To gauge the refinement of a nation, one should visit its gardens. Moreover, in today’s world, nothing is complete without environmental protection, and protecting the environment is inherently linked to greenery and flowers.
Our homeland, especially Lahore, is fortunate in this regard. Known as the city of gardens, the heart of Pakistan, and a city renowned for its greenery and flowers, Lahore is filled with beautiful and expansive gardens. Among these, Bagh-e-Jinnah stands out for its floral beauty and historical significance. Even today, besides parks, the city is continuously adding beautiful fountains. Anyone who visited this unique city became captivated by it. During the British era, while many gardens in Lahore were devastated, a few were also established, including the “Lawrence Garden,” now known as Bagh-e-Jinnah. The famous road on one side of the garden is still called Lawrence Road. Opposite the Governor House, this garden is counted among the grandest gardens.
Bagh-e-Jinnah covers an area of approximately 141 acres. Before its construction, this area was barren. The Agricultural Society created a small garden here in 1862. By 1868, much more land was levelled, and the garden was expanded and beautified. Part of the garden was given to the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture and the Botany Department of Government College University for research on plants. Another section was used to establish the Zoological Garden (zoo) in 1872. The remaining part was dedicated to public recreation, managed by the corporation. An irrigation channel was taken from the Upper Bari Doab to water the garden. From the excess rubble of the garden, three hills were created. One hill is named after Sir Sikandar Hayat Khan, another after Sir Fazal Hussain, and the third hill features an open-air theatre. To the south is “Gulistan Fatima,” which is known as the heart of the garden due to its decoration, elegance, and charm. It houses various types of roses and is designed like Shalimar Bagh with a raised central section. The area features rose beds, trimmed peacock feather plants, column-covered vines, arched doorways, a Pakistani flag made of leaves, and seats with peacock heads, creating a beautiful scene. Nearby is a library and the Dar-us-Salam Mosque. A corner of the garden is vibrant with the shrine of a revered elder, “Pir Tarat Murad.”
On the Quaid-e-Azam Road side, there are two magnificent white buildings in the garden: one is Lawrence Hall, built with donations from the British in 1861-62. This building, costing 34,000 rupees, is a memorial to Punjab’s first Lieutenant Governor, Sir John Lawrence. Its design was made by Mr. G. Stone, a civil engineer. The adjacent large building, facing the road, was called Montgomery Hall, also built from British and Indian aristocratic donations. This hall is now used as a library, known as the Quaid-e-Azam Library.
The tall hills in the garden were originally brick kilns. When the garden was created, the kiln rubble was consolidated to form hills, and flowers were planted on them. One of these hills features an open-air theatre built by Mr. Soundhi, a former principal of Government College Lahore.
The garden also features a beautiful fountain garden called “Gulistan Fatima.” Previously, this area had a dirty water pond, but in 1945, the then Superintendent of Gardens, Syed Abdul Aziz Shah, decorated this place with flowers. In 1947, it was named “Gulistan Fatima” in honour of Fatima Jinnah.
Bagh-e-Jinnah is not just a garden or park but has become a national heritage due to its diverse botanical beauty. The National Geographic Society of America declared this garden an asset for Pakistan and all of Asia half a century ago, and it was called the crown of Pakistan’s gardens in a survey.
Currently, Bagh-e-Jinnah spans 141 acres, with 18.25 acres dedicated to buildings, roads, libraries, mosques, and restaurants. 14 acres were initially allocated to King Edward Medical College as a botanical garden, which later transferred to Government College, and the botanical garden still exists there today.
Bagh-e-Jinnah is indeed a result of Dr. E. Brown’s benevolence from King Edward Medical College. After assuming the position of Secretary of the Agricultural Society in 1861, he took the initiative to establish Bagh-e-Jinnah. Notably, Professor Dr. T.E. Brown purchased the 176-acre Lawrence Garden land from landlords in Mozang, Lahore, for just 235 rupees. Initially, the garden was named Agricultural Garden.
The garden was officially named Lawrence Garden on November 6, 1915. That year, the first tube well was installed for water supply. In 1921, the first roads were constructed within the garden, and in 1925, the garden was handed over to the Department of Agriculture, where it remains to this day. In 1935, Mr. Hughes of Punjab transformed the dirty water pond into a Persian-style Gulistan, now known as Gulistan Fatima.
The garden’s beauty is maintained year-round, with a new section called the “Mughal Garden” added, showcasing twelve fountains, lights, and pathways reflecting Mughal architecture, thus merging Eastern and Western architectural styles.
Bagh-e-Jinnah houses rare and unique plants from various continents, including Britain, China, Japan, Syria, Spain, the Middle East, and Southern Europe.
Bagh-e-Jinnah has approximately 21,000 trees comprising 450 species. Due to its beauty and evergreen nature, Bagh-e-Jinnah is famous not only in Pakistan but throughout Asia.
The garden features a large field where Test cricket matches are played, and several clubs are established. There is also a playground for ladies and children with swings for children under twelve.
The greenhouse in the garden is significant for researching plants imported from various countries. The garden boasts over 8,000 trees, numerous flowering shrubs, vines, and hundreds of plant species, with new varieties added annually. A dedicated staff of gardeners and agriculture officers works to protect these plants.
Bagh-e-Jinnah is Pakistan’s oldest garden, containing thousands of valuable and rare plants, some of which are unique to Pakistan, such as:
- Desi Ficus – Known locally as “Badh,” it is the oldest tree in the garden, with some dating back to Alexander the Great’s era.
- Australian Badh – An evergreen tree, reaching heights of 15 to 20 metres, also considered an ancient tree in the garden.
- Crassia insignis Buddha – A very beautiful and historical tree, said to be the tree under which Buddha meditated.
- Simbal – One of the oldest trees in Bagh-e-Jinnah, with a large structure, reaching over 40 metres. It produces honeycombs but is now finished, though its massive structure remains.
- Strobilanthes – A very rare tree, almost unique in Pakistan, with a trumpet-shaped trunk, reaching heights of 12 to 15 metres.
- Cinnamomum camphora – An ancient tree that produces camphor used for various purposes, reaching heights of 25 to 30 metres.
- King Palm – Named for its fine, comb-like leaves, a valuable evergreen plant, though its growth is very slow.
- Syx rhompia – An Australian plant, also unique in Pakistan, located near the shrine of Pir Tarat.
Before the establishment of Pakistan, Bagh-e-Jinnah trained gardeners were considered authoritative in all of India, with more knowledge and experience in flowers and fruits than botanical science graduates, despite minimal formal education. Even today, people from across the country receive training in plants here, with two to three training courses conducted annually.
The beauty of flowers is highly acclaimed worldwide, and according to botany, the cultivation of flowers can revolutionise agriculture in Pakistan, leading to extraordinary yields and helping reduce environmental pollution.
