Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai

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.