Posted on 6th , October No Comments

Garden of Dreams

Garden of Dreams

Garden of Dreams, a tranquil paradise in chaotic Kathmandu

Tucked away in a quiet corner away from Kathmandu’s hustle and bustle is ‘Garden of Dreams’, a landscaped garden designed along the lines of an Edwardian garden. Located at the entrance of the city’s tourist hub Thamel, the garden offers a tranquil space for those seeking a bit of peace and quiet in this chaotic capital. A dream project of a Rana nobleman Kaiser Shamshere Rana, ‘Garden of Dreams’ or ‘Swapna Bagicha’ features magnificent pergolas and balustrades built in the neoclassical style, trellises, fountains, ornamental ponds and the best of seasonal blooms. He was inspired to build this marvel after his visits to the stately Edwardian mansions in England.

Completed in 1920, the ‘Garden of Dreams’ originally was much larger then it is now. It stretched over one and a half hectares and was divided into six sections, with pergolas representing the six Nepali seasons (Basanta, Grishma, Barkha, Sharad, Hemanta and Sishir). After the Kaiser’s death the garden was neglected and was overtaken by weeds. Thanks to a project undertaken by the Austrian government in 2000, new life was infused into the decaying garden and it was restored to its former glory (well almost! The present garden covers only half of the land it originally occupied.).

Surrounded by high brick walls, tall trees and the remains of an old Rana palace (now converted into a museum and a restaurant), the magnificent garden is usually filled with tourists lounging on the grassy lawns reading and locals taking selfies. This place is worth a visit if you are staying at Thamel while in Kathmandu. It lies just a few steps away from Narsing Chowk.  The ‘Garden of Dreams’ is a beautiful space, a sight for sore eyes, especially if the city’s crowd, noise and pollution prove too much for you.

The Garden of Dreams is open throughout the week from 9 AM to 10 PM. Entrance fee per person is NRS 100 for Nepalese and NRS 200 for foreigners.

Some glimpses of the garden:

Blooming flowers that would make your day

A bed of flowers

Rana Style Palace with a pondRana Palace, now Kaiser Cafe 

Rest on the grassy slopes Basking in the sun 

Take a snap with the fountainPosing for selfies

Here is the location of Garden of Dreams in Google Map:

 

Image Source: CamelKW Flickr  Welcome Nepal