Janeshwar Mishra Park
Janeshwar Mishra Park is the big green patch of Gomti Nagar Extension, the one morning walkers mean when they say “JM Park”. It is an urban park, not a memorial court and not a zoo. Lucknow Development Authority built it, named it after the late Samajwadi Party leader Janeshwar Mishra, and opened it in August 2014. The figure you will hear, including on LDA’s own page, is about 376 acres. That is why a walk here feels like leaving the colony even when you are still inside it.
People come at two very different hours. Before office, the tracks fill with walkers, joggers and a few serious cyclists. After sunset, families take over, children head for the play areas, and the musical fountain draws a crowd. In between, you can still find a bench and a stretch of water. If you want stone, statues and silence, that is Ambedkar Memorial Park a little closer to central Gomti Nagar. This park is for legs, trees and an evening out.
How the park was made
The park sits in Gomti Nagar Extension, Part 1, with the Lucknow-Faizabad railway to the north and the Gomti floodplain to the south. The School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, designed the layout. It opened in August 2014. A 25-foot statue of Janeshwar Mishra stands on the grounds, with a very tall flag mast. LDA still runs the place.
Plans have kept changing, as they do with a park this size. In late 2023 LDA spoke of a sports zone near Gate 6, with grounds and courts for cricket, football, tennis and badminton, plus a skating rink. Whether every court you see is finished on the day you visit is another matter. Ask at the gate rather than trusting an old blog. One thing this park is not: a documented public swimming-pool complex. If someone tells you to pack a costume for a pool inside JM Park, treat that as unverified and check on site. What you will reliably find are paths, lawns, water bodies and play areas.
What to do once you are in
Start with a long circuit. Walking, jogging and cycling tracks run through the planting, and they are the reason regulars buy monthly habits here. Two large water bodies give the park its postcard look. Boating and gondola-style rides are run as paid extras when the boats are out; rates are separate from the gate ticket and should be read on the booth, not remembered from last year.
The musical fountain is the evening set-piece. Lights and recorded songs run with the water at scheduled times after dark. Exact show time shifts with season and crowd, so the safe habit is to ask at the ticket window when you enter. There is a butterfly enclosure planted to attract local species, a herbal garden with labelled plants, and more than one children’s play zone in the shade. Birders work the water edges in winter, when migrants drop onto the Gomti side. Food stalls and simple seating make it easy to stay on without turning the visit into a restaurant hunt.
Theme corners and paid add-ons come and go. If a ride is open, the board at that gate is the only rate that matters.
Hours, entry fee, gates
LDA and city reporting have described a long day here, with morning opening around 5:00 or 6:00 am depending on season, and evening closing that in 2024 was extended to 10:00 pm, with the ticket window staying open until about 9:00 pm. Times of India quoted LDA officials on that change in September 2024. Older pages still say 9:00 pm or even 7:30 pm. Treat printed hours as a guide and read the board at the gate you use.
A common entry fee cited by LDA-linked reporting is Rs 10 per person, with children under 12, senior citizens and visitors with disabilities often listed as free. Gondola and other rides cost extra; one widely quoted gondola figure was Rs 100, which may already be out of date. Morning walkers sometimes use early slots under local pass rules that have varied by year and by gate. None of this is worth an argument at the window. Pay what the current board says, and ask about passes if you live nearby and come every day.
The park has several gates off the Gomti Nagar / Patrakarpuram side. Parking is available; it fills on holidays. The park is open all week in normal times. After heavy rain, paths can be muddy and city roads on the Extension can fail. Lucknow Social has reported both a Gomti Nagar Extension accident and rain-time traffic chaos. Leave a time cushion if you are driving out from Hazratganj in the evening.
Nearby
Stay in Gomti Nagar and you can pair this park with Ambedkar Memorial Park the same day. That loop is the one locals actually do. For a different kind of outing, head west to Banarasi Bagh for Lucknow Zoo and the State Museum, or further along the river to La Martiniere College. The old-city monuments, Bara Imambara and Hussainabad Clock Tower, are a separate trip across town. More Lucknow walks are listed under places.
Come in January for lawns and birds, or on a summer night for the fountain. Wear walking shoes. JM Park is for moving; Ambedkar Sthal is for standing still.
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FAQs
What is Janeshwar Mishra Park and why visit?
is the big green patch of Gomti Nagar Extension, the one morning walkers mean when they say “JM Park”.
What can visitors do there?
The park sits in Gomti Nagar Extension, Part 1, with the Lucknow-Faizabad railway to the north and the Gomti floodplain to the south.
What are the timings or entry arrangements?
LDA and city reporting have described a long day here, with morning opening around 5:00 or 6:00 am depending on season, and evening closing that in 2024 was extended to 10:00 pm, with the ticket window staying open until about 9:00 pm.
How do I reach it and what should I know before going?
A common entry fee cited by LDA-linked reporting is Rs 10 per person, with children under 12, senior citizens and visitors with disabilities often listed as free.
How long should I spend and what can I pair nearby?
Stay in Gomti Nagar and you can pair this park with Ambedkar Memorial Park the same day.