Under a scorching sun, I trod upon a cobbled path trying to hear the birds chirp among the cacophony of the crows. I hear a bulbul and then spot it suddenly. A lovely turquoise fluttering about in a thick canopy of green trees. It perches besides a little pond to relish its thirst while I slowly and quietly make my way closer to capture the bird in all its glory. Careful of each step that I take, I slowly make my way towards the pond eyeing the red vented bulbul sharply, until a twig that crushes below my feet sends it flying away. I do not hear it chirp again, mostly because my attention has now shifted to the vibrant butterflies fluttering about. The crows still caw, while an occasional cuckoo breaks the monotony. I smile at the irony. If I were to escape this park and go back to the city, I wouldn’t even hear a crow. Here at least there was some respite to the ears from all the loud traffic. Silence beckons, the high rising skyline hides conveniently behind the dense foliage. A tiny jungle looms in the middle of Dharavi.
What was formerly a municipal landfill site, today is the Maharashtra Nature Park, a ‘park of hope’ initiated and developed by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in 1994 in an effort to sustain some nature in a concrete jungle as well as spread awareness about the kind of biodiversity that Mumbai has the potential to nurture. The lush and the sprawling 37 acre land today has around 580 species of plants, 123 species of birds, more than 78 types of butterflies, 22 varieties of reptiles and amphibia and more than 30 species of spiders.
Walking left from the pretty office that’s perched right in the centre of the forest park, I first step into the ‘Nakshatra Van.’ I am not quite aware of what it signifies until I find trees and plants that are associated with each of the 27 Nakshatras (constellations). Each of these either have medicinal and spiritual relevance but my eyes are now fixed on the pink and purple lotuses that bloom in the pond. The rays of the afternoon sun cast a soft glow on the pink petals. The sight is calming, so is the warmth of the sun that falls upon us both. I am then, suddenly distracted by a majestic banyan tree. It seems young but strong with its roots firmly and visibly gripping the ground in might, a figure that seems to overlook this little world. As I seek some shade under it, I am reminded of the many stories I had read in the Arabian Nights as a child, where a traveller would often rest under the shade of the Banyan, before he proceeded. Years later and eras hence, even I am doing the same.
I then make my way through the woodland trail that gives me a peek into a rich eco-system. The trail is adorned with a carpet of green full with creepers and climbers, occasional bamboo shoots and plenty of large trees such as the Devil’s Tree and the Cannon Ball Tree and plenty of wild flowers that add a dash of colours to the greens. Butterflies such as the common tiger, the grass yellow and many more that I cannot identify flutter by. I see grasshoppers and spider webs in the sunlight that filters in through the shafts. It feels like a buffer area of an actual forest. Momentarily, I forget that I am still in Mumbai. This is the best part about the Maharashtra Nature Park. It is not manicured and lets you have your moment in the wild in the middle of the city. That is until you spot Mr. Syyed, a lovely old man who has been working as a Gardner in the park for the last 15 years. He throws names of many species of plants that are found in the vicinity. From the Coral Jasmine to the Indian Jujube, from Kokum to Jamun, from Rosewood to Sandalwood, the list is endless. The nursery towards the end of the trail has name tags for many of the trees and pants found there as well as an encouraging message to plant more trees. But just towards the left is a huge pond covered with algae, which is slightly disappointing.
But I am more disappointed when I take the creekside trail. Here my bubble bursts as I come face to face with reality. The creek on the edge of which the forest park is built is littered with garbage. Buildings loom over the slums that are built right besides it. I can faintly hear the cars honking too. If only the creek was a creek and not a nullah and the Mithi river that flowed right into the sea from there was allowed to retain its natural charm, it would be such a lovely sight. But the poisoning of the creek was also one of the reasons the park was built. Back in the 1980’s, the creek was declared as a bird sanctuary, however it was the human interference and ill treatment that put the many species and the thriving biodiversity to risk. It was then that the MMRDA got a wake up call and they approached WWF to help them transform the municipal land into a nature park. The first tree was planted by Dr. Salim Ali and very soon with the help of volunteers and environmentalists and the seeds of change were finally sown, quite literally. The park finally opened in 1994, on April 22, paying respect to the Earth on Earth Day.
The park today conducts guided tours, organises events to contribute to the cause of environmental awareness and most importantly serves as a centrally located space in the middle of the city for those seeking to escape its life. In a city that has the lowest per-capita extent of open space in the country, Maharashtra Nature Park is perhaps one of the last fragment that holds the city’s biodiversity together. It has also actively undertaken rain water harvesting project and vermicompost Demonstration project.
On my way back to the exit gate, I stop by the MNP Office, a large, spacious building. There aren’t many people around. There’s a tiny amphitheater and an Education Center Building that has a circular open courtyard that has a beautiful, vibrant Muriel created by Delhi- based painter, Krishan Khanna that showcases life and energy on earth, underwater, on ground and in the skies. I find its meaning and theme in a book that I carry back from MNP’s library, titled ‘Back To Nature’ penned by Sunjoy Monga. His words describing the painter’s work overwhelm me, for they perfectly capture my sentiments I have felt in those few hours. It reads, “there is a web of life and we, are a part of it.”
The Maharashtra Nature Park is situated at the Sion Bandra Link Road, Opp. Bus Depot, Dharavi, Mumbai. The entry ticket is INR 10.
The article has been written with references from the book, ‘Back To Nature’ by Sunjoy Monga, a naturalist based in Mumbai. You can check out his books here.
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