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BAL BHAVAN IN CUBBON PARK, BANGALORE

Bal Bhavan is a children's Park within the Cubbon Park which is an imaginatively planned amusement park and recreation centre. It is a place where children can enjoy a 1.5 kms ride on a toy train through the park. They can also see the Doll's museum which has an interesting collection of dolls and toys from all over the world. A mini park has swings, horse rides and tree houses. To trigger the enquiring mind there is a 20 million year old tree, a gift from the Geological Survey of India. The Vijayaranga Theatre screens children's films and stages plays. Craft and hobby classes for children are also conducted in Bal Bhavan.

Recently Tata Council for Community Initiatives (TCCI) in association with the Government of Karnataka renovated the Bal Bhavan mapping the 12-acre area, and then breaking it into different activity areas. Architects and designers have come up with signage that looks like foliage, litter bins with dry leaf motifs, and lamp-posts that resemble trees. Beyond the clock tower and the colourful canteen is the lovely grassy amphitheatre that is a visual delight. Then there are open pavilions or activity huts with teracotta roofs, all arranged in a crescent.

And there�s the lovely fort in stone. This is no imposing structure, but a friendly fort you would like to run up and down the steps of, and hide in the turrets. In front is a life-size chessboard, and children can actually take on roles of chess pieces like pawns, and kings and queens. Alongside are similar life-size hopscotch and noughts and crosses in stone.