With heavy rains in the catchment areas of Cauvery river basin, especially Kodagu, I decided to visit KRS dam and the Brindavan Garden as I usually do every year. To see the reservoir we had to drive along the Old Gate Road. Water level had not risen as I had expected and it would take a much stronger monsoon to touch its 124. 80 mark that would invite Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa to make a special visit to offer the traditional bagina. A State ritual that was started by R. Gundu Rao when he became the Chief Minister (1980 - 1983) and the practice continues to this day with the ruling politicians drawing some political mileage.

However, this year we must wait with some uncertainty about Yeddyurappa having this honour because of the political developments — the leaked Lokayukta report, particularly and his own party honcho Ananth Kumar going at his jugular hoping to become the Chief Minister for the remaining period at least. Well, in the political jungle populated with preys and predators, there ought to be a hyena too!

This is a file photograph. Not the present one.

Be that as it may, I drove along the circuitous route to the east of the dam to access the Brindavan Garden. The southern main ornate entry gate through which visitors entered the Brindavan Garden walking or driving over the dam having long been closed due to endemic terrorist threats, the tourists and visitors are left with only this new gate at the north - east point. Thank God the road and the long bridge, which took many years to complete, is now motorable.

At the U - turn going to the garden area, a prominent signboard with luminous paint or stickers indicating the direction would help the new comers to this garden. Otherwise, like me, many are bound to over - shoot and go farther away only to return once the wisdom dawns or someone in the vehicle turns guru to guide the driver on the right road to the Brindavan Garden.

Mercifully, there is a well - planned huge parking area with easy entry and exit from where you walk up to the main area to access the gate through metal detector. The ornate, gaudily painted main gate, which is waiting a VIP to open, is lacking in architectural genius. By merely creating a few arches with cornices etc., you can't build a majestic, royal gate befitting the heritage of the garden. The stamp of a PWD creation and taste is jarringly visible. Let it be.

And now the Brindavan Garden. Where is the garden, anyway? The garden where many films were shot, including the old block - buster of V. Shantharam "Jhanak Jhanak Payal Bhaje" is gone but luckily preserved in those films. The old glory of Brindavan Garden is totally absent. The flower beds are bereft of flowers. Fountains, except for a few, no longer dance in gay abandon spraying water over the visitors when there is a passing breeze. The multi - colour lights are there, but they are dim and dull passing through glass covers covered with layers of muck and algae.

The trees on the edges along the dam and the eastern end are huge with rich foliage certainly need pruning and topping to make them beautiful to behold from their present weird looks. The garden is laid in terraces that contain water fountains and variety of flowering plants including bougainvillea. It has some green topiary works of animals, pergolas etc. All gone to seeds. Weeds cover a vast area of the garden. Absolutely no flowers in the flower beds, but may be they will get ready soon for Dasara. In short, it is a deserted Brindavan as on today. Yet, because of its old glory it is attracting hundreds and thousands of tourists daily. In 2005 - 2006, the gate collection was said to be Rs. 5 crore. Now it must be Rs. 10 crore, no less. Yet, look at its pathetic condition.

The garden is spread over an area of 60 acres and created in 1932, nearly eight years after the dam was built in 1924. The inspiration behind this garden was the then Dewan of Mysore, Sir Mirza Ismail, who developed it in Mughal style and hence said to be similar to Shalimar Garden in Kashmir.

As I sauntered around the garden with a feeling of dejection, I thought of Lord Sri Krishna and our former Chief Minister R. Gundu Rao. First the Lord, then the Chief Minister.

As we know Sri Krishna of the Bhagavatam was a playful, fun - loving and romantic person, what with his ever - swooning Gopikas of no less a number than 16,000. Brindavan Garden in Mathura was his favourite haunt where he used to take his love Radha for courtship. The Gopikas were thus envious and decided to follow Krishna and Radha more to be near Krishna than to ruin his joy in the company of Radha. Gopis were trying to spot him in the vast garden by looking at his and Radha's footmarks. First they could see four footprints for a distance, then they could see two footprints and two toe - prints to a short distance. Thereafter, they could see two footprints and only one toe - print. Pursuing them further there were only just two footprints and finally near a tree none.

Gopis were surprised. And then the senior one who knew the romantic ways of Krishna explained: The two pairs of footprints, they first saw were that of Krishna and Radha. As they strolled along, Radha walked on her toes to reach Krishna's lips and then quickly yanked him to stop, throwing her one leg backwards, standing on her one toe to hug and press a hard kiss on Krishna's lips. Krishna, the romantic, lovingly collected Radha in both his arms and walked a short distance before finding their hiding perch atop the tree even as the innocent, lovelorn Gopis continued their futile search for their beloved Krishna. Let me assure, I was on terra - firma with my own Radha of 35 years.

As for Gundu Rao, it was he on becoming the CM who got the whole garden a new look, what with soft - lights all over with piped - music emanating from them. He also introduced the musical fountain across the huge lake within the garden, which was a novelty then and attracted more visitors to the garden. Though flamboyant and bragging, he was the most dynamic and forward - looking Chief Minister who delivered what he promised. I wish we had more Chief Ministers like him. He was the one who gave us the only good public hall in our city, the Kalamandira.

As it began to drizzle, we rushed to the hotel, Royal Orchid Brindavan, standing majestically like an imitation of White House in Washington DC, like a sentinel to the garden and also a witness to its periodic glory and fall. Fall, yes. The terrorist curse is partly responsible no doubt for the authorities not evincing much interest in restoring its glory. More the visitors, more the risk and greater the problem of providing security.

Courtesy: Star of Mysore

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