Smrutivana – A Photo Essay on The Best Walking Trail of Bhubaneswar

In the year 2010, forest department of Odisha came up with a green initiative, as part of which people could plant saplings in memory of their departed near and dear ones. An area of 75 acres was demarcated in the outskirts of the city for it. Besides the maintenance of the memorial saplings, the forest department also undertook an endeavor to create a beautiful botanical garden in the same patch of land.

As years passed, the botanical garden started taking shape, and numerous medicinal plants, timber, bamboo and flowering shrubs got introduced in this garden. The place also boasts of multiple parks and a huge nursery. Its still a Secret Place in Bhubaneswar, considering not many people know about this place. Definitely an unexplored.

Costs:

Rs 5. For joggers between 5 AM to 8:30 AM.

Location:

Infront of DN Regalia Mall, Kalinga Vihar LIG, Bhubaneswar 751019

Kalinga Vihar LIG

Morning entry is from the western side gate, that runs parallel to the main Kalinga Vihar road. The main gate opens later in the day.

The small western side gate. Almost invisible if you are trvelling in high speed.

An virtual tour with images:

The map that doesn’t do justice to the enormity of the garden, however gives a prety good idea of what to expect.

A list of all the places and plantations within the Botanical Garden

The round about inside the garden pointing towards various sections.

Palm trees splitting the path exactly in the middle. Both sides are deddicated plantations of Arjun, Amla, Karanja, Gangaseuli.

Dedicated plantation:

The garden contains dedicated plantations of various plants spread over acres. The tree sizes range from small shrubs like Aloe Vera to huge trees of Eucalyptus.

Charaka Medicinal Park:

The first park one encounters in the garden is Charaka Garden of Medicinal Plants. Its probably the most well maintained park in Bhubaneswar.

Cobbled pathways crisscrossing the path with a statue of Charaka himself sitting on the crossroad

Amphitheater of the Park

Canopy with concrete bench, to rest those tired legs after a intense run around the park.

The one and only rare white palm tree in the park.

Cobbled path going though climbers. Can’t wait for the climbers on that wireframe to get dense.

The Nursery:

The garden houses a nursery, where Saplings are readied to be sold to general public or municipal authority. Most plantations done by the municipal corporation in Bhubaneswar are done using plants from this nursery.

Nakshatravan:

The road leading to the second park, Nakshatravan

With flowering shrubs on one side and Amla trees on the other, this strech is the most colorful stretch in the whole garden.

Nakshatravan, the name translates to ‘garden of constellations’.

Nakshatravan boasts of intricately manicured lawn, and uniformly trimmed shrubs lead to the center of the park.

The center of the park holds 9 medicinal trees, each denoted a celestial body’s name (Nakshatra) as per Hindu mythology.

Bamboosetum:

Once outside the Nakshatravan, a wild terain, with random trees all around welcome visitors to a more naturalist environment.

The gate of the Bamboosetum. Bamboosetum basically is a garden dedicated to a variety of Bamboo plants.

The wall of the Bamboosetum is made up of Bamboo shrubs, trimmed to perfection.

Inside the Baboosetum

A Japanese bamboo plant

The centre of the Bamboo Setum, with a sitting arrangement for meetings with friends and strangers.

Under the shade of Bamboo Trees. The sight of the first rays of sun hitting this circle will definitely be something amazing.

The third park:

The random stone pathway outside Bamboosetum, leading back towards the entry gate.

A underconstruction park flanks this pathway, once complete, it will showcase a fountain and a small lake.

The entry to the third park, the climbers are on their way to glory.

Conclusion:

The pandemic has changed the way we work out, since closed spaces like Gyms are not considered safe anymore. Open parks and nature trails are the new normal now, and places like Smrutivana, make a walk or run so much more enjoyable than a regular park.

The parks within Smrutivana, the well maintained dirt tracks and the frequently changing scenery, has turned the place into a boon for joggers and casual walkers. The terrain and environment both makes it a joyful experience, to walk through the man made jungle. This definitely is the Best Hiking/Walking Tail in Bhubaneswar.