Vadodara: The visually challenged can easily experience nature’s bounty now at Gujarat’s first garden specially designed for them at the MS University campus.
The diversity of plants here is such that they can touch, smell and even taste them.
The university has carved out this special facility by modifying its century-old botanical garden — making it the first-of-its-kind sensory garden in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
For this, braille script has been installed on standees near each variety of 22 plant species. “We have kept mats near these standees that act as an obstacle guiding the path for the visually challenged who visit this garden,” said Dr Padamnabhi Nagar, associate professor and garden superintendent at Department of Botany of MSU’s Faculty of Science.
“Once they stand on these mats, they have to put their right hand to read the description of each plant – common name, scientific name and use of such plants – mentioned in braille. The script has descriptions in Gujarati and English. After reading it, they simply bend to get the feel and texture of the plant, enjoy its taste and rub it to smell its fragrance,” he said.
The varieties range from the normal ‘tulsi’ to ‘ajmo’ to artimissia, known for its anti-malarial properties in ayurveda. “All these plants have aroma and are edible as well. They can taste the tangy leaves of nagar, the bitter leaves of kariyatu widely used in ayurvedic formulations to treat Covid-19 and leave the garden with the sweet taste of leaves of chanothi,” he said.
Interestingly, the garden also has a plant named ‘rasna’ that can be used to make drinks and acts as a good liver tonic.
Around 24 blind students of the Lions Blind Girls School got the first feel of this garden after it was inaugurated by MSU chancellor Shubhangini Raje Gaekwad on Monday.
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