Fragrance Walk and the Botany of Ships
Sun, 11 Jan
|Rani Baug / Veermata Jijabai Bhosale
Two track narrative exploring Bombay's Opium trade history and the role of trees in spreading trade, religion and war through sea. Along the way we shall smell fresh fragrances from flowers & leaves.
Time & Location
11 Jan 2026, 9:30 am – 11:30 am
Rani Baug / Veermata Jijabai Bhosale, Railway Station, 91A, Lalbaug Flyover, near Byculla, Byculla East, Byculla, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400027, India
About the event
This tree walk & museum tour is a curated route of the trees we have used to build various kind of boats and ships. This walk is a two track narrative switching between the Bombay's opium trade history and the role trees have enabled in spreading trade, religion and war. Our walk takes place in Rani Baug Botanical Garden & Bhau Daji Lad Museum, both of whom much like Bombay, owes their existence to ships.
It is believed trees are immobile, yet they manage to lure humans into carrying them across continents in ships. Through ships trees have gained global mobility in geography and society whose position now remains rooted in human hierarchy. Owing to this spread we see some trees have access to more land and water than most humans, almost like idols of gods.
“Owners of dogs will have noticed that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they will think you are god. Whereas owners of cats are compelled to realize that, if you provide them with food and water and shelter and affection, they draw the conclusion that they are gods.” ― Christopher Hitchens
These walks are one of many designed to erase tree blindness and introduce Mumbai's tree diversity.
In the garden we will look at the trees used in building boats, ships and their parts.
In the museum we will examine ship models and ports that once were in Bombay.
ABOUT ME
My name is Abhishek Khan. I am a research based artist, designer, and storyteller under the pen name: Hand Jobs Inc. As a designer I have designed the brand identity for General Items
I started Lalbagh.info website as a free public archive of Lal Bagh flowers. The website now hosts Flower Finder, and self-guided Fragrance Walk.
You can also subscribe to my Flower Calendar via Google Calendar here.
This is my botanical storytelling project and has been featured in
I have conducted walks in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Vancouver. I have researched, written and performed scripts like
- Fragrance Walk & the Botany of Witchcraft
- Fragrance Walk & the Botany of Alcohol
- Fragrance Walk & the Botany of Psychedelics
- Fragrance Walk & the Botany of Lovemaking
- Mafia of House Plants
About Rani Baug / Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan
Rani Baug was started in 1862 as a colonial style garden. The diverse collection of native and exotic trees spread over 50 acres. This space is exceptionally well maintained with colonial style architectural features. The garden boasts of hosting some trees and some exotic varieties like Cacao.
About Bhau Daji Lad Museum
Bhau Daji Lad Museum (BDL) is the oldest museum in the city. It is situated in the vicinity of the Byculla Zoo, in the suburb of Byculla East.
It was originally established in 1855 as a treasure house of the decorative and industrial arts that were being traded through the port of Mumbai
INSTRUCTIONS
- Please arrive by 7:10 am
- Garden has parking, please arrive earlier for parking and walking to gate from parking lot.
Suggested Carry Materials
- Refillable Water Bottle (no single use plastic)
- Sun hat
- Sunglasses
- Handkerchief
- Small Basket to collect flowers/ botanicals (optional)
- Snack (optional)
- If you happen to be late, WhatsApp me for live location. No calls, as I would be amidst a very dramatic tale.
NOT ALLOWED
As per Horticulture Dept.
- DSLR cameras
- Single use plastic bottle
REFUND POLICY
No refund. You can pass on your spot to a friend or attend the next walk.
