Brindavan Gardens in Mysore, Karnataka - Tourist Information

This article gives information on how to reach Brindavan Gardens Mysore from Mysore City and also on how to reach Brindavan Gardens Mysore from Bangalore, Timings and other related tourist informations.

The Brindavan Gardens, Mysore is a globally popular tourist hub, primarily known for its illuminated musical fountains. The Brindavan Gardens, though, is not just about strolling through enormous tracts of greenery. Nor is it about watching and listening raptly to coloured fountains dancing to music.

This article will give you complete information about this place that will illuminate you in much the same manner as the splendorous fountains! For example, did you know that there is a farm within the gardens where you can learn about fruit culture? In fact, there is more than one farm.

So read on and get illuminated…

Who built the Brindavan Gardens Mysore?

This was set up during the era of the royals of Mysore. Sir Mirza Ismail, a Dewan of the Royals, had been fascinated with the Mughal design of the Shalimar Gardens in Kashmir. He conceived of a plan to create a similar garden layout during the development of the site where the Krishna Sagar Dam was located. This Dam, too, was Sir Mirza Ismail's conception. G.H. Krumbigal, then Superintendent of Parks and Gardens of the Mysore Government, was commissioned with the architectural aspects of the garden. It took five whole years, beginning from 1927 for the Gardens to be fully completed. It was named Krishnarajendra Terrace Garden.

Today this place is maintained by the Cauvery Niravari Nigama (Cauvery Irrigation Department), Government of Karnataka.

What to see in the Brindavan Gardens

This is an excellent question. While everybody knows there are roses and fountains, there is a lot more that you can easily miss out. After all, the Gardens is extremely vast!

1. The Main Gate of the garden: Have a good look at the majestic gate as you enter here. It is not a mere structural piece to mark the entrance, but has been innovatively designed to be a reflection of the famous India Gate located in New Delhi, the capital of India. Next, don't just rush through the gate to be in a hurry to reach the main part of the Brindavan Gardens! Yes, that part is a walk of nearly 1 ½ km, but do pause for a while and look around you – there are very neatly laid out rose gardens near the main gate.

2. Naguvana Horticulture Farm at Brindavan Gardens, Mysore: A huge area covering 30 acres of the Brindavan Gardens is occupied by the Naguvana Horticulture Farm. It is situated near the main gate behind the Krishanasagara Dam. Not only plants are grown on the Farm, but there are fruits too as well as sturdy coconut trees. What's more, the Horticulture Training Centre of the Department of Horticulture is based here. This Centre provides a comprehensive 10-month horticulture training program for the local rural youth.

3. Boating at Brindavan Gardens, Mysore: Sir Mirza Ismail incorporated the River Cavery in designing the Brindavan Gardens. Thanks to this foresight, tourists can have an enjoyable boat ride in the northern section of the Brindavan Gardens. This boat ride will take you to the southern section. Wait, though, before you hop aboard that boat! Do look around at the painstakingly laid out flowerbeds and ornamental foliage spread out over the four terraces in this area. Walk under the green arches down the avenue that runs parallel to the main dam road. It is bursting with bougainvilleas and other blooms. A plant nursery in this part of Brindavan Gardens is home to many of the flora – it is here that they are lovingly grown and maintained. There is also a glass house where a variety of cacti are grown.

4. Chandravana Horticulture Farm at Brindavan Gardens, Mysore: Much smaller than the Naguvan Horticulture Farm, the 5-acre Chandravana Farm is situated at the heart of the Cauvery River. Juicy mangoes and tender coconuts are grown on this farm. If you happen to visit the Brindavan Gardens between the months of July to January, you will be greeted by a majestic sight – the river Cauvery turns this farm into an island!

5. Childrens Park at Brindavan Gardens, Mysore: On the right side of the southern part of the Brindavan Gardens, you will see the Childrens Park. Keep time aside for your kids to enjoy this park. There are not just slides, but unique-shaped concrete structures of birds and animals on which the kids can clamber and play around. Remember, though, to keep an eye on them as they play, since some children can be very boisterous and rough. After you have managed to get your children away from the delights of the childrens park, you can take that boat to the southern side.

