Table of Contents
It is an amazing experience in itself to spend some time amongst nature. This is a different kind of excitement to witness the varied flora and fauna and to enjoy nature. But such spots are getting lesser and lesser with today’s concrete world. Everywhere we see so many high buildings, bridges and constructions. In that scenario visiting a national park can be the ultimate fun. And for nature and animal lovers it can be even more exciting. Also national parks can be a great spot to enjoy some time with your whole family. If you are in Chennai then the Guindy National Park Chennai can be the ideal spot for you.
The Guindy National Park Chennai Tamil Nadu is a beautiful national park which houses a variety of flora and fauna. So if you are In Chennai then this is one location that you should surely visit. You can check out the Guindy National Park photos to see how beautiful the surroundings look. Keep on reading this article to know everything about the Guindy National Park Chennai. After reading this article you will be able to plan a successful trip to this national park.
Guindy National Park Chennai
Location: Rangeguindy, Opposite IIT Madras, Guindy National Park, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Guindy National Park timings: Timings of the National Park and Snake Park are 9 am to 5:30 pm on all days. And the timings of Children’s Park are 9 am to 6 pm on all days except Tuesdays. Tuesdays are close days.
Entry fee of Guindy National Park: The Guindy National Park tickets cost Rs. 20 per person for adults and Rs. 5 for children above 10 years. Children below 5 years are free. The cost for school children of 5 years to 12 years of age is Rs. 2 per person. There is an additional charge for cameras. Still cameras are charged Rs. 10 and video cameras are charged Rs. 75. Also for shooting a documentary the charges are Rs. 2000.
How to reach Guindy National Park Chennai
By road
This national park is located just adjacent to Raj Bhavan and opposite to IIT Madras. If you wish to travel by road then you can get buses from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus. Both government and private buses are available in this route and you can reach the park very easily.
By train
The nearest railway station to reach this national park is the Guindy railway station and that is only a km away from the park. Kasturba Nagar MRTS Station is also only 1 km away from the Guindy National Park. Other nearby railway stations are Chennai Egmore railway station that is located at a distance of 8 km. The Chennai Central railway station is 12 km away from this national park. From the railway stations you can get auto rickshaws, cabs, taxis and shared rides to reach the park. Furthermore buses are also easily available as well.
By air
And for everyone travelling from other cities the nearest airport is the Chennai International Airport and that is only 8 km away from this national park. You will get buses or you can take a cab to reach the park from the airport.
Overview of Guindy National Park Chennai
The Guindy National Park Chennai is one of the most beautiful national parks as well as one of the popular tourist spots in Chennai. This national park spreads across an area of 2.70 sq km and the park is home to a variety of flora and fauna. From Tropical Dry Evergreen forests to a variety of animals the park has a lot to offer to its visitors. However this park is not huge and is the eight smallest national parks in India as well. But the attraction of this park is still worth mentioning and experiencing. This national park also has a Snake Park and a Children’s Park which are also quite popular. The children park especially attracts a huge chunk of younger visitors. So if you are in Chennai you can surely opt for visiting this national park.
Read More: LONGEST BEACH IN INDIA | WHICH IS THE LONGEST BEACH IN INDIA
History of Guindy National Park Chennai
Previously this area was a game reserve that spread across 5 sq km. Later this area came to be known as the Guindy Forest. From there a small area got a transformation as a garden space. During the period from 1672-1678 the then Governor William Langhorne established a residence area here along with a garden and named it as Guindy Lounge. A British named Gilbert Roderick was the owner of the rest of the area of this park. He later sold his share to the Government in 1821 at Rs. 35, 000. Originally the whole area was a total of 500 hectares. The first ever animal that made an appearance here was Spotted Deer.
Furthermore a large area of the forest was handed over to the government in between 1961 to 1977. In that space memorials and educational intuitions were to be established. Also for the construction of the Indian Institute of Technology they chose a vast area in 1958. There was construction of Guindy Deer Park and Children’s Park as well. Also in 1974 the construction of a memorial of Rajaji took place and a memorial of Kamaraj took place.
In 1977 the forest area came under the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. Finally in 1978 this national park got its status as the Guindy National Park. There came a wall that keeps the park demarcated from the Raj Bhavan and the IIT Madras campus in the late 1980s.
