Centenary pillar, postage stamp to mark 100 years of Lucknow zoo

Lucknow, August 16

The Lucknow Zoo, known as Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden, will install a ‘Centenary Pillar’ on its premises, in the run up to its centenary year celebrations on November 29.

The pillar will have the history of Lucknow Zoo on one side and its inauguration date on the other. Apart from the pillar, the management has decided to release a postage stamp with the design of the zoo logo and also release special memorabilia including pictures clicked by its visitors- old and new.

The zoo has also asked the residents to give their suggestions and ideas that can be included in the memorabilia. For the young lot and students, the zoological garden will also organise competitions and events on the day.

Zoo director R.K. Singh said “There will be numerous competitions and programmes for visitors. The year is very special for us as well as the inmates. We are encouraging people to opt for an adoption programme as well.”

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This zoological park was established on November 29, 1921 to commemorate the arrival of the Prince of Wales to Lucknow.

Its establishment was conceived by the then Governor Sir Harcourt Butler. The complex was established in the 18th century by Nawab Nasiruddin Haider, the then Nawab of Awadh, as a mango orchard.

At that time, it was known as Banarasi Bagh. Even today, in the colloquial language, the locals call it Banarasi Bagh.

A Baradari was built to sit here, which is still situated in the middle of the zoological garden with all its grandeur and dignity. In the year 2001, the zoological park was changed from ‘Prince of Wales Zoological Gardens Trust’ to Lucknow Zoological Garden. In the year 2015 the zoological park was changed from ‘Lucknow Zoological Garden’ to ‘Nawab Wajid Ali Shah Zoological Garden, Lucknow’. IANS