Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai
About
Borivali National Park in Mumbai, India - now
known as Sanjay Gandhi National Park is situated
at about 42 kms north of Mumbai. Virgin forests
spread over 104 sq kms. are the home for various
varieties of birds and is a bird watcher's paradise.
It is also the place where the Kanhari caves
carved by Buddhist monks exist. Notified in
1974, it offers a pleasant change from the usual
sights and attractions of the big city. It is
hence common to see the park teeming with school
picnics, college picnics and other organized
excursions. The undulating green lands of the
Borivili National Park are just the kind of
surroundings to which one would love to retreat
for some moments of quiet introspection or meditation.
The great panoramic views of hills, valleys,
lakes and open expanses can actually have a
therapeutic effect on mind, body and soul. Rising
from an elevation less than about 30 Mts. above
mean sea level, the terrain park culminates
in a series of peaks dispersed throughout the
park - the highest, near the Kanheri Caves,
being 468 Mts. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park
is unique because it can be visited all round
the year. In the hot, dry summer months the
jungle is a riot of colour as Golmohar known
as "The flame of the forest" and the flowering
silk cotton give the otherwise harsh brown forest
a crimson blush. Borivali in the rains has a
charm of its own. The entire forest is a carpet
of green and streams, swollen with rainwater
tumble and meander down the slopes. The rains
automatically draw trekkers, bird watchers and
nature lovers of all ages to this verdant paradise.
Visitors to Mumbai are rather surprised to see
that there are 104 sq kms. of virgin forest
within its borders, just waiting to be explored.
The recreational area of this park includes
The Kanheri Caves, The Tulsi and Vihar lakes,
The Lion Safari, The Deer Park, The samadhi
of Mahatma Gandhi and gardens.
Flora
The park is a tree lover's delight at all times
of the year, with every changing season offering
up its own distinctive beauty. The forest cover
in the park can be divided into two main categories
i.e. South Indian moist deciduous and Semi Evergreen.
These two types can be further classified into
four subcategories and they are moist teak-bearing
forest, mangrove scrub, southern moist mixed
deciduous forest, and western subtropical hill
forest. The region has good biodiversity and
major trees and plants include kadamba, teak,
karanj, shisam, and species of acacia, ziziphus,
euphorbia, flame of the forest, red silk cotton
and many more varieties of flowers. During the
monsoon, almost the entire park is awash with
the rainbow hues of the flowers that bloom here
and all over the Western Ghats. Among the many
breathtaking sights, the sight that is definitely
not to be missed is the seven-yearly mass flowering
of the Strobilanthes (Karvi). A distinctive
feature of the Western Ghats and of the park
is that tourists can watch thousands and thousands
of these wonderful flowers covering the hilltops,
bathing the landscape in a magical purple.
Fauna
The park is known to shelter wildlife right
from the time urbanization began in Mumbai.
One can have encounters with several species
including Spotted deer, Black naped hare, Barking
deer, Porcupine, Palm civet, Mouse deer, Rhesus
macaque, Bounet macaque, Hanuman langur, Indian
flying fox, and Sambhar. One is surprised by
the density of leopards in this park, despite
its nearness to an urban settlement. One can
also encounter here a Hyena or four horned antelope.
The reptilian world has 38 species to show off,
tourists can see crocodiles in the Tulsi Lake,
and Pythons, Cobras, Monitor lizards, Russell's
viper, Bamboo pit viper and Ceylonese cat snake
here. The invertebrate world has a wide representation
- Crabs, Spiders and Insects of all kinds thrive
within the green glades of the park. The Giant
Wood Spider, Signature Spiders, Black Wood Spiders
with their large net-like webs in monsoon are
a fascinating treat. Last, but certainly not
the least, are the 150 species of beautiful
winged creatures that represent the amazing
butterfly world.
Avifauna
The National Park is known as a real Bird Watcher's
Paradise. The park is the nesting ground for
274 kinds of birds - which are almost a quarter
of all bird species found in India. The park
has a large number of bird species like Jungle
owlets, Golden orioles, Racket-tailed drongos,
Minivets, Magpies, Robins, Hornbills, Bulbuls,
Sunbirds, Peacock, and Woodpeckers. At many
times, migratory and resident birds like Paradise
flycatcher, Kingfisher, Mynas, Swifts, Gulls,
Egrets, and Herons have also been seen here.
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