Not just Secret Santa, Bengaluru's Cubbon Park said no to these 7 activities

Bengaluru's Cubbon Park, spread across 300 acres, is referred to as the city's green lung.

After a Secret Santa gathering at Cubbon Park -- a popular green space in the Central Business District of Bengaluru -- was disrupted by Horticulture Department officials over the weekend over problems related to permissions, social media users began to share their experiences and list out all the rules that the park has enforced over the years restricting people from enjoying time at the green space.

On Sunday, park authorities claimed that Cubbon Reads, a community of book lovers who meet at the park once a week, did not have the required permission to organise the Secret Santa event that saw more than 20 participants. They confiscated the books and threatened to file cases against the participants.

Horticulture Department Deputy Director Kusuma G told Deccan Herald that for events involving more than 20 people, organisers have to pay Rs 30,000 and a deposit of Rs 20,000, regardless of whether or not the events are of a commercial nature. She said that marathons, walkathons, yoga sessions, and book readings are allowed, but not religious activities. She also said that if large groups assemble, the department would involve the police.

Here are 7 other activities that have been banned in Cubbon Park:

1.) No food
In 2023, Cubbon Park authorities forbade citizens from bringing food and eating it in the park as the litter attracts rodents and snakes. Instagram user (as_we_stepout) runs a community of new parents who meet monthly at the park. She wrote that park officials objected to it saying food was prohibited. “When parents are coming with little ones they will carry food. As long as people are clearing up before leaving, I don’t see why food shouldn’t be allowed," she commented.

2.) No climbing trees
They also banned children from climbing trees and playing near plants. Principal secretary of the horticulture department, Rajender Kumar, told The News Minute last year that children climbing on trees and playing around the plants ruined them.

3.) No PDA
The department also instructed couples not to get too close to one another to maintain the decorum of the park. "When people come with food, they often litter the area because of which we had many rats coming into the park and therefore snakes also increased in the area. So, from a safety point of view, because these couples sit in some corner areas of the park and do all sorts of things, we have placed the ban. We have also received complaints about indecent behaviour, so we wanted to maintain the decorum of the park," Kumar, told The News Minute. According to an Indian Express report, security guards were seen asking a couple to vacate a particular place “because of snake movement”.

4.) No taking photos or videos
In 2014, the park banned the taking of photos and videos. The department had cited that professional shoots were an inconvenience to visitors while also posing a risk to the local flora and fauna. But, earlier this year, it allowed a film crew to shoot in the green space, prompting citizens to cry foul, Bangalore Mirror reported in May.

5.) No playing or running on grassCubbon Park spans 300 acres and is frequented by kids as it is the green lung of the city. But last year, authorities announced a ban on running and playing in the park as it would damage the grass.

Air Traffic Control, a frisbee club that began in the park 13 years ago, was been barred from the premises last year due to this rule.“So instead of playing, we now go to the park on the weekends just to hang out and ensure we stay in parts of the park with less grass. Still, the guards ask us to leave the second they see a disc in our hands. We have been shooed away on multiple occasions. The rule has no rationale,” Sumedha Kandpal, a member of the club, told Deccan Herald.

6.) No skating
The horticulture department announced last year that skaters were not allowed to skate in large numbers at the park. The development came to many citizens who have been frequenting the park on weekends for the better part of the last decade.

A group of skaters were assaulted in in the park last year by a man who said that he was part of the park’s security team. In a viral video, the man was seen attacking skaters and their friends with a stick. He was also seen roughing up the skaters by holding them by their necks and demanding that they get out of the park, The News Minute reported.

7.) No entry for large dogs
In 2021, the authorities prohibited the entry of ferocious or large breed dogs to avoid inconvenience for morning walkers. The breed names were not specified though, but in a circular, the horticulture department stated that pet owners will be held liable for any injuries or damages to the park.