Gardening best bet for one’s all-round development

Everyone needs to cultivate an activity that offers a diversion from the humdrum of normal routine. Gardening, which comprises the laying out and care of a plot of ground devoted to the growing of plants such as flowers, herbs, or vegetables, is probably one of the most popular and satisfying choices. It carries with it many benefits, including physical exercise, mental health, teamwork, socialisation, and education. Being inexpensive and requiring little space, it is also accessible to everyone. Children also enjoy spending time in gardens, playing games, exploring nature, and learning about plants.

My wife, known as Papa, within the circle of family and friends has ‘green fingers’ or, as the Americans would have it, a ‘green thumb.’ Her passion for gardening saw her get appointed as the Secretary of the All-India Kitchen Garden Association, while we were in Delhi. And our flat in Stone Valley Apartments, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, is the only one, in a colony of close to one hundred houses, which has a beautiful patch of green grass surrounded by thick vegetation, thanks to her.

Many religious mythologies have references to gardens with extraordinary endowments. For example, the Garden of Eden, a central concept in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, is a paradise where the first humans, Adam and Eve, resided before their expulsion for disobeying God’s command. It is described in the Book of Genesis as a place of beauty and abundance.

Likewise, in the Quran, the Garden of Eden is referred to as Jannah (paradise) or Jannat Adn (Garden of Eternity). It’s a realm in the afterlife, not an earthly location, and is a place of great beauty and bliss where righteous believers will reside eternally.

In Hindu mythology, Nandanavanam is a divine garden, also known as a celestial realm or heaven, ruled by Indra, the king of the gods. It is a place of supreme beauty, bliss, and pleasure, offering respite from earthly suffering.

Nandanavanam is described as having divine trees, vibrant flowers, and fragrances that surpass anything on Earth. It is a home for celestial beings, including the Apsaras, enchanting and beautiful women. This garden is also home to the Parijatha tree, known scientifically as Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, and believed to be a divine tree brought to Earth from heaven by Lord Krishna. It is also linked to stories of Lord Krishna’s wives, Satyabhama and Rukmini, who had a rivalry over the Parijatha flower, which symbolises eternal love, purity, and dedication, whose divine fragrance is cherished by the Gods. Known scientifically as Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, it is a highly revered flower, often used in religious offerings and spiritual activities in Hindu mythology.

There are many gardens around the world, some known for their historic importance. And others for the variety of plants and flowers which they offer to visitors.

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World is located near the royal palace in Babylon. As a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture in the government of India in 1997, I remember visiting the site while on a visit to Iraq, while accompanying the then Union Minister of State for Agriculture Sompal to witness an exhibition on agriculture and related subjects. Even with my limited knowledge of, and interest in, history, I found it a truly fascinating experience.

The Brindavan Gardens is another popular spot. Located 12 km from Mysore, it adjoins the Krishnarajasagara Dam which is built across the river Kaveri.

Bengaluru is nicknamed as the Garden City of India. Considered the fastest growing city in India, it is also acknowledged as the country’s third greenest city. The gentle climate and the perfect amalgamation of sun and rain provide an ideal environment altogether, which is sustainable for greenery. Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park in the city are among some of the best maintained gardens in the country.

I remember making several thoroughly enjoyable visits to both. It is unfortunate that Bengaluru’s well deserved nickname appears to be losing its credibility on account of negligence on the part of the city administration as well as the public.

The Dal Lake in Srinagar is among the leading tourist attractions in the country with the floating gardens being a special feature.

Another noteworthy place, worthy of mention in this context, is the Public Gardens, also known as Bagh-e-Aam, a historic park located in the heart of Hyderabad. It was built in 1846 by the seventh Nizam of Hyderabad and is the oldest park in Hyderabad.

And one of the most noteworthy of gardens in the country is Mughal Gardens, offering a rich mixture of the Moghul and British styles, located within the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex.

The increased emphasis being placed on the importance of organic farming to ensure that the produce, be it fruits or vegetables, is not only tasty, but healthy, is most welcome.

And in the arena of sports, along with Lord’s, Eden Gardens remains cricket’s answer to the Coliseum. It first hosted a Test back in the days of India’s cricketing infancy, with Douglas Jardine led England team easing to victory inside four days in 1934. Since then, it has become something of a place of pilgrimage for most international cricketers, a chance to strut their stuff in front of the most passionate and vocal crowd in the game.

The story is told of the nonagenarian Japanese farmer, who was once asked by a visitor when the garden would be in full bloom. When the gardener replied that it would take about 15 years, the visitor, expressing surprise, said, “But you may not be there to see that happening.”

The gardener smiled, saying, “If my grandfather had also thought so it would not have reached even this stage.”

(The writer was formerly Chief Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh)