Photo Blog: Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai

25 photos that depict the understated beauty of the urban wildlife sanctuary.

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park - also called as Borivali National Park - is to us city-dwellers the calm in the midst of chaos. Popularly termed as the 'green lungs of Mumbai', this wildlife sanctuary is the second largest forest reserve in the world to exist within the boundaries of a city, the first being Central Park in NYC, USA. This forest area of SGNP is so vast that it stretches all the way from Borivali in suburban Mumbai right upto Thane district (a neighbouring city.) The national park also houses the exquisite Kanheri caves on its premises. These caves were a Buddhist learning centre and pilgrimage site built by Buddhist monks between the 9th and 1st centuries BCE.

What I have come to realise is that while most of the times we crave a holiday break in far-off places, we often end up overlooking gorgeous spots that are right there in our very own hometown at an easily accessible distance. SGNP has been there in Mumbai since long before my birth but somehow I had never given it a visit in these 23 years of my life, until now. I decided to drop by over there with a friend of mine on a Sunday last month, and I am rather glad to have finally ticked it off my travelling bucket list.

Anyway, without further ado, here are 25 eye-soothing unfiltered photographs of the National Park and Kanheri Caves that I clicked during the trek:

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Bougainvillea in season!

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
A 7 kilometre walk from SGNP entrance to Kanheri caves.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Morning sunlight filtering through the parched trees.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Some choose to navigate the park on a rental bicycle.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Braving the harsh sun!

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Grabbing natural food delights!

Kanheri caves
Here come the Kanheri caves!

Kanheri caves
The entrance to Kanheri caves.

Kanheri caves
Hiking up the mountains!

Kanheri caves
The caves are made of basalt.

Kanheri caves
Look at the delicate intricacies in design...

Kanheri caves
Raw grandeur.

Kanheri caves
Gautam Buddha.

Kanheri caves
Columns of pillars.

Kanheri caves
Babes of India!

Kanheri caves
More pillars...

Kanheri caves
Hot and arid.

Kanheri caves
Spectacular vista.

Kanheri caves
Too much climbing!

Kanheri caves
Massive structures!

Kanheri caves
Another beautiful cave...

Kanheri caves
The ascent doesn't seem to end!

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Picturesque river.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Floral beauty.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Shopaholics - this way to the boutique!


Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

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