Revamped Bal Bhavan in Bengaluru to reopen within three months 

Parents and children continue to stream in to visit park, only to return disappointed

Bengaluru Four-year-old Dhruva was visibly irritated after he found out that Jawahar Bal Bhavan in Cubbon Park, where he had come to ride the toy train, was closed. He, along with his mother and grandmother, who had come from Yeshwanthpur had no knowledge of Bal Bhavan being closed. Such was the case for many children and their families who visited Bal Bhavan during the summer vacation.

Owing to the pandemic and the renovation work which was taken up later under the Smart City Mission, Bal Bhavan has been closed since the first wave of the pandemic. Along with some reconstruction work, a new disabled friendly park is also coming up in the area. The park is also aiming to have more digital systems in place once the work is completed. 

With no information on the official website, parents are bringing their children in large numbers to the park after two years. Talking to The Hindu, Dhruva’s mother Akshara said, “I visited this park as a child, and wanted my child to have the same experience”.

This was the first time that they had come to Cubbon Park after the pandemic. “We tried calling the office, but there was no one who responded. The website also did not have any clear information.” 

On the days The Hindu visited Bal Bhavan, there were many families which had come from other States, who also returned disappointed after seeing the locked gates.  

Anil, who had brought his family from Kerala, said “We came for a vacation and brought our children here to play. There is no other area in the city where they can play. We visited Lalbagh also, but the environment around Bal Bhavan is the best for children to play. With no information available anywhere, it becomes really difficult to know when the park reopens.”

The authorities at Bal Bhavan say that it might take two to three months for the area to be fully functional again. “Improvements and construction have been going on for the last seven months here. Special features for disabled children like EPDM flooring and activities suitable for them are being concentrated on the most. The main emphasis also lies on making the park completely digital, including the entry process,” said Chikkamma Basavaraj, chairperson of Bal Bhavan Society.