Sanjay Gandhi National Park S Gandhi NP S Gandhi NP on the map of India
IUCN Category II (National Park)
Location:	Maharashtra, India
Nearest city:	Mumbai
Coordinates:	19°15′0″N, 72°55′0″E
Area:	104 km².
Established:	1969
Visitation:	NA (in 2005)
Governing body:	Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India

The path to Kanheri

Rivers in the park

The Borivali National Park, officially known as the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, is a rare National Park that lies within city limits. The park lies on the northern fringes of suburban Mumbai, India. It encompasses an area of 104 square kilometres and is surrounded on three sides by one of the world's most populous cities. It is possibly one of Asia's most visited National Parks with 2 million annual visitors. The park is also the largest park in the world located within city limits. Image File history File links India-locator-map-blank. ... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ... Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र mahārāṣṭra, literally: Great Nation; IPA: )( ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... Mumbai (IPA: ,Marathi: मुंबई), formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India, with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006)[1]. Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... The Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests is responsible for the planning, promotion, co-ordination and overseeing the implementation of environmental and forestry programmes in the country. ... The Government of India (Hindi: Bharat Sarkar), officially referred to as the Union Government, and commonly as Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a federal union of 28 states and 7 union territories, collectively called the Republic of India. ... Image File history File links BNP-Bombay. ... Image File history File links BNP-Bombay. ... Image File history File links SGNP-Bombay. ... Image File history File links SGNP-Bombay. ... Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales, UK A national park is a reserve of land, usually declared and owned by a national government, protected from most human development and pollution. ... Mumbai (IPA: ,Marathi: मुंबई), formerly known as Bombay, is the capital of the state of Maharashtra, and the most populous city of India, with an estimated population of about 13 million (as of 2006)[1]. Mumbai is located on Salsette Island, off the west coast of Maharashtra. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ...

Within the Park, the ancient Kanheri Caves dating back 2,400 years were sculpted out of the rocky cliffs. The park has a rich flora and fauna. The Kanheri Caves are a protected archaeological site in Mumbai, India. ...

History

The park dates back to the 4th century BC. Sopara and Kalyan were two ports in the vicinity that traded with ancient lands such as Greece and Mesopotamia. The routes between these two ports cut through this forest. The Park was named Krishnagiri National Park in the pre-independence era. In 1969, the Park enclosed 20.26 km². After that various properties lining the park were acquired to get the present area. A separate forest division was created under the Indian Forest Service department, and the Park was christened Borivli National Park after the nearby Borivali area. In 1981, the name was changed to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, after Sanjay Gandhi, the son of Indira Gandhi who died in an air crash. (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium) The 4th century BC started on January 1, 400 BC and ended on December 31, 301 BC. // Overview Events Bust of Alexander the Great in the British Museum. ... Mesopotamia refers to the region now occupied by modern Iraq, eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and Southwest Iran. ... The Indian Forest Service (IFS) is one of the All India Services of the Government of India; some other important services being the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS). ... Borivali (Marathi बोरीवली) is the name of a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway (India) railway line. ... Sanjay Gandhi (December 14, 1946 –- June 23, 1980) was an Indian politician, the younger son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and politician Feroze Gandhi. ... Sanjay Gandhi (December 14, 1946 –- June 23, 1980) was an Indian politician, the younger son of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and politician Feroze Gandhi. ... Indira PriyadarÅ›inÄ« GāndhÄ« (DevanāgarÄ«: इन्दिरा प्रियदर्शिनी गान्धी, IPA: ) (November 19, 1917 – October 31, 1984) was Prime Minister of India from January 19, 1966 to March 24, 1977, and again from January 14, 1980 until her assassination on October 31, 1984. ...

Kanheri caves

The Kanheri Caves are a protected archaeological site. The caves were sculpted by Buddhist residents. The area was actually a settlement and once served as inns for travellers. The word Kanheri comes from the Sanskrit word Krishnagiri which means Black Mountain. The Kanheri Caves are a protected archaeological site in Mumbai, India. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... The Sanskrit language ( , ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and one of the 22 official languages of India. ...

Geography

Dense Forest

The park is located in the suburbs of Mumbai. It occupies most of the northern suburbs. To the west lie the townships of Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali and Dahisar. To the east lie the townships of Bhandup and Mulund. To the south lies the Aarey Milk Colony. The northern reaches of this forest lie in Thane district. Image File history File links KNP-Bombay. ... Image File history File links KNP-Bombay. ... Goregaon, pronounced as Goregam or Goregav (Marathi:गोरेगाव) is the name of a Mumbais prime suburban locality also has a major railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway (India) railway line. ... Malad is the name of a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway railway line. ... Kandivali or Kandivli (Marathi कांदिवली) is the name of a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway (India) railway line. ... Borivali (Marathi बोरीवली) is the name of a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway (India) railway line. ... Dahisar is the name of a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway (India) railway line. ... Bhandup is a suburb of Mumbai and is also the name of a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Central Railway line. ... Mulund East-West Bridge Mulund is a north-eastern suburb of Mumbai, India. ... Aarey Milk Colony is situated in Goregaon East, a suburb of Mumbai. ... For the Anglo-Saxon royal retainer, see Thegn. ...

