Lloyd furnished the land for the garden. And thus, the garden was entitled after his name, “Lloyd’s Botanical Garden.” The garden is also called the “Royal Botanic Garden.”

Darjeeling is itself a hill station and a tourist attraction; the garden adds more charm to it. The garden is home to numerous exotic and indigenous floras. The botanical garden also serves educational purposes. The students get a chance to study the different species of flora. The extinct and endangered plant species are preserved and nourished here. As the garden is situated on the slope of the hill. It increases the curiosity and thrill among people. The pleasant and vivid climate here is quite tempting and will rejuvenate the weary mind.

How to reach the garden?

We can reach there using any of these: airways, roadways or railways. 

Railways

• From Darjeeling Himalayan Railway station, the garden is hardly a Kilometer away. 
• The closest railway stations are Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Station, Siliguri Railway Station, and New Jalpaiguri Railway Station. 
• These Railway Stations are directly connected with Kolkata, Delhi, and other major cities.

Airways

• And traveling by airways; we can take a flight to Bagdogra, at a distance of 90Km (via NH110) from Darjeeling. 
• Then we can continue our journey by auto or bus till the destination. The airport is connected by flights from major cities like Delhi, Kolkata, and Guwahati. 

Roadways

• The road to Darjeeling is via Siliguri, 77 Km (via NH 55), which connects all the major cities of India. Furthermore, buses are readily available from Tenzing Norgay Bus Stand, Siliguri.
• Smaller vehicles are also available for sharing from the airport.
• There is also a pre-paid taxi stand from NJP Railway Station and Bagdogra airport.
• There are four routes that one can choose from: the Tindharia-Kurseong route; the Pankhabari route, the Rohini route; and the Dudhiya-Mirik.

Nearby hotels

Several hotels are there around the garden. These hotels are a few meters away from the garden. The cost of these hotels is affordable. The availability of these hotels makes the stay easy and comfortable. The garden is open from 8 am, and you can visit it without charge. Some of them are- 

• The Revett, 
• The Golden Leaf Darjeeling.
• Omega Residency
• Hotel Neelkamal Darjeeling

Inside the garden

Lively colors of flowers surround the botanical garden and the chirping sound of birds. Further, the undisturbed and breezy climate gets perfectly blended. We can see a collection of oak trees, eucalyptus trees, magnolia, etc. The colorful butterflies on the flowers, sucking nectar, and green leaves all add to their natural beauty. It is home to many medicinal plants and some limited species of flora which is not found generally. The falling leaves from the Weeping Willow are something magnificent. 

It is named so because its branches are dangled and thus give a falling or weeping impression. Vast plantations of rhododendrons and wild geraniums are also seen. The center of attraction is the gorgeous orchidarium. Another interesting thing here is the fossil from China. Furthermore, the garden has a student’s section where a diverse group of medicinal plants can be seen. These medicinal plants are brought from the Eastern Himalayan region.

Source: Wikemedia.org

For walking around the garden, it is advised to wear comfortable footwear as it involves a lot of walking and has uneven land.                                                                                                    

Conclusion

Lloyd Botanical garden is enveloped with fresh air and mesmerizing beauty of nature. The other nearby tourist places add to its beauty. The garden can be easily reached by any means of transport. A nature lover would get limitless joy and calm roaming here. The dancing flowers and falling leaves are going to elevate your soul. Here, we get a chance to appreciate nature’s beauty and realize the need to preserve them. in our minds. These unique concoctions of native and exotic flora are not only preserved but enrich the surrounding with greenery.

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