Sunder Nursery set to open as heritage park
NEWDELHI: Move over, Lodhi Garden. Wednesday onwards, Delhi will add Sunder nursery to its list of heritage parks.
So far just a stop to buy saplings, the renovated park spread over 90 acres of lush green lawns next to Humayun’s Tomb in central Delhi’s Nizamuddin, is set to be opened for the public as a heritage park.
After a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the central public works department, the Archaeological Survey of India and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) started conservation and landscaping at the nursery in 2007.
After an exhaustive process of 10 years, which involved removal of truckloads of construction rubble and plantation of 20,000 saplings, the site has now taken a shape of a park with distinct heritage, ecological and nursery zones already attracting 80 species of birds, including 60 butterfly varieties.
The office bearers of the trust said it would be next only to Lodhi Garden among the city’s parks in terms of heritage, flora and fauna.
“The garden has 15 monuments, double the number at Lodhi Garden,” said Ratish Nanda, CEO, AKTC. The campus will be inaugurated by vice president Venkaiah Naidu in the presence of The Aga Khan on Wednesday.
The garden is inspired by Mughal traditions, employing lotus-shaped marble fountains and water flows amid geometric flower beds and raised sandstone pathways. The lake at the northern edge of the central axis will be a refuge for Delhi’s citizens with walks, seating and pavilions along the edge.
“The site that once served as plant nursery for the British will now serve as Delhi’s first arboretum with nearly 300 tree species, the largest number in any of Delhi’s parks, according to AKTC office bearers,” he said.
The 550-metre central axis of the compound bisecting the garden comprises a water garden with monolithic lotus fountains and flower beds bound by sandstone – a replica of Mughal landscapes of the 16th century or the Mughal gardens of Rashtrapati Bhawan. The central axis connects the entrance zone of the Humayun’s Tomb- -World Heritage Site-- with the 16th century Azimganj Serai to the north, through the nursery.
Inspired by traditional Mughal gardens with Persian carpet patterns, the central axis acts as a primary pedestrian spine for visitors. It follows the path of the 16th century Grand Trunk Road connecting the entrance zone of Humayun’s Tomb World Heritage Site with the 16th century Azimganj Serai in the north.
“Landscape architect Late M Shaheer designed this park along a central axial spine around which gardens were designed. The landscaping of the park includes Delhi’s first arboretum, an amphitheatre, ponds and lakes, nursery beds, a flower showcase, rose gardens and orchards,” Nanda said.
In 2009, a 16th century lotus pond was unearthed and is now restored. In 2016, UNESCO extended World Heritage designation to 12 structures conserved by AKTC, including six standing within the Sunder nursery. A sunken amphitheatre has been created to hold cultural evenings and festivals celebrating local musical traditions.
“A contiguous stretch of dense green cover across Sunder nursery continues on to the adjoining National Zoological Park and the Batashewala Complex, providing a protected bird habitat for the ground nesting national bird, the peacock,” he said.
A specially built facility allows the display of Sunder Nursery’s bonsai collection of over 400 plants.