The Beauty Of Spring In Delhi

enrouteI
March 20, 2024

“Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring”. Rightly said by Neltje Blanchan. We are in the month full with bright sunshine ascending our homes, colourful flowers blooming everywhere the eyes could see and trees lush green vibing with cool breezy winds. If this explanation can feel so good, just imagine if one could experience such beauty from their eyes.

Delhi, famous for its numerous gardens and parks, can serve as the best place to experience spring and cherish its beauty. For such locations, the first spot that comes in our mind is Sundar Nursery but spring in Delhi is much more than that. There are many other locations where you can sit within nature and enjoy. So let’s know some less known spring spots in Delhi.

(The patriot; flowers blooming in spring)

Garden of Five Senses- Saket, New Delhi

Humans, gifted with five powerful senses- to see, smell, touch, hear and taste, could stimulate and rejuvenate these senses by the beauty of nature when entering this garden. Developed and maintained by Delhi Tourism and Transport development cooperation, the park is filled with well-maintained gardens, a beautiful pond, beautiful rock statues and marble sculptures. There are many spots worth visiting in this garden.

(Source- Delhi Tourism; Garden of Five Senses in Delhi)

One such spot is Khas Bagh. The garden is modelled on the Mughal Garden, dotted with many flowers and water streams. The garden has around 200 different varieties of flowering plants and further going towards the central axis, has a series of fountains which are decorated by the fibre optic lighting system. Next major spot is the Neel Bagh which is a pool covered with water lilies and ceramic chimes. Then there are colour gardens that surely serve as a treat for our naked eyes. One will see the beautiful spectrum of flowering shrubs and ground covers. Within it, the court of specimen plants are for the not-so-frequently-seen bamboo species. Along with exotic plant species, there is untouched local vegetation such as trees like Kikar, thorny Ber bush etc. The park is also adorned with many murals and sculptures and Five black statues of women representing five different seasons of the year.

(Source- LBB; water lily pond in the Garden of Five Senses)

Kamala Nehru Ridge- Delhi University, North campus

Also known as Northern Ridge, Kamala Nehru Ridge is one of the biodiversity national parks of Delhi. Being the “Green lungs of Delhi”, the Ridge is a forested area with shallow valleys and rocky hills and can be a beautiful place to experience spring. The major motive of this national park is to preserve the ecosystem of river Yamuna and Aravalli hills.

It’s a home for around 50 threatened communities of yamuna basin and acts as an alternative habitat for many migratory and resident bird species. Protection of native species of plants along with re-introduction of new species (including many herbs, shrubs, grasses and trees) makes the park rich in biodiversity. The hill tops of the park have been made into a deciduous dry forest with species like Acacia senegal, Acacia catechu, Prosopis cineraria, Holoptelea integrifolia, Lannea coromandelica, Butea monosperma, Aegle marmelos, Cassia fistula, Albizia lebbeck, Syzygium cumini, Emblica officinalis, Mitragyna parviflora, Terminalia belerica, Terminalia arjuna etc. Recently, a butterfly conservatory was inaugurated in KNR that has a population of more than 65 species including common Gull, Plain Tiger, Striped Tiger, White Orange Tip and Yellow Orange Tip, while rare species include the Great Eggfly Butterfly and the Red Pierrot. The khooni jheel in the park is a home for many ducks and cranes. Currently, A total of 87 native plants, 64 bird species, 7 species of mammals, 3 species of amphibians along with diverse butterflies are recorded in the area.

(Source- Tour My India; The Northern Delhi Ridge and its flowering trees)

Jahanpanah City Forest- South Delhi

Next in the list for the spring spot has to be this serene forest within the busy city life that soothes anyone’s soul visiting this place. Rich in diversity, Jahanpanah forest is actually a green space that has long walking-cum-running trails where people while walking are enchanted by the vibrant green trees dotting the lane, smell of fresh air mixed with those of beautiful flowers blooming on the shrubs and melodious chirpings of diverse bird species.

(Source- So City; Jahanpanah City Forest of Delhi)

Jahanpanah, protected by the forest department of Delhi, supports a vibrant ecosystem and could be the best place to fulfil the needs of all nature enthusiasts. The city forest has around 100 species of birds that include peacocks, parakeets, kingfishers etc. along with animals like wild boar, jackal, squirrels, mongoose, nilgai. The flora is equally rich with trees like mango, jamun, neem, banyan and many other native species of the region. With all this, Jahanpanah becomes a perfect place to experience the beauty of spring.

Lodhi Gardens- Lodi road, New Delhi

Another great place for enjoying spring in the city is Lodhi Garden. Portraying examples of Indo-islamic architectures like tomb of Mohammad Shah, sheesh Gumbad and tombs of sikandar Shah, thr garden dates back to the 15th century, named after the Lodi Dynasty. The park was inaugurated during the British Raj by lady willindon on April 9th, 1936.

The garden has many attractions worth visiting along with diverse types of flora and fauna that attracts many nature lovers. Taking about the floral heritage, a rose garden is present that accommodates around 5000 rose plants, a specific palm corner comprising of Dak palm, cycas, Erica Palm, cane, China palm etc while main tree species includes champa, neem, arjuna, Amaltas, jamun, semal, Moulshree, peepal, barghad, Kachnur, Gulmohar, sheesham, ashok, Magnolia, augusta, Karanj and many more. There is also a particular garden exclusively for medicinal plants and a specific section demarcated as national Bonsai park. Due to the presence of rich flora, many migratory birds can also be seen. Some of the birds found in the garden include green parakeet, Indian tree pie, Brahmini myna, black drongo, koel, pied cuckoo, white breasted kingfisher, golden backed woodpecker, House sparrow, common hawk, red vented bul bul, Indian grey hornbill, tailor bird, white rumped vulture etc.

(Source- Hindustan times; Lodhi garden)

(Source- Delhipedia; flowers of Lodhi Garden)

Delhi being a metropolitan city has a busy life. Amidst this bustling environment, there are these beautiful locations where a person can pause, leave his/her busy life behind and feel the nature to relax themselves. The season of spring makes them more mesmerizing when these places are adorned with exotic flowers and bright sunshine. So why not just take out some time from our busy schedules and enjoy the beautiful spring without going to far places like Manali or Ooty when Delhi has it all!

REFERENCE

www.outlooktraveller.com/experiences/places-of-interest/the-best-places-to-enjoy-delhis-spring-and-sunshine
www.historytoheritage.com/garden-of-five-senses/amp/
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/jahanpanah-city-forest-a-hidden-and-serene-oasis-in-delhi/articleshow/104969165.cms
timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/things-to-do/lodhi-garden-a-historic-green-oasis-in-the-heart-of-delhi/articleshow/101635024.cms
www.delhibiodiversityparks.org/kn-ridge.html