Phool Bagh 🇮🇳

If you are exploring Kanpur, the industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh in North India, make sure to stroll through Phool Bagh. Also known as Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Udyan and formerly called Queen's Park or Queen Victoria Garden, this historic urban city park is situated in the central area of the city, close to the right bank of the Ganga river, the LIC Building, and Kanpur Central railway station. You should visit to experience a location deeply rooted in Indian history.

From the early twentieth century onward, the park hosted numerous public meetings and political rallies, featuring speeches by major historical figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Ram Manohar Lohia, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Inside the grounds, you can see Gandhi Bhawan, originally established as King Edward Memorial (K.E.M.) Hall to commemorate King Edward's 1876 visit as the Prince of Wales. Interrupted by World War I, the site temporarily served as a hospital for wounded British soldiers before being completed in 1918.

Today, part of Gandhi Bhawan houses a Municipal library and the Kanpur Sangrahalaya (Kanpur Museum). Within the park precincts, you will also find the Cawnpore Union Club, a local water pumping station, and restored greenery managed by private development.

What to see at Phool Bagh

• Walk through a historic park that hosted speeches by Mahatma Gandhi and Indira Gandhi.
• Explore Gandhi Bhawan, a WWI-era memorial hall that now houses the Kanpur Museum and Municipal library.
• Enjoy the restored greenery in the central heart of Kanpur near the Ganga river.
• See the site of the former King Edward Memorial Hall and Cawnpore Union Club.

Visiting tips

Combine your stroll through Phool Bagh with a visit to the nearby Nana Rao Park and Kanpur Central railway station, as they are located very close by.

How long: 1-2 hours · Best time: Morning or afternoon

How to get there & what’s nearby

Phool Bagh is easy to reach on Kanpur’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Kanpur Zoological Park and Kanpur Sangrahalaya. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Kanpur travel guide.