water lilies at Lalbagh tank

This post is a result of 9 year old memories. On July 5th 2015, I met up with my primary school friends at Lalbagh for a morning walk. That was my preferred way of catching up with friends... an early morning walk followed by a quick breakfast. That morning while walking near the water tank, we accidently discovered a tree named Devil's tree and later surprised to see a flock of the Spot-billed Pelicans. In between, somewhere near the bridge across the tank waters, I noticed a tight cluster of pink water lilies on the shimmering surface. There was no other convenient spot to shoot this cluster, I just a shot with sunlight blazing into the lens. Not a bad picture though.

Here's are two cropped versions of the original. A closer look at these beauties is needed.

Lalbagh is a Nature buff's dream. The variety of plant life and animal life is simply amazing. With every visit, something new could be seen. Lalbagh is home to the rare Ficus with cup shaped leaves, it's called Krishna's buttercup or Krishna Ficus. Then there are gigantic Silk Cottons. The largest of them is truly a giant in terms of girth and spread of branches. Until about a year ago, Lalbagh was home to an African tree as well - the enigmatic Baobab. African Baobabs are gigantic, so are some of the Baobabs in India. However, the Baobab of Lalbagh was small, with tree trunks emerging from one base. A few months back I heard this Baobab was axed spelling its end. I received the sad news from a friend who frequents Lalbagh. Then there was one really tall palm - an Arecanut tree situated close to Lalbagh Main Gate. The tall palm was missing during my last visit, probably sometime 2021. Anyway, there are a plenty to see, admire and be amazed of. For example there's a tree fossil, and the rock hillock is considered as a geological heritage. Lalbagh is not an hour long tourist destination, rather it's a place one needs to visit over and over and over to realize the hidden gems,

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