6. Musical Fountains at Brindavan Gardens, Mysore: While the smaller musical fountains are located in the northern section of Brindavan Gardens, their larger versions are found in the southern area. This is called the Kaveramma circle and it is here that the Goddess Cauvery Statue regally presides over everything. The fountains are not just of one kind where all you see is water gushing upwards and falling back down. Each fountain is distinctively designed and when the lights around it are switched on, it acquires different hues. So take notice of the different formations that the fountains make as they dance to the tunes of music – an inverted basket, an umbrella, a pyramid, an arch, etc. Some fountains are so placed that they form cross channels across each other.

One last thing: don't forget to take note of the lovely waterfalls that happily gush down the terraced steps of the Brindavan Gardens.

As you can see, there are plenty of attractions at Brindavan Gardens, Mysore. All you need is sufficient time!

Location and address

Many people assume that the Brindavan Gardens is located within the city of Mysore. This is a totally wrong assumption as the Brindavan Gardens is located within Karnataka but some distance from the city of Mysore.

To be precise, the Brindavan Gardens is located 24kms from the heart of Mysore city in Mandhya District. The Brindavan Gardens is located at KR Sagar Dam (known as Kannambadi) referred generally as 'KRS'. The 150-acre Brindavan Gardens is part of the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam complex. Besides Mysore, there are two towns near the Brindavan Gardens: Srirangapatna and Mandhya.

Address:
Krishnaraja Sagar Dam
Mandya District
Karnataka
India

Please note that the Brindavan Gardens covers vast acres of land outside the city of Mysore and not an area covering specific streets within the Mandya District. Hence, there is no road or street name in the postal address of Brindavan Gardens, Mysore.

How to Reach

The Brindavan Gardens is easily accessible by road from the city of Mysore. However, if you have already visited Mysore you can bypass it altogether and go directly from the city of Bengaluru.

So there are two ways to reach Brindavan Gardens, Mysore:

Visiting Brindavan Gardens from Mysore:

You can travel to the city of Mysore from Bengaluru.

You can reach the city of Bengaluru via air or by train. From Bengaluru you can either travel by road to Mysore or take the Shatabdi inter-city train to Mysore.

From Mysore city, the Brindavan Gardens is just 24kms by road.

Visiting Brindavan Gardens from Bengaluru:

Your second option is to travel directly to the Brindavan Gardens from Bengaluru.

(a) In order to travel directly to the Brindavan Gardens you have to take the Mysore Road, which is officially called the Bangalore-Mysore Highway. This Highway will take you straight to the town of Srirangapatna, which is at a distance of approximately 100kms. Here, you can ask for directions to the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. Take the road which goes towards this Sanctuary and after approximately 15 minutes or so you will see a road turning to the right. Head down that road and it will take you directly to the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam. The Brindavan Gardens is located within this dam complex. Thus the total distance from Bengaluru to the Brindavan Gardens is a little over 140 kms.

(b) If you wish to travel by train, the Indian Railways ply regular trains from Bengaluru which have Srirangapatna as one of the stops. So you can get off at Srirangapatna and hire a local autorichshaw to Brindavan Gardens. However, if you are a large group it is best to travel by road from Bengaluru as otherwise you will need to hire more than one autorickshaw.

As a visitor to the Brindavan Gardens, Mysore you may wish to obtain information about when to visit, directions to locate the Brindavan Gardens, etc. The Brindavan Gardens is maintained by the Senior Assistant Director of Horticulture, K.R.S.

It is hoped that this article will give you sufficient details about the contact information of Brindavan Gardens Mysore. So here's who to contact and the phone numbers of the senior officials associated with the Brindavan Gardens Mysore.

Timings, Entry Fees and General Information for Visitors at the Gardens

The Brindavan Gardens, Mysore is open to visitors daily for a full 14 ½ hours. However, the timings of the illumination of the Brindavan Gardens varies during the year.

Timings of Brindavan Gardens Mysore:

6.30a.m. to 9.00p.m.

Gardens Illumination Timings:

1. From the months of January to September Timings and Days are: 7.00p.m. to 7.55p.m – Monday to Friday / 6.30p.m. to 7.30 p.m – Saturday and Sunday
2. From the months of October to December Timings and Days are: 6.30p.m. to 7.30 p.m. – Monday to Friday / 6.30 to 8.30 p.m. – Saturday and Sunday
3. During the Dassehra Festival in the month of October Timings are: 6.30 pm to 9.30 p.m.

