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Sanjay Gandhi National Park:
Borivali National Park, 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 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.. 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. 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. 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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