Lalbagh: Suresh Jayaram’s search for that elusive apple tree

Layered narrative of Lalbagh in new book is a visual delight

Artist Suresh Jayaram has explored his favourite haunt in the city since childhood, Lalbagh. His recently published book, Bangalore’s Lalbagh: A Chronicle of the Garden and the City, brings the historic green lung to life with its stunning design and illustrations, making it an experience to be savoured and not just read. Lalbagh is a site of the city’s history starting from the rock said to be 3.5 billion years old; Kempegowda’s watchtower stands on the rock. The park is a reflection of Bengaluru’s layered history from the influences of Hyder Ali - Tipu Sultan to the British who made Lalbagh a centre of commercial botany and the Mysuru Wodeyars, said Mr. Jayaram. “This layered history is a palimpsest - multiple narratives of many minds,” he notes in the book. Retracing his Thigala ancestry - a community of traditional gardeners said to have been brought to the city by Hyder Ali and played a key role in shaping Lalbagh - was one of the motivations for the work, he said.