Come March, people visiting Eco Park will have another attraction — the Japanese garden — which is one of its kind in eastern India and one among 500 such gardens outside Japan.
Senior officials of Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBHIDCO) visited the garden where final touches are being given. Japanese experts including Makato Suzuki, Professor of Landscape Architecture Science at Tokyo University of Agriculture and president, Academic Society of Japanese garden, Takatoshi Arai an engineer and Kanaki Katyamo, urban environment expert had attended a two-day conference in New Town in December last year and visited the Japanese garden and had expressed satisfaction over the progress of work.
The garden is coming up on a three-acre land where a wish pond will be made. The statues of Lord Buddha made during Durga Puja by Suruchi Sangha and Chelta Agrani will have a permanent place at the Japanese garden. There is a three-layered pagoda which has been illuminated to give the area a better ambience. Apart from these, there will be several sculptures of laughing Buddha at different parts of the garden.
Apart from recreation, the place has enormous educational value as people will have an idea of the rich culture of Japan.
An interesting feature of the garden is a Japanese restaurant where sushi will be served to guests for the first time. Fuji, a well known restaurant on Southern Avenue has bagged the contract.
Eco Park has become the most important tourist destination over the years.
More than 55 lakh people have visited Eco Park since its inception. Replicas of the seven wonders of the world are slated to be inaugurated this year.
It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had urged senior officials of HIDCO to make Eco Park a centre of attraction for tourists and over the years, her dream has come true.
Cleanliness is the USP of Eco Park and people who throw plastic cups in the open field or litter are fined. The huge waterbody covering an area of 102 acre is used for boating and also, there is a houseboat restaurant. Café Ekante, the restaurant renamed by the Chief Minister has gained popularity among foodies because of the quality of food that is served here.