Away from the hustle and bustle of the city is a wonderful place of retreat in Mumbai, known as Borivali National Park. This park is also known by the name of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Covering an area of 9000 hectares of land, this park features lush green surroundings and wide-open spaces with rich flora and fauna. The park is a major attraction in Mumbai and is crowded with visitors of all age groups, throughout the year.
History of Borivali National Park
The evolution of the Borivali Park can be traced somewhere during the 4th century BC. During that time Borivali National Park was known as Krishnagiri National Park. The two ports Kalyan and Sopara were used for carrying out trade with the Middle East. These routes were cut through the forests, where Kanheri caves were also located. 'Kanheri' name has its origin from a word Krishnagiri in Sanskrit. After the forest department was established, this Krishnagiri Park was gradually widened and a separate unit of the department was formed to look after the forest and a new name was given to the park.
Topographical features of Borivali National Park
- Height: 30 meters above sea level
- Different Types of Forests: mangrove scrub, southern moist mixed deciduous forest, Moist Teak Bearing forest and Western Sub-Tropical Hill forest.
- Annual Rainfall: 2500mm
- Temperature: Humidity – 60%, Annual Temperature- 27 degree centigrade
Major Attractions of Borivali National Park
- Lion Safari: The exciting lion safari is full of adventure.The safari is from 9.00 am to 1 am in the morning and from 2.20 pm to 5.20 pm in the evening.
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On Mondays, lion safari remains closed.
- Tiger safari: A trip to the dense forest, which is a home to these tigers, is immensely adventurous. There are 6 tigers of which 2 are white Indian tigers. The safari is from 9am to 5.30 pm. Safari is closed on every Monday.
- Nature Interpretation Center: The center aims at the conservation of nature. An important feature is the medicinal plant garden. The facilities of the center include galleries, toilets, water and nature tracks.
- Archaeological Splendor: The major attraction inside the park is the Kanheri Caves, which reflect the Buddhist culture in India.
Recreational Zone: The features of this zone are aquatic world, the mini train called Vanrani and boating in the lake filled with lotus.
Rich flora and Fauna of Borivali National Park
A wide species of insects, birds and animals can be sighted during the trip to the Borivali National Park. Moving into the park, one can see different birds like Kingfisher, Humming bird, Trogon, Sea Eagle, Drongos and Woodpeckers. The different wild animals include Barking deer, Leopard, Hare, Porcupine, Leopards, Hyena, Langur, Flying Fox, Cheetah and many more.
Reaching Borivali National Park
Located 8 km away from the Arabian Sea in Borivali, this National Park can be reached by the western express highway easily. Buses, with route no 188, are available on a regular basis from all locations in Mumbai. Mumbai Central Railway is 36km away while Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is 40 km away from the park. From these railway stations, one need to travel to Borivoli stations which is just 2 km away from the park's entrance. Santacruz and Sahar airports are located 16km and 20 km respectively from the Borivali's entrance.
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