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Parks In Jaipur

Sawan Bhado Park | The Least Known Park Of Jaipur?

Sawan Bhado is one of the least known parks in Jaipur. I do feel this adds to its charm because it is devoid of crowd one witnesses in parks like Central Park and Jawahar Circle Park. This is  in the lesser-visited areas of Ramniwas Garden, the north-western corner.

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There are parks on either side of the road.

This park is influenced by the Victorian (English) gardens. And I’m not surprised because it was founded in the late 19th century during the British rule of India when European influence was dominant.

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History

Sawan Bhado is definitely not the oldest public park in Jaipur. One of the oldest public parks in Jaipur is Jai Niwas Garden, near Govind Dev Ji Temple and City Palace. Ramniwas Garden was influenced by the Mughal Char Bagh pattern. The Mughal style was a dominant influence in architecture during the 18th century when it was founded.

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During the Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II’s rule, a new public park was founded in 1868 AD. It was towards the south of the walled city of Jaipur enclosing an area of 33 acres. It came to be known as Ramniwas Bagh or garden. Here is a picture of Ram Niwas Garden during its initial years. This was clicked by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II at the time of the founding of Albert Hall Museum.

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Ram Niwas Garden

It was designed by Dr. De-Faback who based in Deoli in Tonk. The layout was inspired by the Mughal Char Bagh pattern. Later, the Prince of Wales Edward Albert VII’s visited Jaipur during an eight-month-long India trip in 1875. He laid the foundation for the Albert Hall Museum in the center of Ramniwas garden.

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This had been much before the New Gate was created under the rule of Sawai Man Singh II; it did not have a thoroughfare as we see today. New Gate is one of the nine gates of Jaipur.

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Layout

Sawan Bhado Park was made in Victorian style, and it has many fountains, a conservatory, a tropical house for plant acclimatization. The display of a variety of plants and trees was one of the cornerstones on which it was constructed.

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The word Sawan and Bhado refer to two months from the Indian calendar. Sawan is the fifth month and is marked by the monsoon season. Ordinarily, it coincides with July-August every year.

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Bhado is better known as Bhadrapada and coincides with August-September. I’m unsure, but I assume this park was meant to recreate the greenery one sees during the monsoon season. The monsoon lasts from July-September in North India.

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Sawan Bhado Park has an extensive variety of flora. In my opinion, this is one of the most densely covered parks in Jaipur.

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It is one of the few parks which has a walking path that is mostly shaded by large trees.

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There are many old fountains in this park. While some are original & in pristine conditions, others have undergone renovation.

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This park is designed on various levels unlike other parks in the city. The solitary exception is Smriti Van which is not a park but a forest land that has been landscaped.

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Sawan Bhado Park includes the following areas

  • Fern House

It has a large variety of ferns.

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An information board has also been installed in the fern house about the variants that one can find here.

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  • Palm Garden

A section of this garden has many variants of palms. This is close to the Fern house.

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  • Rose Garden
  • Garden Of Seasons

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  • Circular Fountain

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  • Jogging Track

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There are many seating benches spread all over the park. Many of which are under shaded areas.

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Trees & Plants in Sawan Bhado

As mentioned before, there are a variety of trees in this park. The most common trees one can find here are Neem, Ashok, Peepul, Chill, etc. I found only a few trees having name & description details i.e. its common and biological names.

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The park has a variety of trees and shrubs. While some are indigenous and hardy variety others are decorative. Here are a few pictures of the flowers from this garden. The first one is Frangipani /Plumeria or Champa as it is known. This tree has a strong mythological association with Hinduism. As per the legends, the Gopis of Lord Krishna conversed with Champa trees.

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Here is a picture of water lily. This flower variant is not commonly found in this region. Instead, the lotus is more popular than water lily.

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The boundary is lined with Bougainvilleas which is not native to India. This ornamental vine was first introduced in India in 1860 AD.

Samuel Swinton Jacob

One of my favorite parts of this park is this corner with an old Chhatri made out of white marble. It acknowledges the contribution of Col Samuel Swinton Jacobs towards the built heritage.

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One can experience the fine workmanship in this cupola or Chhatri. Stone sculptors of Jaipur are always in demand across the world. Previously, they used only hand tools but now they have adapted to changing times.

