Saharanpur - Places of Interest

Places of Interest

The Saharanpur botanical gardens, known as Company Garden, once the preserve of the British East India Company, is one of the oldest existing gardens in India, dating to before 1750. Then named Farahat-Bakhsh, it was originally a pleasure ground set out by a local chief, Intazam ud-ullah. In 1817, it was acquired by the British East India Company Sharad Singh Negi, Biodiversity and its conservation in India 2nd revised ed. New Delhi, Indus Publishing (2008) ISBN 978-81-7387-211-2 and placed under the authority of the District Surgeon. Joseph Dalton Hooker says of this Botanical Garden that "Amongst its greatest triumphs may be considered the introduction of the tea-plant from China, a fact I allude to, as many of my English readers may not be aware that the establishment of the tea-trade in the Himalaya and Assam is almost entirely the work of the superintendents of the gardens of Calcutta and Seharunpore."Joseph Dalton Hooker, Himalayan Journals, or Notes of a Naturalist ..., Kew (1854), vol. I, p. 5. In 1887, when the Botanical Survey of India was set up to reform the country's botanical sciences, Saharanpur became the centre for the survey of the northern Indian flora. The Garden is seen historically as being second only to the Calcutta Gardens for its contribution to science and economy in India. Under private auspices today, it is full of greenery and has many different kinds of plants and flowers.Saharanpur Botanic Garden

Other places of interest are Ambedkar Memorial, founded by Chief Minister Mayawati, and the sprawling wood carvings market, which starts from near Ambala Road and extends up to Chilkana Road, where wonderful examples of the art of this city are displayed, sold, and exported all over the world.

The Dhamola and Paon Dhoi rivers meet and pass under the old Tees Dara Pul (Bridge). Lala Das Ka Bada Saxena's fictional home (oye kar le yaar) is another peaceful place; it has beautiful temples and a minaret, from where people can have a bird's eye view of Saharanpur city. Gughal Mela, a historic socio-religious festival of Saharanpur, is organized every year in the month of September and enjoyed by people of all religions.

Recently opened food chains and coffee shops - such as Domino's Pizza, Pizza Hut, Cafe Coffee Day, Moksha, Aahaar, Bangs, Aura Veggie, The SugarBox, Kaathi Rolls, Rendezvous and HotBreads - are attracting the youth. The New LX Cinema near Standards at clock tower has become a new place of interest for the people. Modern shopping hubs, like Vishal Mega Mart, Lucky Garments, V Mart and Easy Day,Sunny Garments are other places of interest for all. Temptations Pool Club and Club 18 are really the places of interest for Youth (males). The city is developing at a good pace and will be competing with cities like Meerut in next few years.