Lumbini Park

:"Not to be confused with Bangkok's Lumphini Park."Infobox park
park=Lumbini Park


caption=Entrance to the park
type=Urban park
location=Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad
coordinates=coord|17.410|N|78.4722|E|display=title,inline|name=Lumbini Park
size_acre=7.5
size_sqmi=
opened=1994
operator=Buddha Purnima Project Authority
visitors=
status=Open all year

Lumbini Park is a small public, urban park of convert|7.5|acre|km2 sqmi|lk=on adjacent to Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad, India. Since it is geographically located in the center of the city and is at close proximity to other tourist attractions such as Birla Mandir and Necklace Road, it attracts many visitors throughout the year. Constructed in 1994, the park is presently being maintained by the Buddha Purnima Project Authority that functions under the directives of the Government of Andhra Pradesh. In 2007, it was one of the targets for a terrorist attack that killed 44 people.cite web|url=http://www.ibnlive.com/news/death-toll-in-hyderabad-serial-blasts-rises-to-41/47450-3.html|title=Death toll in Hyderabad serial blasts rises to 44|publisher=IBNLive.com|date=2007-08-25|accessdate=2008-08-17|last=Kamalapurkar|first=Shwetal]

History

In 1994, Lumbini Park was constructed at a cost of INR 2.35 crores on a convert|5|acre|km2 sqmi|lk=on land adjacent to the Hussain Sagar lake.

In 2000, the Buddha Purnima Project Authority (BPPA) was established to maintain specially designated development areas in Hyderabad. Among tourist attractions such as Necklace Road and NTR Gardens, Lumbini Park is being maintained by BPPA.cite web|url=http://www.hudahyd.org/inside/bppa1.doc|title=Buddha Purnima Project Authority|publisher=Hyderabad Urban Development Authority|accessdate=2008-08-17] To enhance the inflow of visitors, it constructed additional facilities for laser auditorium, boating facilities among other visually appealing features such as gardens and musical fountains.

In 2006, the park was named as T. Anjaiah Lumbini Park in honour of the late Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/08/17/stories/2006081720990400.htm|title=YSR reiterates promise on housing for the poor|publisher=The Hindu|date=2006-08-17|accessdate=2008-08-17]

On August 25, 2007, a series of bomb blasts in Hyderabad killed 44 people and injured 60. One of the two blasts occurred during the evening hours in the laser auditorium that housed about 500 people at the time of the incident.cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/aug/25hydblast.htm|title=Hyderabad: 42 killed, 50 injured in twin blasts|publisher=Rediff.com|date=2007-08-25|accessdate=2008-08-17|last=Amin Jafri|first=Syed] After a few days of being cordoned off for crime scene investigation, the park was reopened to public after the installation of metal detectors.cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/30/stories/2007083058890200.htm|title=Lumbini Park reopens today|publisher=The Hindu|date=2007-08-30|accessdate=2008-08-17]

Features

A parcel of convert|2.5|acre|km2 sqmi|lk=on adjacent to the park was acquired from the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department for constructing the laser auditorium. This auditorium, believed to be the first of its kind in India, can seat up to 2000 people at a time for a show on Hyderabad's history.cite web|url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/14/stories/2005011414980300.htm|title=Trial run of laser show begins today|publisher=The Hindu|date=2005-01-14|accessdate=2008-08-17] cite web|url=http://www.idsa.in/publications/stratcomments/KhurshchevSingh130907.htm|title=Hyderabad Woes: Mecca Masjid, Lumbini Park...|publisher=Institute of Defence Studies & Analysis|date=2007-09-13|accessdate=2008-08-17|last=Singh|first=Khurshchev] This was one of the initiatives for the park which was one of the key areas to support the World City strategy for Hyderabad.cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/42222581.cms|title=Hi-tech entertainments on the anvil for Hyderabad|publisher=The Times of India|date=2003-04-03|accessdate=2008-08-17|last=Ramanathan|first=Gayatri]

References