Sunder Nursery, the renovated park spread over 90 acres of lush green lawns adjacent to Humayun's Tomb in central Delhi's Nizamuddin, is set to be opened for the public as a heritage park. inaugurated by vice president Venkaiah Naidu ,prince Aga Khan and Delhi LG Anil Baial on 21 feb. 2018. Express photo by Renuka Puri. *** Local Caption *** Humayun's Tomb in central Delhi's Nizamuddin, is set to be opened for the public as a heritage park. inaugurated by vice president Venkaiah Naidu ,prince Aga Khan and Delhi LG Anil Baial on 21 feb. 2018. Express photo by Renuka Puri.By Navya DuaDelhi’s Sunder Nursery will soon have an arboretum, where people can learn about the city’s rich natural heritage.Last week, the Garden House project was announced, which will be a 30-acre microhabitat zone, created within the Nursery, to simulate Delhi’s once rich biodiversity. It would have three ecological zones including a subtropical section, a local scrub landscape and a desert area featuring over 100 regional tree species.Designed by Delhi-based senior architect Ashok B Lall, the indoor space will have a learning centre and aims to be forest within a garden, with numerous species of plants and trees sourced from forests, hilly and riverine tracts on the outskirts of Delhi.What started as a nursery in the early 1900s as the British built the new Capital, it fed the city with native and exotic species of plants and trees. Post-independence, it moved from being a government nursery to becoming an urban renewable project of the Aga Khan Development Network. Last week, the Garden House project was announced at the Sunder Nursery (Image: Navya Dua)At the event, a book ‘Gardens Within A Garden’ (Mapin) was also released that traces the journey of the Nursery’s revival over the past years, documenting the site’s original conditions, the restoration of its built heritage, the renewal and enhancement of its ecological character, and its emergence as a vital urban space in New Delhi.Edited by landscape architect and academic Geetawahi Dua and Archana Saad Akhtar, Programmes Director for Design & Outreach, Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), the event had Luis Monreal, Director General of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture; Srinivas Katikithala, Secretary Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; book contributors; senior architects and government officials in the audience.Story continues below this adAlso Read | It’s the short spring in Delhi – and the perfect time to head to Sunder Nursery. Here’s why.In his speech, Monreal spoke of how the book records the history of the site, its built heritage, its plant and animal life, and how the space has been developed for people.Drawing parallels between Sunder Nursery and the Persian concept of ‘pairidaeza’ or paradise, Srinivas spoke of how the restoration of the Nursery has recreated a civilisational imagination of heaven on earth.While the book marks the completion of one phase of work, the Garden House project is expected to add to the vibrancy of the Nursery, which sees over 1.6 million visitors annually.Ratish Nanda, CEO, AKTC, acknowledged the collaborative effort of the Ministry of Culture, the the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) in the renewal of the Nursery, also reminding the audience of the contribution of late Professor Mohammad Shaheer, the landscape designer and thinker for the Nursery design.Navya Dua is an intern with The Indian Express © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Nursery