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New guidelines issued for Bengaluru's Lalbagh Botanical Garden: What you can and cannot do inside garden?
The notification, released last week, highlights Lalbagh’s status as an important green space dedicated to conserving Bengaluru’s rich plant diversity.
Visitors heading to Lalbagh Botanical Garden this weekend will need to follow a new set of regulations issued by the State Government. The authorities have introduced stricter measures to protect the botanical garden’s extensive plant collection, and several common activities may now attract a fine of ₹500.
The notification, released last week, highlights Lalbagh’s status as a designated botanical garden and an important green space dedicated to conserving Bengaluru’s rich plant diversity. To maintain discipline and preserve the environment, the government has listed multiple activities that are now prohibited, as per a report by Deccan Herald (DH).
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Reportedly, hawking, displaying hoardings, group yoga sessions, climbing trees, plucking flowers, feeding birds and fish, and organising walkathons or marathons are all penalised with a ₹500 fine. Activities such as skating and cycling, which are allowed in Cubbon Park, remain banned inside Lalbagh. Pets are also not permitted.
Signboards displaying the new regulations are currently being installed across the garden.
The government has listed 33 prohibited activities, which include begging, fortune-telling, birthday celebrations, and video shoots. Using park fixtures such as benches or light poles for exercise will also draw a penalty.
Walking and jogging will be allowed only during specified hours, from 5.30 am to 9 am and 4.30 pm to 7 pm. Activities permitted with conditions include flower exhibitions, government awareness programmes, amateur nature photography, and health camps, provided prior approval is obtained from the Horticulture Department.
What's not allowed
Reportedly, 33 activities that are strictly prohibited inside Lalbagh Botanical Garden, many of which may attract a fine of ₹500. Visitors are barred from bringing or consuming outside food within the premises. Fitness and public events such as walkathons, marathons, cycling, and skating are not allowed. The rules also prohibit begging, collecting bribes, and fortune-telling.
Pets are not permitted inside the garden. Group activities such as yoga sessions, meetings, social events, and press conferences are also banned. Personal celebrations, including birthday parties, are not allowed.
To protect the garden’s extensive plant collection, visitors are strictly prohibited from climbing trees, plucking flowers, or playing with branches. Lalbagh has also placed restrictions on photography and videography; shoots for reels, modelling, weddings, baby showers, and other commercial or staged purposes are banned. Drone photography is not permitted under any circumstances.
The entry of private vehicles into the garden is forbidden. Visitors cannot use sound systems or musical instruments, and the consumption of alcohol or smoking within the premises is completely prohibited.
