I was looking for something different to do for my birthday and Mumbai usually delivers. My cousin had told me she had gone to Maharashtra Nature Park for a nature walk. I decided to do the same for my birthday.
Getting up at 7am is probably not what most people want to do on their birthday, but the early morning was worth it. Maharashtra Nature Park is a hidden gem in Mumbai. With Dharavi behind where we stay, I had no idea this beautiful green space existed. It is opposite the Dharavi Bus Depot and it took us less than 20mins to get there. Our guide Shams was waiting for us. He had already sorted out the entry tickets- 20rs per person and we paid 30rs for parking.
The moment we entered the park, we stepped into another world. Transported to a beautiful oasis we instantly left the concrete jungle of Mumbai behind. Shams took us around the park at our pace, starting with the butterfly garden. There we could see all kinds of butterflies flitting around.
The garden has specially grown plants that attract them. Shams was brilliant at pointing them out. Apparently, butterflies are quite literally named for how they look. So the one with tiger-like stripes is called the Indian Striped Tiger, while the blue one with a similar pattern is the Oriental Blue Tiger. We spotted both, along with plenty of others.
From there we went around the park and were told that this forest has been built upon a huge dumping ground. Infact beneath the mud is a whole layer of garbage! Unbelievable how nature can transform everything and make it better. We saw Gulmohar,Tamarind and Fig trees. Of course the beautiful Banyan trees were everywhere . I tried swinging on the branches because apparently their strong enough. It was fun pretending to be a little monkey for a while.
A lovely man made lake sat in the middle of the park. A crocodile surfaced there during COVID, but it quickly disappeared. The park officials believe that the crocodile found its way to the Mithi river, which runs behind the park. At a certain point in the park, the entire river, if you can call it that, came into view before us. The river was teeming with birds. Shams even gave us his binoculars so we could get a proper look at them.
We ended our Mumbai nature walk at the little nursery on the premises. It had such lovely, affordable plants that I genuinely wondered why I haven’t been buying from here for all this time.
Honestly, this was probably the best thing I could have done for myself on my birthday. Some quiet, green family time in Mumbai, away from the usual birthday plans.
A small note if you’re planning a visit: It can get tiring for toddlers because there’s quite a bit of walking — Ziva wanted to be carried a LOT. 😂 I also wouldn’t recommend it for senior citizens with mobility issues, especially during the monsoon, as the ground can be uneven and slippery. For everyone else, though, it’s a lovely way to spend a morning.
And then came the not-so-good part.
Maharashtra Nature Park may be under threat once the Adani group takes over. If that happens, it would be heartbreaking to lose a green space like this in the middle of Mumbai.
It is shameful how our natural and open spaces are being treated, and this one really hit home. Whatever the politics or business interests involved, we need to protect the green spaces we still have.
Especially for our children.
Because if a forest can grow on a dumping ground, surely we can find a way to let it stay.
If you want to know about more such hidden gems in Mumbai, check this out: https://ideapromoters.net/van-rani-toy-train-borivali/
