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Jodhpur is not only famous for its forts, palaces and museums. The city of rich heritage and royal aura also has a number of picturesque gardens. They can provide an oasis to the eyes, otherwise bored by the barren desert landscape.
The gardens are beautifully landscaped and attract hordes of tourists. Among the gardens of Jodhpur, the most beautiful are the Mandore Garden, the Umaid Garden and the Nehru Park. All the gardens are a visual treat to the nature lovers. The Mandore Garden is located on a rocky terrain, in the vicinity of Jodhpur. It is remarkable for its cenotaphs, which are known as dewals.These dewals are unlike the usual cenotaphs, which are Chhatra-shaped. These structures are built like the Hindu temples, and are four storeyed high with columns and spires, in red sandstone. The most impressive of them is dewal of Maharaja Ajit Singh. The dewal of Maharani is set on a rocky hill.
A hall of heroes adjoins the dewals or centotaphs. The hall is dedicated to the deities and folk heroes of Rajasthan. One of the attractions of the garden is the 'The Shrine of the Three Hundred Million Gods' that comprises of many images of Hindu Gods.
One of the popular gardens of Jodhpur is Umaid Garden. This garden is spread over a huge area of 82 acres. This garden is named after the famous Maharaja Umaid Singh who developed it. The garden was envisioned by the Maharaja Umaid Singh who was under the influence of western lifestyle. The garden has five gates from different directions. The green lawn, beautiful roses and seasonal flowers are a feast to the eyes. This garden has various trees like the towering Ashoka trees. The garden also has a zoo, a library and fountains. The zoo in the garden was inaugurated by Viceroy Willingdon. There were animals like tiger, lion, zebra, ostrich and an emu at the time of inauguration. In 1978, a walk-in aviary was constructed in the garden. The aviary now boasts of different African and Australian parrots, besides a number of other feathered species. The fauna in the zoo are kept in their natural environment. Children and grown-ups often visit the place to indulge in sheer joy.
On visits to Jodhpur, one must also visit the Nehru Park, which deserves a special mention. One of the beautiful parks of the city, Nehru Park is a nice place to pass the time leisurely. Earlier there was a pond which was gradually polluted by the waste water. To prevent pollution, a part of it was converted to Bakhat Sagar residential colony. The lower portion of the pond now contains the Nehru Park. This park was started for the welfare and entertainment of the children. The park was inaugurated on 7th September 1966, by the then Chief Minister Shri Mohan Lal Sukhadia.
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