The Big Banyan Tree, (kannada: The Dodda Aalada Mara) is a giant 400-year-old banyan tree (Ficus benghalensis), located in the village of Kethohalli in the Bangalore, about 10 minutes drive if you are around Mysore Road, near Kengeri.
We decided on a detour to visit the Big Banyan Tree during a recent trip to Mysuru. According to Wikipedia
The 400-year old tree is in a 3-4 acre park which is rather well maintained with a walkway surrounding the sprawling tree.
However, the extent of preservation by local authorities ends there: The town and people of of Ramohalli have encroached around most of the land surrounding the 3+ acre park, which makes one wonder if the tree will survive another 3-400 years.
There is a main road that goes across the front of the park and adjacent the park a few buildings have come up. It is hard to imagine if the tree will have any further space to grow in the years to come. It will be a shame if urban sprawl is unconstrained and the historic tree ends up just in textbooks and blogs.
Practical tips: Watch out for monkeys around the park. They are known to swoop down and grab edibles and belongings that visitors carry in.
How to get there: The tree is located in the village of Ramohalli, about 28 kilometres (17 mi) from Bangalore, on the Bangalore – Mysore Road. One can take local BMTC Buses from Majestic to Kengeri, and then from Kengeri to Doda Alada Mara. There are a few direct buses from K. R. Market to Dodda Alada mara which stops just beside the tree.
Check out my review on Tripadvisor
We decided on a detour to visit the Big Banyan Tree during a recent trip to Mysuru. According to Wikipedia
This single plant covers 3 acres (12,000 m2) and is one of the largest of its kind. In the 2000s, the main root of the tree succumbed to natural disease, and thus the tree now looks like many different trees. The tree is the natural home of a large number of monkeys, and tourists are advised to be careful with food, water, camera bags, and anything else that can be snatched away.
The 400-year old tree is in a 3-4 acre park which is rather well maintained with a walkway surrounding the sprawling tree.
However, the extent of preservation by local authorities ends there: The town and people of of Ramohalli have encroached around most of the land surrounding the 3+ acre park, which makes one wonder if the tree will survive another 3-400 years.
There is a main road that goes across the front of the park and adjacent the park a few buildings have come up. It is hard to imagine if the tree will have any further space to grow in the years to come. It will be a shame if urban sprawl is unconstrained and the historic tree ends up just in textbooks and blogs.
Practical tips: Watch out for monkeys around the park. They are known to swoop down and grab edibles and belongings that visitors carry in.
How to get there: The tree is located in the village of Ramohalli, about 28 kilometres (17 mi) from Bangalore, on the Bangalore – Mysore Road. One can take local BMTC Buses from Majestic to Kengeri, and then from Kengeri to Doda Alada Mara. There are a few direct buses from K. R. Market to Dodda Alada mara which stops just beside the tree.
Check out my review on Tripadvisor
History meets urban sprawl
The 400-year old tree is in a 3-4 acre park which is rather well maintained with a walkway surrounding the sprawling tree. ....
