Llyods Botanical Garden, Darjeeling

Interesting facts, Childhood Days and a Date with my mum

Botanical Garden, which locals fondly call "फूलबारी" (roughly translated as Flower Garden), is a beautiful place in Darjeeling where I spent many cherished moments of my childhood. I recently came across Lloyds Bank in Darjeeling during my research and stumbled upon the full name of this beloved garden—Lloyd’s Botanical Garden. This revelation made me wonder if others share similar fond memories of this place.

March 18, 2019 फूलबारी दार्जीलिङ

Did you know the full name of Lloyd's Botanical Garden in Darjeeling, or was it just me? 🫣

Lloyd’s Botanical Garden was established in 1878 when 40 acres of land were acquired in Darjeeling to form a botanic garden as a distant annexe of the Calcutta Botanical Garden. The land was provided by William Lloyd, after whom the botanical garden is named.

Despite my best efforts to find more information about William Lloyd or any legacy of his, I couldn't uncover much. If anyone knows more, please share in the comments—I’d love to learn and add more to my knowledge.

It's amazing to discover so much about a place that was an integral part of your childhood, yet whose history and significance were largely unknown to you. I miss my hometown and the beautiful memories associated with it.

As a child, I used to laugh because, despite its name "फूलबारी," I saw more plants than flowers there. It was also a popular dating spot for couples, although I never got the chance to walk around as a couple. However, I made many memories with family and friends.

My last visit was with my mum, uncle (whom I call "मामा"), and my nephew ("भाई"). It was an emotional and heartfelt time where we shared how life has changed over the years. We hugged, cried, and stood strong together—because that's what family is for, isn’t it?

Writing this blog made me quite emotional and longing to hug my mum. I intended to write more about Lloyd’s Botanical Garden, but I hope you enjoyed this small story of my loved ones and my childhood days in this beautiful place.

I didn't mean to end this post on an emotional note, but here we are. I miss all these places and will share more stories. I’d love to read your stories about family—how you spend time together, what you do to strengthen your bond, and your favourite family activities.