While in Pune, take time out for some peace and tranquility with a visit to pretty Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden (orPu La Deshpande Garden). Take things slowly as you make your way around the thematic zones of this 10-acre (4-hectare) Japanese garden. Inspired by the 300-year-old Okayama Korakuen Garden, Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden is an authentic representation of the aesthetic beauty and ideology of a traditional Japanese garden.
Follow the marked trail to experience the harmonious changes and dynamic panoramas of the garden’s natural landscape. Based on the yin-yang philosophy, it presents a composition of natural dualities such as light and dark, fire and water, and stillness and motion. Admire the emerald-green lawns, manicured hedges and varied tree species. Look down from a hilltop on the organic contrast of flat and undulating terrain.
Water flows naturally through the garden to create fountains, ponds, rocky streams and waterfalls. The soothing sound of its gently flowing streams is accompanied by the sweet melodies of birdsong. Spot brightly colored koi carp swimming in the ponds. See a bamboo forest, coffee plantation and typical Japanese plants and flowers. Rest beneath the shade of pergolas.
Children visiting the garden can stay entertained at the playground, which has a climbing frame, seesaws, slides and swings. Kick your shoes off and give your feet a well-earned rest in the bathing stream.
Located on the Sinhgad Road, Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden is about a 30-minute drive from Central Pune. Travel here by auto rickshaw, taxi and public buses. Continue your gardens tour at the adjacent Mughal Garden, notable for its orderly environment.
Pune-Okayama Friendship Garden is open daily and there’s an admission fee. It opens in the morning and again from mid-afternoon so time your visit accordingly. Bear in mind that walking on the lawns is strictly prohibited within the garden.
