Cubbon Park may soon get open-air gym

 Cubbon Park, the iconic ‘lung’ space in the heart of Bangalore, may soon get an open-air gymnasium for the benefit of regular walkers as well as casual visitors.

Cubbon Park Walkers’ Association, a government-recognised body with 2,132 members, is in talks with the department of horticulture and the real estate developer, RMZ Corp, to set up the gymnasium. The company has agreed, in principle, to sponsor the equipment to be imported from Istanbul, Turkey.

The idea to set up the gymnasium struck the association members during their recent visit to Sankey Tank which has a similar facility having fitness equipment for upper and lower limb, dual walking, waist stretching and leg and arm exercise, among others.

Cubbon Park, spread over 300 acres or 1.2 sq km, is visited by 4,000-5,000 walkers every day, according to S Umesh, president of the association. The association is considering setting up the gym near the State Central Library where ample space is available. “But nothing has been finalised,” Umesh said, adding that they would make an official request to the department of horticulture soon.

RMZ Corp has sponsored gyms at Ulsoor Lake, Sankey Tank, Low Level Park (Sadashivanagar), the park in Koramangala 5th Block and M N Krishna Rao Park at Basavangudi.

Its founder, Arjun Menda, said the gymnasium equipment to be imported from Istanbul would be provided if the association agreed to certain conditions: maintaining the equipment, strengthening security, providing adequate space for the facility, etc.

The director of Horticulture, D L Maheshwar, told Deccan Herald that a committee would discuss whether the proposal was viable before giving the nod. Umesh said that it would take two to four weeks to set up the gym once the department gave its nod. He said the facility would be open to regular walkers as well as casual visitors.