Note: It is highly advisable before setting out for the Brindavan Gardens to confirm the timings as sometimes the timings do get changed by the garden authorities.

Entrance Fees of Brindavan Gardens Mysore

The entry fees to Brindavan Gardens were increased last year after a huge expenditure that ran into crores to revamp the entire gardens.

Entry Fees for adults to Brindavan Gardens: Rs.15/-
Entry Fees for children above 7 years to Brindavan Gardens: Rs.5/-
Entry Fees for children below 5 years to Brindavan Gardens: No fees; entry is free for them

General Information for Visitors to Brindavan Gardens Mysore:

1. You are allowed to take photographs with a still camera, for which you have to pay INR 40/-. For unauthorized use of a camera, you will be charged a penalty of Rs. 50/-.
2. You are not allowed to take videos within the Brindavan Gardens as videography is strictly prohibited. In fact, film shoots at one time were very popular but are now completely banned.
3. Please do not litter the place or spit anywhere.
4. Please do not pluck any flowers or plants
5. Please do not touch any of the structures, such as lamps and fountain spouts
6. Please do not splash, jump or bathe in the fountains or the lake
7. It is advisable to keep an eye on children as they tend to wander off on their own and could get lost in the crowds

Important Note: Visitors to Brindavan Gardens are no longer permitted to climb the steps leading to the top of the Krishnaraja Sagar dam to view the Cauvery waters.

Facilities for Visitors at the Garden

After the Brindavan Gardens received a face-lift from the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam, walkways were spruced up and musical fountains were upgraded to dance to Kannada, Hindi and English tunes. In addition, a transformer of higher capacity was installed to improve the illuminations. Best of all, facilities for visitors were vastly improved.

Upgraded Facilities for visitors

1. There is a parking lot near the main entrance of the Brindavan Gardens, for more than 500 cars and over 1,000 two-wheelers. Parking fees are reasonable.
2. There are food stalls serving snacks within the Brindavan Gardens.
3. Well-maintained public toilets are available near the main entrance to the Brindavan Gardens.
4. A separate gallery has been set up as a viewing area for visitors watching the musical fountains in the Brindavan Gardens.
5. Boating facilities have been started for visitors in a small lake within the Brindavan Gardens.

Best Time to Visit Mysore Brindavan Gardens

Since the climate in this part of the State of Karnataka is generally pleasant throughout the year, you can visit the Brindavan Gardens, Mysore during any season. The summer month of May, though, could be fairly hot and during the monsoons (June & July) the rain can play spoilsport due to torrential downpours.

Moreover, it is to be noted that while there are fairly large crowds on a daily basis, during the Dassehra Festival in October and the Pongal Festival in January, the crowds could be even larger. Since these are State Festivals with lots of attractions and educational institutes are shut, many families plan their trip to Mysore and the Brindavan Gardens at this time.

As for specific clock-hour timings, ideally the best time to visit the Brindavan Gardens is in the evening at around 5p.m.. You can spend an enjoyable two whole hours within the Brindavan Gardens till the time the fountains are illuminated and the music is switched on. Then you can stay till the closing hours.

From personal experience here are some Tips while Visiting Brindavan Gardens Mysore:
(i) It is necessary to confirm the timings of the illumination of the fountains before you visit as these could vary from day-to-day. Hence it is best to call up the Brindavan Gardens Mysore on the morning of your visit. For information on the phone number of Brindavan Gardens please see at the end of this article.

(ii) If you are traveling via road from Bengaluru (or even from Chennai to Bengaluru and then to the Brindavan Gardens), you should definitely factor in the heavy traffic. Ideally, you should have an early lunch, pack some light snacks for the road trip and set out from Bengaluru at around 2p.m. Alternatively, you could set out in the morning, stop for lunch at Mysore, do some sightseeing in the city and then head to Brindavan Gardens. Also, there are some very good attractions near Brindavan Gardens Mysore. So if you don't mind expending some more time and energy, you can pack in a lot in one day!

Contact Information

The Senior Assistant Director of Horticulture
K.R.S.
Mandya District

Phone Number of Brindavan Gardens Mysore:

08236 – 657247

You can also contact:

The Directorate of Horticulture
Lalbagh,
Bangalore – 560 004

Phone Number: 080 -26571925

Fax Number: 080 - 26570181