Sanjay Gandhi National Park is also known as Borivali National Park since it is located in Borivali, a suburb of Mumbai. This Park is a 87 km² protected area in Mumbai, Maharashtra State in India. It was established in 1969 with headquarters at Borivali. The 2400-year-old Kanheri caves sculpted by monks out of the rocky cliffs, lie within the park. The rich flora and fauna of Sanjay Gandhi National Park attract more than 2 million visitors every year. A famous Jain Temple is also situated in the park.
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Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai Phone:- 022 2886 6449, 022 2886 0362
Timings and Entry Fees of Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai
Timings:
Sanjay Gandhi National Park is closed on Mondays. On the rest of the days, it is open from 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM for morning walkers with monthly or annual passes. For day visitors, it is open from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM.
Entry Fees or Tickets:
The entry fee to visit Sanjay Gandhi National Park is Rs. 58 for adults and Rs. 31 for children.
There is a shuttle service that operates between Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Kanheri Caves that costs Rs. 60 per person.
The Camera fee is Rs. 50.
How to Reach
By Air: Mumbai is service by Chattrapati Shivaji Airport which houses both domestic and international airfield. The train terminus is 21 kilometers from the airport. Any local transport can take you to the iconic structure.
By Rail: Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus being a train terminal is easiest to reach by rail. Many trains disembark at this station. Nearest Railway Station to Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai- Borivali (Western line)
By Road: Mumbai is well-connected by road that leads to all major cities in India. TThe national park is at a walking distance from Borivali Railway Station (East). If anyone isn’t willing to walk, one can also hire an auto rickshaw or a taxi to reach the park. All intercity buses going towards Borivali East stop at the gate of the park. One can also rent a cab from top car rental companies in Mumbai to reach the national park.
Biodiversity of Park
The biodiversity of Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai is mostly an influence of the Sahyadris. The flora and fauna belong mostly to the ones indigenous of the hill ranges of Western Ghats. The dense forest has an estimated 800 types of mauves widespread across the length and breadth of the park from Karnala to Yeoor hills to Tungareshwar to few parts of Film City.
The forest habitat being the most dominating habitat of the national park, there is an estimated 1300 species of flowering plants alone in SGNP. Karvi (flowers that bloom once every 8 years) shrub dominates most of the space and are denser in the inner parts of the forest that mostly remains out of reach from visitors and hence, is the most beautiful part during full blossom. Bamboo is another flora that is quite widespread in the entire lower area of the national park.
The dense forest habitat includes trees belonging to mixed-deciduous type, which specifically include the Tectona, Albizzia, Terminalia, Holarrhena, Firmiana, Dalbergia, Garuga, Grewia, Adina, Ficus, Madhuca, Caraya, Butea.
WildLife at Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai
Mammals :-
Spotted deer are a common sight at the national park while one is strolling around. The major fauna of SGNP is the big cat, i.e the large leopard and are in large numbers here. Striped Hyenas can be spotted around Yeoor hills side of the national park.
Black-naped hares, porcupines, palm civet are also among the inhabitants of the national park but are seen very rarely. The four-horned Antelope is also a rare sight given their shy nature. Hanuman langur, Bonnet Macaque and Rhesus Macaque are among the monkey species. There are 17 species of bats that inhabit the national park, out of which, the Indian flying fox is the biggest of all.
Birds
Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a treasure trove for any birder. The Gaumukh Trail gives one a great experience with regards to bird watching. There are a significant number of species of woodpeckers and kingfishers along with the Paradise flycatcher and the much elusive Trogon. The brown-headed Barbet and Parakeets can’t just keep mum and one would be delighted to hear the calls of Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher or the Malabar Whistling Thrush singing melodiously and low voices of the Spotted babbler.
Reptiles, Amphibians and Butterflies
When it comes to reptiles, crocodiles dominate the scenes of Tulsi Lake of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. Apart from the crocodiles, snakes are second highest in numbers spread across the length and breadth of the national park. The varieties include, Pythons, Cobras, Bamboo-pit Vipers, Russell Viper and the Ceylonese Cat Snake, a very rare species recently discovered by Bombay National History Society.
There are a total of 170 species of butterflies out of 1500 species in all of India. Out of these the most common is the Blue Mormon, which is also the state butterfly of Maharashtra. Others include the Blue Oak Leaf, Jezebels, Yellow and White Orange Tips, Sailors, Monarchs and many more.
Giant Wood Spiders are a common sight during monsoon with large designer webs. Silk Cotton bugs and beetles are also found in abundance here.
Tiger and Lion Safari at Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai
The safari rides inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai are 30 minutes long and done between 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM with a one-hour lunch break between 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM. There is a minimum requirement of 15 people for the safari rides to commence. The cost of tiger safari alone is INR 70 for adults and INR 28 for kids between the age group of 5 to 12. The cost of combined tiger and lion safari is INR 81 for adults and INR 32 for children aged 5 to 12 years. The safari tickets are non- refundable and non- transferable. The safari can also be booked only through the official website of Sanjay Gandhi National Park and can be verified at the ticket counter.
What else is in the Park
Butterfly Garden :- There are a total of 170 species of butterflies at the butterfly garden of Sanjay Gandhi National Park. The Nature Information Centre (NIC) arranges guided butterfly excursions at the national park. One can explore the greatest number of butterflies between the months of September to January when they happen to be more vibrant. NIC provides a pocket guide to identify the butterflies.
Cycling:- The huge area of the park allows cycling enthusiasts to fulfil their desire to cycle through a relatively empty patch, which is otherwise impossible given Mumbai’s traffic snarls. One can either get their own bicycles or even rent them inside the park at a mere fee of INR 60 for 2 hours. One needs to pay a deposit of INR 300 along with their ID proofs. There are a limited number of bicycles available in the park hence, it is recommended to either go early or one would need to wait till one is available.
Boating :- Boating timings are between 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with lunch break between 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM. The tickets for boating can be booked online and verified at the ticket counter. Charges for 2-seater boats are INR 48 and charges for 4-seater boats INR 97. Each boat ride lasts for 15 minutes.
Toy Train Ride :- The Toy Train inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park Mumbai is called Vanrani. The narrow-gauge train ride tickets can also be booked online and need to be verified at the ticket counter. The timings of the train ride are between 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with lunch break between 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM. Each ride lasts for 20- 25 minutes. The charges are- INR 50 per journey for adults (12 yrs and above) and INR 19 per journey for children aged between 5 to 12. The one condition for the train ride to commence is that the minimum number of 20 people should be available for the ride.
Camping:- There are over-night campings arranged by Nature Information Centre (NIC), SGNP. They offer all types of accommodation ranging from tents to pine houses to guest houses to dormitories.
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