Ms Soekarnoputri with Maj. Gen. (Retd) Mallawaarachchi at the Botanical Garden.

Ms. Megawati Soekarnoputri, the former President of Indonesia invited Maj. Gen.(Retd) Nanda Mallawaarachchi VSV, the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Indonesia, for a tour of the Eka Karya Bedugul Botanical Garden.

Ms. Soekarnoputri, who is the daughter of the first President of Indonesia, the late Soekarno, is also the chairperson of the Botanical Garden of Indonesia Foundation.

The Eka Karya Botanical Garden covering an area of 157.5 hectares is located at an altitude of 1400 meters above sea level and houses an extensive collection of plants and trees.

Established in 1959, the garden is dedicated to the conservation of plants endemic to dry mountainous areas in the eastern parts of the country. Visitors can enjoy its tranquil and scenic green panorama while taking in the fresh mountain air. 

The garden’s impressive Bali-statue gate, adorned with ornate decorations, opens up to a wide vista of green rolling hills dotted by colorful flower beds.

Ms. Soekarnoputri, whose father was one of the pioneers in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) honoured Ambassador Mallawaarachchi by asking him to plant a tree to commemorate his visit to the Botanical Gardens.