Adventures in India

"Krishnagiri Upavan" with an area of approx. 5.5 sq. km. is reserved as a recreational zone inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, to cater the educational and recreational needs of the people.

"Krishnagiri Upavan" with an area of approx. 5.5 sq. km. is reserved as a recreational zone inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, to cater the educational and recreational needs of the people.

The area includes some open spaces for picnics, a small zoo, a crocodile park, boating area, a toy train, the NIC, lion and tiger safaris, the Gandhi memorial, the Taramati temple on the Mulund side and other minor areas of interest to the casual visitor.

Wide Aware is conducting a series of outdoor education programmes based on experiential learning for school groups in this area from November 2006 to January 2007. These programmes are designed to encourage individual thinking, resourcefulness and responsibility of choices among children in a highly entertaining and interactive manner.

The Taramati temple towards the Mulund side was demolished by the forest authorities in an effort to curb the use of protected land for non-environmental reasons that cause disturbance to the wildlife, but locals in Mulund are currently trying to get it rebuilt. If that happens, the usual procession of religious leaders and followers might follow suit.

Lion Safari

The lion safari is a star attraction of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park. An area of about 13 hectares bounded by a 6.5 m high fence creates a mini sanctuary for the magnificent beast. Roads criss cross through this entire area, and the safari bus, which is little more than a cage on wheels travels along them, and provides views of the felines from its safety.

However, if one expects to see ferocious lions and a display of raw and wild movement, there might be a disappointment in store. The lions are so used to the vehicles traveling around, that they are not even likely to turn their heads to take notice of the noisiest of buses going past them.

Tiger Safari:

The tiger safari was added with a view toward promoting interest in this endangered species and providing tourists a chance to see them up close. Expanding human populations and degrading natural environment are increasingly leaving tigers homeless and vulnerable to poaching. In other cases, tigers have turned on humans for prey in the absence of the regular forest herbivores, leading to local populations hunting and killing tigers for their protection.

Tigers are of great cultural importance in India, with religious beliefs identifying it as the vehicle of Goddess Durga, warrior cultures immortalizing it through its association with, and power and bravery. They have world wide fame for being deadly hunters of the animal world. Yet, unless action is taken soon, they are unlikely to survive as a species. The safari aims to increase this awareness and bring people closer to the tiger as a beautiful species deserving of their efforts in its preservation.

The tiger Safari at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park comprises of a fenced area of 20 hectares, with a thick forest cover of teak, bamboo and other indigenous flora that creates a suitable habitat for its star attractions, with a view to making it as close as possible to suit a natural habitat that suits the requirements of tigers. There are currently 6 tigers here, and two of them are the very rare Indian white tigers.

Toy train and zoo

Vanarani, which means “Forest Queen” is a toy train that runs on a narrow gauge rail line. The track was established in the year 1976, and the toy train continued to delight visitors by taking them through the 2.5 km forest ride through cages of the zoo, dense foliage and even over a couple of bridges and tunnels. It fell into disrepair and had to be discontinued in 2001 for some years. Eventually, it was repaired and revamped, and the trackes were laid afresh and the service restarted in 2005.

The zoo itself has been significantly depleted over the years, and the current collection covers a few leopards that had been raised in captivity, some deer in a deer park, and a few cages with eagles and other birds in a very sorry condition. Some of the eagles live out of the cages, as they are incapable of flight, and are regularly harassed by crows. There is really not much happiness left, in terms of watching animals in the zoo here.

However, this is no deterrence for the unending crowds of excited children and even adults queuing up for their turn for a toy train ride through the still enchanting forest.