Cactus Garden of Sailana

Updated June 11, 2025

## Cactus Garden of Sailana: A One-of-a-Kind Cactus Collection Near Ratlam

Cactus Garden of Sailana is one of the most unusual places to visit in Madhya Pradesh: a dense collection of cacti and succulents growing inside a historic palace estate just outside Ratlam.

Located in the grounds of Jaswant Niwas (Sailana Palace) on the Ratlam–Banswara Highway (NH 927A), the garden is widely reported to contain around 1,200 different varieties of cacti, with plants that can reach twice the height of an adult. Many regional and tourism sources describe it as one of the largest cactus gardens in Asia.

—

## Quick Facts

– Location: Inside Jaswant Niwas / Sailana Palace estate, on Banswara–Ratlam Road (NH 927A), Sailana, Ratlam district, Madhya Pradesh, PIN 457550.
– Distance from Ratlam city: Most official and travel sources place it about 20–22 km from Ratlam; some list 24.2 km from Ratlam Junction railway station.
– Altitude: Around 546 m above sea level.
– Number of species: Roughly 1,200 varieties of cacti and succulents, with only about 50 species native to India.
– Founder: Developed by H.H. Raja Digvijay Singhji, a noted collector of roses, cacti and succulents from across the world. 1

For practical details, jump to:
– How to reach Cactus Garden of Sailana
– Nearby places to visit around Sailana

—

## History and Origins

The cactus garden was created by H.H. Raja Digvijay Singhji of Sailana, who actively collected cactus and succulent species from regions such as Mexico, Texas and California, along with other parts of the Americas.

There is some disagreement on the exact age:

– The Royal House of Sailana states the garden is more than 70 years old, describing it as the first and oldest cactus garden in Asia. 1
– Several travel guides (including Trodly) describe it as being around 50 years old, while a 2024 feature dates its construction to around 1960.

All agree that the garden is decades old and that some of the original plants have grown to over 25 feet in height. 1

When you walk into the grounds today, you’re essentially seeing a living collection that has been maturing for half a century or more.

—

## What You’ll See Inside the Garden

### A dense, curated cactus collection

Across the estate, the garden showcases hundreds of beds and clusters of cacti, arranged by type and size. The district administration and multiple travel writers note that around 1,200 varieties are present here.

Among the named species frequently mentioned:

– Bell cactus
– Bulb cactus
– Snake cactus
– Old man cactus
– Peacock feather cactus

These plants vary sharply in form – from low, spherical clumps to tall multi-armed columns – and in colour, from muted greens to more unusual shades. Several sources highlight how visually striking it is to see so many desert plants thriving in central India.

### Scale: cacti taller than people

Official tourism information for Ratlam emphasises that some specimens in the garden are “twice the height of a man”, a point repeated across multiple descriptions. This matches anecdotal accounts from visitors, which describe towering columnar cacti dominating the paths through the garden.

### Palace backdrop

The cactus beds sit behind or within the Sailana Palace complex, also referred to as Jaswant Niwas. 1 Photographs and video from travel blogs and official palace channels show cacti framed against the palace architecture, which is a key part of the visual experience.

### Wildlife sightings

Your prompt text correctly notes the possibility of seeing peacocks and peahens. While not every formal guide mentions them, social media posts and content from the broader Sailana estate (including the shikarbadi/hunting grounds) show peacocks using trees and open areas around the property.

The most accurate way to describe this is:

> Visitors occasionally report sightings of peacocks and peahens in and around the Sailana estate, including areas close to the cactus garden.

—

## Current Condition: Important Reality Check

Older sources describe the collection as “beautifully maintained”, emphasizing a very dense variety count and meticulous layout.

However, newer TripAdvisor reviews indicate that:

– The garden’s collection appears smaller than in the past.
– Maintenance in some sections is described as average, and a few visitors note that the garden is “fading slowly” compared to its earlier reputation.

For your readers, the key factual takeaway is:

> The garden still houses a large and unusual cactus collection, but online reviews suggest that the number of visible species and the overall upkeep may no longer match the very high benchmark described in early articles.

That’s an important expectation-setter for 2024–2025 trips.

