Back to KBR

When I was moving back from Bangalore, one non negotiable criterion I had while house hunting was...'walking distance from KBR park'. Not that one can't take the car, but it's just so much more in natural flow when you can walk to the walk :)

I'd been spoilt rotten by having Lalbagh at walking distance in Bangalore (helps to be clearly aware of what matters to you :)

KBR park, earlier known as the Chiran Fort Palace, is part of the Chiran Palace grounds, a 400 acre palace ground. The palace itself was built in 1940, and was given to Prince Mukarram Jah, on his coronation as the VII Nizam, by his father Azam Jah in 1967.

The area in addition to the palace, has a Mor (peacock) bungalow on a hillock, a Gol Bungalow; stables for elephants and horses, a motor khana that housed a fleet of exquisite vintage cars, (which you can see on the walk) a workshop for heavy machinery, which apparently the prince liked to dabble with, and a masjid (that's still used).

In 1998, the State Government took over the park, when the palace and eleven acres surrounding it was left with the Mukarram Jah, and the rest of the land was declared a national park.  Today around 300 acres is pure conservation zone and the other 100 acres is the walking park with public access.

All that detail is to give, and get, a feel of how it's a so integral part of the historical heritage of Hyderabad.

It's literally a jungle, with part dense forest, part sparse forest, dense shrubs, grasslands and lakes, in the midst of the busy urban Jubilee Hills area of Hyderabad. 

The area is said to have 600 species of plant life, 140 species of birds, and 30 species of reptiles. The peacocks are so accustomed to people that you see them walk around everywhere. I've even had a snake cross my path on one of my very early morning walks.

Here's some pictures for a visual feel:

An aerial view, just to give an idea of size ( courtesy google ofcourse). The outer walk way is a solid 6 kms, and the inner walkway is 4 kms, and you can see the walking paths in the picture.

The very first day of my walk this peacock seemed to welcome me at the gate. Look at his curious expression as he looks right at me  :)

The walk path inside. While the outside walk is landscaped, the inside has been left untouched and is actually a walk through a forest.

A little marshy lake inside, all the lakes so fill up during the monsoons, and you get to see so many little birds there too.

Peacocks strolling around are a common sight.

Some pretty purple wild flowers, but I quite apparently didn't do too good a job with the picture

Some benches for catching a breather if needed

Another lake 

Another part of the path

This is the outside walkway, this one prettily landscaped

Some of the rocks unique to the hyderabad landscape

So pretty...actually brings Wordsworth's Daffodils to mind :)

That's my workout cum meditation enclave, almost a personal one :)

I'm so glad and grateful ....to not just having daily access to a place so beautiful and inspiring, but also to what it takes 'inside the head' to go it everyday...it is just such a wonderful mind cum body start to the day.