Sanjay Gandhi National Park

Sanjay Gandhi National Park, also known as SGNP, is an 87 km2 (34 sq mi) protected area in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It was established in 1969 with its headquarters situated at Borivali.[1]

The 2400-year-old Kanheri caves, sculpted by monks out of the rocky basaltic cliffs, lie within the park. The rich flora and fauna of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park attract more than 2 million visitors every year.[4]
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History

7 m (23 ft)-tall Buddha statue at entrance to the largest Kanheri cave

The area of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park has a long written history dating back to the 4th Century BCE. In Ancient India, Sopara and Kalyan were two ports in its vicinity that traded with ancient civilisations such as Greece and Mesopotamia. The 45 km (28 mi) land route between these two ports was partially passing through this forest.[5]

The Kanheri caves, located centrally in the park, were important Buddhist learning centres and pilgrimage sites sculpted by Buddhist monks (using primitive sculpting tools) between the 9th and the 1st centuries BCE.[6] They were chiselled out of a massive basaltic rock outcropping.[7] The monks carved exquisite Buddhist carvings and designs within the caves, and even had properly built spaces designated as kitchens, dining halls, etc, with drainages built alongside the halls.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (formerly called the Bombay Municipal Corporation) acquired the catchment areas of the Tulsi and Vihar lakes and also included land from the government dairy of Aarey under protection. Hence, the Krishnagiri National Park was established under the Bombay National Park Act in 1942. At that time, the area of the park was only 20.26 km2 (7.82 sq mi). The dairy development board began operations near Krishnagiri National Park in 1954, but outside the area of the park. In 1969, 2,076 ha (5,130 acres) of the land of the Aarey Milk Scheme (now known as Aarey Milk Colony) was transferred to the forest department. However, this area was not notified as reserved or within protected forests. In 1976, an area of 68.27 km2 (26.36 sq mi) was officially designated as Borivali National Park.[8]

The Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra Limited (FDCM) Nagpur, sent an official communication to the Regional Manager, FDCM Thane, on 22 July 1980, stating that the 2,076.073 ha (5,130.09 acres) of revenue land that was transferred from the Aarey Milk Colony were to be included in the Borivali National Park. The communication also directed that 575 hectares (1,420 acres) of the revenue land should be used to build a recreational zone, while the remaining 1,501.073 ha (3,709.23 acres) will remain a part of the National Park. On 10 October 1980, another communication from the FDCM Nagpur to Thane, directed the latter to declare the area as either reserved or within protected forests to allow the department to have stricter legal control. However, no such declaration was made. The park was further expanded to a total area of 82.25 km2 (31.76 sq mi) in 1981. In 1996, the park was renamed to its current title, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, after Sanjay Gandhi. The same year, some forests from the Thane division were merged into the park, further expanding its total area to 103.84 km2 (40.09 sq mi).[8]

Geography

The park occupies most of the northern suburbs of Mumbai. To the west lie the suburbs of Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali and Dahisar. To the east lie the suburbs of Bhandup and Mulund. To the south lies the Aarey Milk Colony and the university campus of IIT Bombay. The northern reaches of this forest lie in Thane city. The park and the areas surrounding it, except Thane city, are all part of Mumbai. It is the only protected forest located within the limits of a city.[9]