Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: Facts and Figures

Area	:	87 sq km
Altitute	:	30 to 480 meters above the sea-level
Rainful	:	2,355 mm
Minimum Temperature	:	18.00°C
Maximum Temperature	:	38.00°C
Languages	:	English, Hindi
Best Time to Visit	:	September to March
STD Code	:	022

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: Introduction

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary or Borivali National Park has the distinction of being the only National Park in Mumbai. Notified in 1974, it is set in hill ranges around the suburb of Borivali in Mumbai. Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary plays host to various wildlife species like the panther, antelope, mouse deer and wild bear. Children particularly enjoy riding the colourful toy train here, as it winds its way through the vast park. In the Lion Safari Park, visitors can view lions as close as six feet away, from the special park vehicles.

The Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is a paradise for the lovers of avifauna and it is difficult for them not to be attracted by their charm here in the Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: Climate

The climate of the Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is pleasant during winter (November-March) and hot during summer. The temperature is on the rise from the month of March until the monsoons break here in mid-June, and goes on till September. October offers relief from the humidity and heat in Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Borivali, east of the Thane district, at distance of 40 km north from Mumbai. The park extends from the latitude 190°21' in the North to the longitude 720°58' in the East. Mumbai is the largest metropolis in India and located on the Arabian Sea in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: Biosphere

Flora
The forest cover in the Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary 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 of Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary 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 Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is awash with the rainbow hues of the flowers that bloom here and all over the Western Ghats.

Avifauna
The Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is a paradise for the bird watchers of Mumbai. Despite receiving the highest number of visitors, 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, drongos, swifts, gulls, egrets, and herons have also been seen at Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.

In total 251 species of birds have been seen here according to the wildlife experts that include water and land birds.

Kanheri Caves
Kanheri or Kanhasela, as the two inscriptions from the place have named it, is the biggest Buddhist monastic establishment on the Konkan coast. It is situated in the heart of the Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and is one of the better-known sites in Mumbai.

An unusual feature at Kanheri is the number of open benches cut into rocks and benches in the verandahs or frontcourts of almost all the caves.

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: How to Reach

By Air
The nearest airport is Santa Cruz at a distance of 16 km for domestic air travel. This airport is connected to almost all the major Indian cities with regular flights.

The nearest international airport is Sahar at a distance of around 20 km from the park.

By Rail
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) at a distance of 40 km is the nearest railway hub connected to almost all the parts of India by regular trains. Borivali Station is the nearest railway station connected to Mumbai CST and Mumbai Central Railway terminuses.

By Road
The park is connected to all parts of Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra with very good road connections.

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: Where to Stay

Four rest houses and two camp sheds are available within the Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary area for the visitors to reside. One can contact the wildlife authorities for bookings daily from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm.

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: Links to outside world

STD/ISD, postal, and Internet facilities are available in the areas near the Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. Communication is easy given the status of Mumbai.

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: Travel Tips

The Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary timings are from 09.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. everyday. The Tiger Safari is closed on Mondays

Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary: Nearby Places

The Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is a part of Greater Mumbai and Mumbai is one of the largest metropolises in the world and definitely the largest in India. The main highlights of the city are the Gateway of India, Prince of Wales Museum, Elephanta Island, Flora Fountain, Haji Ali's Tomb, Kamla Nehru Park, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Nehru Planetarium, Nehru Science Centre, and Marine Drive.