Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ated the tank by piercing the earth with his arrow. For some of the best views of
Chowpatty and the graceful arc of Marine Dr, visit
Kamala Nehru Park
.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
SANJAY GANDHI NATIONAL PARK
It's hard to believe that within 90 minutes of the teeming metropolis you can be surrounded by this 104-sq-km
protected tropical forest
( 28866449; Borivali; adult/child ?30/15, vehicle ?100, safari admission ?50;
7.30am-6pm Tue-Sun, last entry 4pm). Here, bright flora, birds, butterflies and elusive wild leopards replace pol-
lution and crowds, all surrounded by forested hills on the city's northern edge. Urban development tries to muscle
in on the fringes of this wild region, but its national park status has allowed it to stay green and calm.
At research time, a trekking ban had been introduced to protect wildlife, but you can get inside the woods if
you go with BNHS (
Click here
). On your own, you can take the shuttle to the Shilonda waterfall, Vihar and Tulsi
lakes (where there's boating), the zoolike lion and tiger safari and - the most intriguing option - the
Kanheri
Caves
(admission/round-trip shuttle ?5/30), a set of 109 dwellings and monastic structures for Buddhist monks
6km inside the park. The caves, not all of which are accessible, were developed over 1000 years, beginning in the
1st century BC, as part of a sprawling monastic university complex. They're no Ajanta, but worth a visit.
Inside the park's main northern entrance is an information centre with a small exhibition on the park's wildlife.
The best time to see birds is October to April and butterflies August to November.
TOP OF CHAPTER
1
Gorai Island
Global Pagoda
(
www.globalpagoda.org
;
Gorai; 9am-7pm, meditation classes 11am & 4pm)
Rising up like a
mirage from polluted Gorai Creek and the lush but noisy grounds of the Esselworld and
Water Kingdom amusement parks, is this breathtaking, golden 96m-high stupa modelled
after Burma's Shwedagon Pagoda. The dome, which houses relics of Buddha, was built
entirely without supports using an ancient technique of interlocking stones (it just
snatched the record away from Bijapur's Golgumbaz for being the world's largest unsup-
ported dome), and the meditation hall beneath it seats 8000. A museum dedicated to the
life of the Buddha and his teaching is also on site. The pagoda is affiliated with teacher
SN Goenka, and two free 20-minute meditation classes are offered daily; an on-site medit-
ation centre also offers 10-day meditation courses.
To get here, take a train from Churchgate to Borivali (exit the station the 'West' side),
then an autorickshaw (?40) to the ferry landing, where Esselworld ferries (return ?35)
come and go every 30 minutes. The last ferry to the Pagoda is 5.25pm.
LANDMARK
