A unique park where people etch their names on aloe vera leaves

Graffiti in public spaces and on buses is a common thing but this garden is unique as people etch their name on thousands of green leaves.

The sight of hundreds of fresh green aloe vera plants, in a sprawling botanical garden situated in the premises of Moti Magri (Pearl Hill) in Udaipur, is bound to leave a visitor amused.

While most of the long vertical leaves have the names of boys and girls which appear to be lovers, some have the names of the visitors and the city they have come from.

Despite being dotted with various amusements, this stretch of the park does not fail to attract the attention of tourists.

"I have travelled to different places but this is a rare sight for me... After walls of monuments, seats of public buses, trains and lampposts in public parks, now people have chosen leaves", said Mrinal Chatterjee, a professor at IIMC Dhenkenal, who recently visited the park.

However, not all are amused by the etchings. The Maharana Pratap Smark Samiti, which manages the park, is trying to discourage people from etching their names on the leaves.

Yudveer Singh Shaktawat, the secretary of Maharana Pratap Smark Samiti, told DH, "The entire Moti Magri is sprawled on 70 acres and graffiti on leaves can be seen only on aloe vera trees may be because visitors find it easy to mark their presence by scratching over the pulpy leaves. But we are trying our bit to stop this practice. It not only damages the plants but is anti-environment also. Every season leaves dry up but people here continue this practice on fresh ones."