The Brindavan Gardens is a garden located in the state of Karnataka in India. It lies adjoining the Krishnarajasagara dam which is built across the river Kaveri.

It is one of the most visited places in Mysore by locals and by tourists. Located about 19 kms from the heart of Mysore these beautiful gardens are laid out below the Krishnaraja Sagar dam built across the river Cauvery. These gardens are famous for the illuminated dancing fountains that come to life after sunset. The Krishnaraja Sagar Dam (KRS) (known as Kannambadi to the locals) itself is a superb example of excellent engineering and itself is a tourist attraction in Mysore. Sir M. Vishveswariah, one of India's finest engineers, built it in 1924.

 

He used 'surkhi' a mixture of limestone and brick powder instead of cement. The dam was among the first in the world to have automatic sluice gates. The dam is named after the then Maharaja of Mysore Sri Krishnaraja Wodeyar who financed the dam. The dam is 3 kms long and is located at the confluence of the rivers -Cauvery, Hemavati and Lakshmanathritha. The lake that is formed by the dam is one of the largest in India. The dam is a multipurpose project conceived by Sir M. Vishveswariah for supplying water to the agricultural lands of Mandya and Mysore districts and for ensuring power supply to the Shivanasamudra project.

History

Sir M. Vishveswariah is often called the architect of modern Mysore and "the father of planning in India". The gardens were designed by Sir Mirza Ismail another important and progressive Diwan of Mysore. Spread over an area of 150 acres, the Brindavan Gardens is considered one of the best gardens in India. The garden not only been meticulously laid out and has beautiful lawns and shrubs, but has thousands of fountains in different shapes and sizes that are lit with colorful lamps and are set to pleasant music.

Garden

The garden is maintained by the Cauvery Niravari Nigama (Cauvery Irrigation Department), a Government of Karnataka enterprise. It is spread across an area of 60 acres. Adjoining it is also a fruit orchard spread across 75 acres and 2 horticultural farms, Nagavana (30 acres) and Chandravana (5 acres). The garden is laid out in 3 terraces which contain water fountains, Ficus trees, foliage plants such as Duranta plumaria and Euphorbia and flowering plants like Celosia, Marigold and bougainvillea. The garden is open to general public and an entry-fee is charged. The garden also has topiary works (sculptures of animals created by clipping shrubs), pergolas (shaded passageway covered by creepers) and gazebos. The main attraction of the park is the musical fountain in which bursts of water are synchronized to the music of songs. There is also a lake within the garden with boating facilities available for visitors.

The garden was renovated in 2005 with a cost of Rs. 5 crore. The renovation included sprucing up the musical fountain using a digitised system and repairs of dysfunctional fountains. In 2007, the Gardens were closed for a brief duration as a safety measure to avoid trouble related to the Kaveri water dispute.

In the year 2003-2004, the gate collection was Rs. 2.07 crores, which increased to Rs 2.69 crores in 2004-05 and Rs 4.3 crores in 2005-06. This revenue is shared between Cauvery Niravari Nigam and Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) in the ratio 3:1.

The Musical and dancing fountain, is the main attraction of the visitors. The water, colored light and music are harmonized in the fountain to create a water ballet controlled by an aquatic organ operated through a controller. Water is pumped to the fountain and the operation is computerized. All the other fountains run due to the water pressure from the dam. A laser vision has also been developed for visitor's attraction. The illumination timing is the same as that for the garden. The musical and dancing fountain is located in the North Brindavan Garden. A gallery and rain shelter are provided for the viewers.

Time to Visit & Cost

The garden is maintained by the Senior Assistant Director of Horticulture, K.R.S.

The entry fee for Brindavan Garden is Rs 20.

Garden Timings: 6.30 A.M. to 9.00 P.M.

Facilities: Hotels and Inspection Bungalow provide with boarding and lodging facilities.

Transport: Many Government and private buses ply often from Mysore City to K.RS. K.S.R.T.C. buses also ply from Bangalore to K.R.S. and Mysore.

Illumination Timings:

JAN - SEPT:-Mon- Fri 7.00 to 7.55 p.m.

OCT - DEC:-Sat to Sun 7.00 to 8.55 p.m.

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