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The beautiful architecture of Albert Hall Museum is the brainwork of Samuel Swinton Jacobs. He amalgamated three different styles- Rajput, Gothic and Mughal. His design philosophy is used by architects as an inspiration and is known as Jeypore Collection.

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Albert Hall Museum designed by Samuel Swinton Jacobs

Timings

All days – 9 AM to 8 PM.

Unfortunately, the timings of Sawan Bhado Park in Ramniwas Garden are quite odd. It opens for visitors from 9 AM which means it is not open for morning walkers. ramniwas-garden-sawan-bhado-park-jaipur-ticket

I fail to comprehend why the authorities have decided to keep it closed for morning walkers. The walkers typically prefer 5 AM to 8 AM. I wish the timings were aligned for morning walkers.

Entry Charges

The ticket for Sawan Bhado in Ramniwas Garden costs Rs 20 per person.

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Sawan Bhado is a historic park and is unlike any other. It is not as huge as Central Park but its small size is compensated by the serenity. I appreciate its peaceful environs which are hard to find in other parts of Jaipur. Where else can you find some me-time in the heart of the city? If you are visiting Sawan Bhado Park, do consider visiting the Albert Hall Museum and Masala Chowk which are in the vicinity.

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61 thoughts on “Sawan Bhado Park | The Least Known Park Of Jaipur?”

    1. Kunal, Certainly, the park behind Govind Dev Ji temple known as Jai Niwas is one of the oldest parks of the city. This one was recently renovated and not many residents are aware about this park. Chilhood memories lasts lifetime. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. 🙂

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  2. The Sawan Bhado park is such a beautiful place to visit. I would think it a bonus that it is not very well known and therefore less crowded, especially now as the Covid-19 pandemic forces us to keep our distance from other people.

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  4. It’s nice to see so much greenery in Jaipur. This park seems well-maintained but it’s ridiculous that it opens at 9 a.m. probably because of the ticketing! Do all parks have an entry ticket now? I’ve never seen that!

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    1. No. This is one of the few parks that do. Almost all parks in the city are free. If the park opens late, it deprives morning walkers a priviledge to enjoy fresh air. I suppose parks in your part of the world are free for the public.

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  5. Arv, this park Sawan Bhado , is truly a gem you are introducing with wonderful images and text walking us through this beautiful place. I have to say, as I am reading more about the history about India, I even more feel like what the British did to your country is just horrible. Sorry I am just very open with my opinion and you don’t necessarily have to respond to this.

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    1. I’m glad you liked this, Cornelia. Being a flower lover yourself, I’m sure you will like to visit and explore this park. You are absolutely right with your opinion. The British rule destroyed the advanced culture and system for their own benefits. The also created this illusion that they are much more advanced and therefore implemented many questionable things. Do you know the British East India company which was the original occupier once employed more than half of UK? If you are interested in colonial period, do read William Dalrymple’s book on British East India company. Being a British himself and someone who loves India, he has done extensive investigations on dark past. And it is not just British, almost every imperial power like Spain, Portugal, Netherland, and French were similar in their approaches.

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      1. Thank you so much Arv for responding to my comment. I am very much aware that other countries like the ones you mentioned were involved in their approaches , yet I believe that the British have done the most damage. The history of your country has gone through so much hardship and I admire the friendliness of all Indians I have met on my trip. Have a great inspiring week, Arv, wish you well in health and happiness.

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      2. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Cornelia. I agree, friendliness is one of the most noted traits of Indians among travelers. Thanks for the good wishes. Have a great week, ahead.

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  6. My hometown of Glasgow, Scotland has many parks, most of them laid out during Victorian times. Glasgow then had so many slums where people lived, disease was rife, as were child deaths. The city fathers had parks built all over the city, for people to get away, and today there are about 90 parks and gardens. Some are very similar to Sawan Bhado and all are free to enter. Sundays, the only day off for workers, the parks would be full.

    Your use of photographs to describe Sawan Bhado gives me the feeling that I’m there and I can see many similarities to between Sawan Bhado and Kelvingrove Park or the Botanical Gardens in Glasgow.

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    1. And I thought you are from Wales. Glasgow is such a historic city. 90 parks is hard to rival for any city, so that’s surely a great thing. The residents of Glasgow are lucky. I’m sure both Kelvingrove and Botanical gardens in your hometown are bigger than Sawan Bhado because this one is a small part of a bigger garden. Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts, Mike. While I do know you like visiting national parks, are you regular at city parks, too?

