JAYADEV BATIKA named after 12th century saint poet Jayadev is a jungle away from jungle having more than 300 native and exotic species with medicinal herbs, shrubs, climbers, grass & bamboos spread over an area of 39 Hectares, located at 20º 14” North Latitude and 85º 50” East Longitude adjoining to the foothills and forming a common western boundary of Khandagiri, the great archaeological, historical & religious site of 2nd Century B.C., amidst state capital Bhubaneswar.
Natural topography with hillock added with creative landscaping with vast expanse of lawn and meadows, Lilies & Lotus ponds, Fountain, Waterfall, Cascading Stream have indeed made it a wonderful picturesque landscape park with scenic beauty for the visitor to have mental peace with ecstatic joy. Creeper huts, sitout under tile roof shelter, Picnic Pindis with facilities of water & toilet has made it a best outdoor recreation centre of nature lovers, picnickers, morning & evening walkers, art students and in general all types of visitors.
The Jayadev Batika adorns a green look and wilderness due to a variety of indigenous and exotic flora viz: Sal (Shorea robusta), Piasal (Pterocarpus marsupium), Harida (Terminalia chebula) Bahada (Terminalia belerica), Anola ((Phyllanthus emblica) Chadeigudi (Vitex penduncularis), Kochilakhai (Strychnus nuxvomica), Achhu (Morinda pubescens), Akash Malli (Millingtonia hortensis), Ankula (Alangium salvifolium), Bauala (Mimuspos elengi), Champa (Michelia champaca), Chandan (Santalum album), Rakta Chandan (Pterocarpus santalinus, Kusum(Schleichera oleasa), Chhatiana (Alstonia scholaris), Gambhari (Gmelina arborea), Gangasiuli (Nyctanthes arborr-tristis), Kadamba (Anthocephalus cadamba), Kasi (Bridelia retusa), Kendu-Mankada (Diospyros malabarica), Muchukunda (Pterospermum acerifolium)Phanphana (Oroxylon indicum), Phasi (Anogeissus acuminate), Saguan (Tectona grandis) & Sahada (Strebulus asper) and it forms a natural habitat to rare species like Rauvolfia serpentina (Patal Garuda), Gloriosa superba (Agnisikha) and Pterocarpus marsupium (Piasal, Bija) listed in the IUCN Red Data book. The presence of Hanuman langur, the squirrels, the mongoose, the monitor lizard, snakes and different kinds of birds reveals the biodiversity values of Jayadev Batika. The landscape is also a paradise of colourful butterflies, Sadhab bohu and other insects on the ground or the standing vegetation. Trees, Shurbs, Herbs, Creepers of Jayadev Batika are depicted in the Gita Govindam Kabyam composed by celebrated poet Jayadev of 12th century A.D. Influence the emotions, sensuality and mysticism, aesthetic panorama, through different colours like red, saffron, yellow, white colour and aroma of flower of different species . Truly Jayadev Batika serves as a carbon sink cum green lung creating a micro climate of the capital city of state of Odisha.