The region is hilly with a maximum height of about 400 m. The Park encompasses two lakes, Vihar Lake and Tulsi Lake, which meet part of the city's water requirements. The park is said to be the lungs of the city as it purifies most of the pollution over the city. Vihar lake is Mumbais largest lake. ... Italic textLink titlelink title Headline text Media:Example. ...

Biodiversity

The park is a bustling forest. An estimated 800 types of flowering plants; 284 kinds of birds; 5,000 species of insects; 36 types of mammals; 50 reptiles and 150 species of butterfly (which are 2.5 times the number found in the United Kingdom) call the forest their home. Families Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae Pieridae Nymphalidae Lycaenidae Riodinidae A butterfly is an insect of the order Lepidoptera, it belongs to either the Hesperioidea (the skippers) or Papilionoidea (all other butterflies) Superfamilies. ...

The park has also many endangered species of plant and animal. The world largest moth, the Atlas moth, was discovered here. Karvi, a flowering plant, blooms once in 7 years, carpeting the slopes with a shade of mauve. The park is also home to a small population of wild lepords. A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. ... Binomial name Attacus atlas (Linnaeus, 1758) The Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) is a large saturniid moth found in the tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, common across the Malay archipelago to Indonesia. ...

In 2003, pug marks and droppings of a tiger were found in this region. Although the tiger was never spotted, it did bring some excitement to city folks as the last tiger was shot down 80 years earlier. Binomial name Panthera tigris (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of tigers in 1900 (red) and 1990 (green) Synonyms Felis tigris Linnaeus, 1758 Tigris striatus Severtzov, 1858 Tigris regalis Gray, 1867 Tigers (Panthera tigris) are mammals of the Felidae family and one of four big cats in the Panthera genus. ...

Tourism

Villages in the park

A small section of the park is open to the public. A mini zoo was also created so that visitors can view the animals from afar. A safari also guides and educates visitors on the natural habitats of these animals. A toy train travels around the tourist zone showcasing parts of the rich biodiversity. Many visitors do also travel to the Kanheri Caves, especially on an auspicious day in August. Nature trails and treks are also popular with some leading you to the Highest Point trail, the highest point in the city, to take a panoramic view of the city. Image File history File links Village-in-Bombay. ... Image File history File links Village-in-Bombay. ... Giraffes in Sydneys Taronga Zoo Zoo redirects here. ...

Toy Train

Collection at the gates in November 2004 touched Rs 98 lakh (9.8 million rupees). Other recreation spots include a boating facility in the recreation zone of Krishnagiri in Borivali. Image File history File links Rej. ... Image File history File links Rej. ... A lakh (Hindi: लाख, Urdu: Ù„Ú©Ú¾, Bengali: , Tamil : இலட்சம்) also spelled lac, lacs, lacks, laksha, or lectcham (in Tamil) is a unit in the Indian numbering system, widely used both in official and other contexts in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. ... One million (1000000), one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999999 and preceding 1000001. ... ISO 4217 Code INR User(s) India Inflation 4. ... Borivali (Marathi बोरीवली) is the name of a railway station on the Mumbai suburban railway on the Western Railway (India) railway line. ...

Rock climbing enthusiasts have been coming to national park for quite some time now. There are many rock faces littered all around national park and kanehri caves that offers a great opportunity for rock climbers.

Vanrani

The Park also featured a toy train that runs on a narrow gauge rail line. The toy train Vanrani, which means Jungle Queen, ran for around twenty-five years before it was discontinued in 2001 because of the pathetic condition of the track. The circuitous route covers a 2.5 kilometre long distance parallel to the road leading to the Kanheri Caves. However in 2004, fresh bids were announced for the repair of the track, which was estimated to cost around Rs 30 lakh (3 million). Tickets would be priced at Rs 10 for adults and 5 for children. Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... km redirects here. ... The Kanheri Caves are a protected archaeological site in Mumbai, India. ...

In the month of march the tracks were repaired. The train has started to run again after a gap of nearly 2 yrs.The price of the tickets however remain the same. Most of the animals in the zoo have either been moved or have died hence there is nothing much to see during the train ride except the overwhelming greenery.

Taramati Temple

Taramati Temple is on the top of the mountain towards Mulund. This temple was demolished by the forest department some years ago but Mulund locals with vested interest are trying to reconstruct the temple. Once the temple is complete some Religious leaders will arrive and settle down gradually.

Problems

The park has faced a number of problems similar to those faced by national parks elsewhere in the world, involving conflicts between natural and human interests.

In the early 1970s a road, as proposed, would have cut through the park. Naturalist Humayun Ali went to court to halt this project.

The lack of space in Mumbai has pushed residential colonies right up to the park boundary. This boundary is poorly fenced and has often allowed wild animals into human habitations. Slums have mushroomed around the park as well. Corruption among local politicians and Mumbai's influential builder lobby are commonly seen as responsible for a perceived shrinking of the park.

In June 2004, leopards were responsible for the deaths of 20 humans within the span of a week. This was not the first attack. For the past 10 years there have been attacks attributed to leopards stalking children and adults outside the park fringes. After an outcry was raised and the situation reached alarming proportions, eight leopards were caught and relocated. Binomial name Panthera pardus (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Felis pardus Linnaeus, 1758 The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ...

References

Parts of the article referred to from the Times of India article dated July 5, 2004 July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Images of a nature hike in national park - Silonda Trail
• Photofeature - Silonda Trail
• Photofeature - Tulsi Trail
• A new initiative in children's outdoor education

 
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