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  7. This sure is a hidden (emerald, after the greenery) gem!

    I do hope to explore it. The photos tell me I am going to love it 🙂

    I was just thinking about the timings ….. maybe they do not wish to make it another walker-jogger park but one where one would relax and spend time with nature.

    The name Sawan Bhado seems so apt. The monsoon magic does bring out the best in it.

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    1. I’m sure you will love this park, Monika. The bonus for you is birds! Probably, your analogy is right. But I do feel the park should be accessible to everyone especially during the mornings. I’m happy you liked this post. 🙂
      Do you visit parks regularly?

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  10. An interesting park, Arv. I can see many similarities with parks in my hometown. Of course, they don’t have the Albert Hall Museum in the middle of them. But the compact design, winding pathways, rich variety of vegetation, conservatories and lovely fountains are similar. The main difference I can see (other than the Albert Hall Museum!) is that the parks I know have lakes in the middle of them with ducks and other water birds. I’ll write a post very soon with some photos we took a couple of years ago and you can see what I mean.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your perspective with the Victorian style parks in your part of the world. Sawan Bhado Park is only a small part of a larger garden. So in that respect, it is much smaller than the most parks you will have in the UK. Just for the information, there was a seperate section near this park which had many birds. Later, it was converted into a zoo and after a period of almost 100 years, this zoo was shifted to a new location. Times change. I’ll be happy to see the pictures, Millie. Looking forward to reading your post. Thanks once again for sharing.

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      1. Sawan Bhado Park is wonderful, so I’m not surprised to hear it’s a favourite of yours. An aviary was also a feature of Victorian parks I know, as well as a collection of small animals like rabbits and guinea pigs. Not exactly a zoo. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about your park and, as always, your photos are lovely.

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      2. Thanks once again, Millie. I hope to visit a couple of such parks whenever I visit your part of the world, next. Thanks for inspiring with your kind and appreciative words. 🙂

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      3. It went pretty bad here in Melbourne, so we are now in emergency lockdown til the second week of September. But hopefully it will get better soon.

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    1. You can definitely visit this next time you are in Jaipur. Entry charges is not an issue, it certainly helps in maintaining the place. That’s justified. I understand your concern about litter. That’s another sad reality of the world we live in.

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      1. That’s what I meant here… entry charges are helpful in maintenance and to restrict the crowd otherwise during ‘saawan ke somvaar’ there would be families lunches in all over the park and unlimited litter. Though here in Lalbagh there is entry fee, but still people come with picnic or lunch baskets….

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      2. Yes, we’re on the same page. The parks are meant for the public but it is pity that people don’t take care and litter. This is true even for the literate and educated. Another place where one can find trash strewn around are the temples. I wonder why people dump disposable plates & glasses near temples in the open, a leftover of the Prasadis. I wish people had more civic sense.

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  15. The park is beautiful. I had on heard of it but if I get to spend time in Jaipur, I would love to see all these places. The name is the best- after seasons 🙂
    Thanks for sharing, Arvind. See you tomorrow.

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    1. This is close to the famous Albert Hall Museum. Certainly name after the seasons is something unique but it was a norm in those days. I’m not sure if I’m participating tomorrow since I won’t be able to write at such a short notice. But may be the next time. 🙂

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    1. This is not a big park. Rather, it is a small section of a big public garden. The park is maintained reasonable well. Archana, thanks for checking it out and sharing your thoughts. I’m glad you like this blog.

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  18. This is such an interesting read. Trust Jaipur parks to have a chatri inside 🙂 I really love the name : Sawaan Bhadon! Hoping authorities open it for morning walkers, such a beautiful walkway to walk through: with those gorgeous canopies. Your posts always show an unseen side of Jaipur. Such a delight.

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    1. Rightly said. If it is historic, there will be some beautiful architecture in and around the park. I don’t think it will open for the morning walkers but I hope they do. Well, the city has many new surprises even for residents like us. I have been passing through this park every single day for so many years but never cared to visit until this time. This is definitely historic park; not huge like other parks but does have its own character. Thanks for the read and a comment, Divyakshi.

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  19. Hey there! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 3gs! Just wanted to say I love reading your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the fantastic work!

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