There are few spaces where I go to breathe whenever city life seems suffocating. Being asthmatic, it is very often that I seek green spaces. All cities have these green spaces – called the lungs and Kolkata seems to have quite a few of them. Botanical Gardens situated at Shibpur is one such place. It is a green paradise in a city full of dirt and grime. Recently, renamed as Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian Botanic Garden, the garden dates back to 1786. It was established by Colonel Robert Kyd. Whatever the purpose maybe, now it is a home to 12,000 specimens of plants and trees and it is spread over 109 hectares. It also home to the oldest grand canopy –  The Great Banyan. Here are few photographs that I clicked last year: