Cubbon Park

Cubbon Park is a 300-acre urban park in the heart of Bengaluru, Karnataka, laid out in 1870 and named after Mark Cubbon, then Commissioner of Mysore. It runs alongside Kasturba Road and forms a green belt between the busy central business district and government buildings. Visitors find bamboo groves, huge rain trees and flowering avenues, open lawns, jogging tracks, a bandstand, a small aquarium and a toy-train area for children. Colonial-era statues of British and Mysore figures stand along the roads, and the red Attara Kacheri, now the Karnataka High Court, and the Sheshadri Iyer Memorial Library line its edges. The Government Museum, the Venkatappa Art Gallery and the Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum sit at the park's border, so it works as an anchor for a half-day of central Bengaluru sightseeing. A typical visit lasts one to two hours, although walkers and cyclists often spend longer. The best hours are early morning, when walking clubs, yoga groups and joggers use the paths and the air is cool. Weekday afternoons are quieter, while weekends and holidays are busier, especially near the play areas. On Sundays and second Saturdays, roads through the park are closed to vehicles, making it especially pleasant for cycling and family strolls. Good photo spots include the bamboo tunnels, the lawns near the bandstand, and views of the High Court and Vidhana Soudha through the trees. Entry to the park is free and it is open daily from 6:00AM to 6:00PM, though some attractions inside have their own tickets. Cubbon Park metro station on the Purple Line sits at the park's edge, and MG Road and Vidhana Soudha stations are also close. Street vendors sell snacks and tender coconut near the gates.