Sanjay Gandhi National Park, also called SGNP, is a protected area in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that covers 87 km2 (34 sq mi). It was started in 1969, and its main office is in Borivali.
The Kanheri caves, which are 2400 years old and made by monks from rocky basaltic cliffs, are in the park. More than 2 million individuals visit the Sanjay Gandhi National Park every year to see its beautiful plants and animals.
History of Sanjay Gandhi National Park
The Borivali national park has a long history. Written records about the Sanjay Gandhi National Park area go back to the 4th century BCE. Sopara and Kalyan were two ports in ancient India that traded with other ancient societies like Greece and Mesopotamia. The 28-mile (45-km) land route between these two ports partially went through this forest.
The Kanheri caves, which are in the middle of the park, were important Buddhist learning centres and pilgrimage sites. Buddhist monks were responsible for carving them using very simple tools between the 9th and 1st centuries BCE.
They were cut out of a huge outcropping of basaltic rock. The monks made beautiful Buddhist carvings and designs inside the caves. They also built kitchens, dining halls, and other rooms with drains built next to them.
What does Sanjay Gandhi National Park Look like?
Most of the northern suburbs of Mumbai are taken up by the park. The suburbs of Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali, and Dahisar are to the west of the city. The towns of Bhandup and Mulund are to the east. The Aarey Milk Colony and the IIT Bombay campus are to the south. The northern reaches of this forest lie in Thane city. Except for Thane city, everything around the park is in the city of Mumbai. It is the only protected forest that is inside the city limits.
The hills in the area range in height from 30 to 480 m (98 to 1,575 ft). The park has two lakes, Vihar Lake and Tulsi Lake, which meet a part of the city’s water requirements. People say the park is the city’s lungs because it cleans up much of its dirty air.
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Biodiversity of Sanjay Gandhi National Park
In Borivali National Park, there are about 800 different kinds of mauve in the park’s forests. This flower grows naturally in the park and the areas around it, such as Karnala, the Yeoor hills, Tungareshwar, and some parts of Film City in Goregaon. A small number of leopards exist living in the park.
Several plants and animal species that are in danger of going extinct live in the park. In the park’s forest area, there are more than 1,000 different kinds of plants, 251 different kinds of migratory, land, and water birds, 5,000 different kinds of insects, and 40 different kinds of mammals. The park is also home to 38 types of reptiles, nine types of amphibians, 150 types of butterflies, and a large number of fish.
Flora
karanj, shisham, Kadamba, teak, and species of acacia, Ziziphus, euphorbia, the flame of the forest, red silk cotton tree, and many other kinds of flowers.
Fauna of Sanjay Gandhi National Park
The park’s forest cover helps make it a good place for many wild animals to live. Rhesus macaque, chital (or spotted deer), and bonnet macaque are some wild mammals often seen in the park. The park is also home to the black-naped or Indian hare, the muntjac (a type of deer that barks), the porcupine, the Asian palm civet, the chevrotain (a type of mouse deer), the Hanuman or grey langur, the Indian flying fox, the sambar deer, and the leopard.
Crocodiles live in Tulsi Lake, as well as pythons, cobras, monitor lizards, Russell’s vipers, bamboo pit vipers, and Ceylonese cat snakes.
In 2003, a Bengal tiger’s tracks and poop were found in the park. Even though the tiger wasn’t seen very often, it did give people in the city something to talk about since the last tiger in the area was killed 80 years ago. It was also suggested that the state’s interconnected habitat corridors and nearby forest areas be protected and their status as tiger habitats be raised.
FAQs: Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Where is Borivali National Park?
The main entrance to the park is in the northern Mumbai suburb of Borivali, about 0.9 km (0.56 mi) east of the Borivali railway station, which is connected to Mumbai and Maharashtra by road and rail.
What Is The New Name Of Borivali National Park?
In 1974, Krishnagiri National Park was created, but later it was changed to Borivali National Park. It was renamed “Sanjay Gandhi National Park” in 1981 to honour Sanjay Gandhi, who was the son of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
How Many Tigers Are There In Borivali National Park?
At the moment, there are five Royal Bengal tigers living in SGNP. Four of them are females.
How Many Leopards Are There In Sanjay Gandhi National Park?
Around 40 to 45 leopards live in the 100-square-kilometre park to avoid people.
Parvaiz Yousuf is a senior SEO writer and editor with an experience of over 6 years, who also doubles up as a researcher. With an MSc zoology degree under his belt and possessing complete Search Engine Optimization (SEO) knowledge, he works as a science journalist for a US-based website and Asian Scientist (A Singapore-based magazine). He also works as Director of Wetland Research Centre, Wildlife Conservation Fund YPJK since 2018. Besides, he has several publications to his name on cancer biology and biochemistry in some reputed journals such as Nature & International Journal of Molecular Sciences, & magazines such as Science Reporter, BUCEROS BNHS, and has an abiding interest in ornithology. He also worked as a Research Associate for JK Policy Institute.
