Empress Garden, commonly known as Soldiers Garden, is a beautiful botanical garden in
Pune District of
Maharashtra. It is situated very close to the Pune Race Course, on the
Pune-
Solapur road.
Earlier the garden was known as Garden of Dr. Don. When Queen Victoria acquired the title of 'Empress of India', this garden was named as ‘Empress Garden’.
Spread over an area of 59 acres, the garden has a variety of exotic trees laden with fruits and flowers, providing the perfect environment for a picnic. A lotus pond with the statue of Queen Victoria is located in the center-stage of the garden. There is also a small restaurant, which serves snacks and cold drinks.