Flora in Guindy National Park Chennai
The park houses over 350 species of plants and has a typical dry evergreen scrub and thorn forest. You can also find grasslands with water bodies here along with shrubs, herbs, climbers, and grasses. The variety of trees found here is also huge that includes sugar apple, wood apple, neem etc. The Flora of this national park is ideal for the habitat of the fauna. Because of the flora here over 150 species of birds are present here.
Along with that more than one sixth of this park is open grassland and that in turn is perfect for the habitation of the blackbucks. Grassland is the perfect habitat for both spotted deer and blackbuck as they prefer bushes more than lands with shrubs. Some of the major trees here are Manikara Hexandra, Srypetes, Ceylon Ebony, Mimusops Elengi, Flacourtia Indica etc. Some tall deciduous trees are also here like Sal, Albizia Amara and Chloroxylon etc.
Fauna in Guindy National Park Chennai
Over 14 species of mammals are here including Blackbuck, Spotted Deer, Small Indian Civet, Common Palm Civet, Jackal, Bonnet Macaque, Pangolin, Hyena, Three Striped Palm Squirrel etc. Also you will find Black Naped Hare, Pangolin, varieties of bats and rodents here.
There are more than 150 species of birds here as well like crow pheasant, grey partridge, parrot, quail, paradise flycatcher, honey buzzard etc. Also there are black winged kites, red wattled lapwing, Asian koel, pariah kite, minivets, tailor bird. You can also spot munias, parakeets, robin, drongo, stone curlew, blue faced malkoha etc. A lot of migratory birds also visit this national park like pochards, garganeys, medium egrets, pond herons. Along with that there are teals, large egets, night herons, open billed storks and a lot more.
Other than these, this national park is home to over 9 species of amphibians as well. Many reptiles like fan throated lizards, endangered star tortoises, chameleons, geckos are present here. Furthermore the park houses about 60 varieties of spiders and 60 varieties of butterflies as well.
Read More: BEST SWEET SHOPS IN CHENNAI
Guindy Snake Park Chennai
Just next to the Guindy National Park Chennai you will find the Guindy Snake Park Chennai which is again one of the major attractions here. Previously the same spot was the location of the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust. In 1995 the Central Zoo Authority gave a statutory recognition of a medium zoo to this snake park. You can find Vipers, Pythons, Adders, and King Cobras here. Also they have Geckos, Turtles, Star Tortoise, Kraits, Fan Throated Lizards, Indian Monitor Lizards and Chameleons. Other than that you can find reptiles here as well. These include Slider Turtle, Gharial, Rock Lizard, Indian Flapshell Turtle, and Green Iguana. Also you will find Spectacled Cobra, Crocodile, Dog Faced Water Snake, Common Vine Snake, Common Cat Snake, Olive Keelback, and Indian Rock Python. It is one of the major attractions in the Guindy National park so do not miss out on visiting this Snake Park.
Children’s Park in Guindy National Park
This is yet another major attraction here and the children’s park spreads across an area of 22 acres. A variety of birds and animals are present here and that attracts a lot of young crowd here as well. The authorities maintain this park really well with a variety of rides like elephant rides, pony rides and swings. One of the major attractions here is the 20 million year old tree here that a lot of people visit here for. A number of animals are also spotted here like Spotted Deer, Blackbuck, Sambar, Jackal, Python, Common Otter, Grey Pelican, Mongoose, Porcupine etc. Make sure you visit the children’s park here especially if you are travelling with children.
Wrapping up!
The Guindy National Park Chennai is one of the most popular tourist spots. And that is the reason why the park attracts more than 7000, 000 visitors annually. This is also one of the major conservation areas for animals like spotted deer and blackbucks. Moreover the population of these animals in this national park is truly appreciable. It can be your ideal spot for spending a day amidst nature. Also it is a perfect spot to visit with your family and friends as well. Even for birdwatchers this can truly be a paradise. Try to visit here during the winter season to enjoy most of the place. Do let me know when you are planning a visit to this amazing location. Also let me know if this article on the Guindy National Park is helpful for you in planning a trip there.