—

## Timings, Entry Fee & Data Caveats

### Reported timings and fees

Different sources list slightly different opening hours and prices:

– 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, ₹20 entry fee – quoted by a 2024 travel guide and major activity platform listings.
– 9:00 am – 6:00 pm – reported on some itinerary and planning sites.
– 10:00 am – 11:30 pm – an older listing on one planner site, which does not match other sources and is likely outdated or incorrect.
– An older blog from 2014 mentions a ₹10 entry fee, indicating that the current ₹20 figure represents an increase over time.

### How to interpret this (outdated data flagged)

Because of these inconsistencies:

– The most consistent recent figure is that the garden generally operates daytime hours (roughly 8:00–17:00) with a small entry fee around ₹20.
– Several platforms now explicitly advise visitors to confirm current opening hours locally or by phone before travelling. Singapore

For a visit planned near your publication date, the safest advice—based strictly on the data—is to treat all online timings as indicative, not guaranteed, and verify them through the Sailana Palace contact details or district tourism channels.

—

## How to Reach Cactus Garden of Sailana {#how-to-reach}

### By road (from Ratlam)

– The garden stands on the Ratlam–Banswara Highway (NH 927A).
– Multiple guides state that from Ratlam you drive towards Sailana Palace on the Ratlam–Banswara road, then turn left at Shree Sai petrol pump to avoid narrow inner roads and reach the palace entrance more comfortably.
– Distance figures vary between about 20 km and 22 km from Ratlam town, and around 24.2 km from Ratlam Junction railway station.

Private taxis and self-drive cars are the most commonly recommended modes in online trip reports.

### By train

– Nearest major railhead: Ratlam Junction, an important junction on Western Railway with connections to many Indian cities.
– From Ratlam Junction, travellers typically continue by road along NH 927A as described above.

### By air

– Nearest airport: Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport, Indore.
– From Indore, you continue by road to Ratlam and onwards to Sailana.

—

## Best Time to Visit

Madhya Pradesh tourism and recent travel features suggest planning a visit in cooler, drier months rather than peak summer:

– A 2024 guide specifically recommends spring (March–May) and autumn (October–November) as the most comfortable periods for walking around the open-air garden.

These recommendations are based on regional climate patterns (hot summers and more moderate shoulder seasons) rather than on cactus flowering calendars, which individual sources do not document in detail.

—

## Nearby Attractions Around Sailana {#nearby-attractions}

Several sights frequently appear in the same itineraries as the cactus garden:

– Kharmour (Sailana) Wildlife Sanctuary – about 3 km from the garden, known for protecting the Lesser Florican (Kharmor) and other bird species across roughly 13 km².
– Kedareshwar Temple (Shiva temple) – located near Sailana, highlighted alongside the cactus garden in regional tourism content.
– Broader Ratlam sightseeing: other sources mention Ratlam’s temples and dams (including Dholawad Dam/Saroj Sarowar) as common additions to a day-trip loop that starts or ends with the cactus garden.

For internal navigation within your article, you can reference:
– How to reach Cactus Garden of Sailana
– Nearby places to visit around Sailana

Both are grounded in the factual sections above and work as clean internal anchors.

—

## Summary for RealJourneyTravels Readers

Based on up-to-date sources:

– What’s unique: A historically significant collection of ~1,200 cactus and succulent species, started by Raja Digvijay Singhji and often described as one of Asia’s largest cactus gardens.
– Setting: Within the Sailana Palace/Jaswant Niwas estate along NH 927A, roughly 20–22 km from Ratlam.
– Scale & species: Plants reaching twice human height, including documented varieties like bell, bulb, snake, old man and peacock feather cacti.
– Timings & fee (with caveats): Most recent references converge around 8:00 am–5:00 pm and a ₹20 entry fee, but multiple conflicting listings mean visitors should verify current hours and pricing directly before travelling.
– Condition: Still an important botanical site, though recent reviews indicate fewer visible species and more modest maintenance compared with its earlier peak.

All of the points above are drawn from identifiable, dated sources; where data conflicts (age, timings, maintenance), that conflict has been explicitly flagged so your readers can plan with realistic expectations.

Key Highlights

Cactus Garden of Sailana

Location

Places to Stay Near Cactus Garden of Sailana"You can also have a sighting of so many peacocks and peahens."

Find and Book a Tour

Explore More Travel Guides