Guindy National Park, Chennai: Reserve Forest in the City!
Guindy National Park is a protected Reserve Forest right in the heart of Chennai. The main gate of this park is in a small lane next to the popular tourist destination: Guindy Snake park and Zoo, after IIT-M and Cancer Institute campus gates (from Adyar). Since this is a protected forest, and our group decided to go for a trek (better word is walk), I thought why not join? After all it will be an excellent change from the concrete urban jungle around us!
Even though it is a reserve forest, don’t go there expecting to see tigers, panthers, elephants, or giraffes roaming all around you. Also, don’t expect to get lost in a thick cover of trees and struggle to find your route back. All that is not going to happen here! There are flattened routes on which we could walk and the staff members come along with you so that you don’t get lost! Just kidding. They came with us to explain and guide us throughout our 2.5 hour walk. (We could have come back sooner, but some photographers in our group were looking for ‘perfect angles’. So the delay.)
All along the way, I found gentle surprises like the ones shown in the above photos. I found some interesting flowers too:
There were a few observation points.
Don’t think that the blackbuck in the above photo is a brave and enterprising one, as it is standing on a rock and posing for me. It is a statue! 🙂 Here’s the view from above the observation point:
It seems this ground (partially shown in the above photo) was used as a Polo ground during the British period. There were some deer and one jackal far away, but since my camera’s battery died at this point I don’t have any photos of real animals to show you. But, but, but . . . I managed to click one animal anyway 🙂
😛 Here’s one more (but artificial) animal: Giant ant eater ~
The Govt. Superintend (or Warden) who came with us kept talking to us on various topics throughout the walk. It was good to meet passionate individuals who are eager to engage with the public in a Govt. maintained facility.
If you want to visit this premises, it is mandatory to take prior permission by submitting a letter (to the officials in this premises) stating the date, reason of your visit and the number of people who’d accompany you. It may take a week or so to get the permission letter – so plan your trip in advance. We went at 6:30 AM and returned by 9:30 AM on a Sunday.
Interesting place to visit for a change 🙂
Organized by: Chennai Photographers Meetup Group.
Destination Infinity
Beautiful shots
Thanks 🙂
Destination Infinity
Thanks for giving information of many useful places that are so near and yet unvisited.
Do they have the facility of buggy cars for senior citizens?
I don’t know, need to check. Wish they did.
Destination Infinity
I never went to a reserve ever!
So all the animals in the pics are unreal except one stray cat? Shows the sorry state of animals in the reserve(though you mention you saw some deer).
I would love to go to the observation point and watch out for animals. Sounds like fun to me.
Yes, in my photos only the cat is real. But there are other animals here – that giant ant eater is there somewhere, and they have blackbuck, jackal, star tortoise, monkeys, etc. Only, they were hiding from us!
Destination Infinity
Thanks for sharing… Looks like the place is well maintained…
Yes, the place feels like a park – not a forest! 😛
Destination Infinity
I had visited this place with some guests long long back. Now, I must go back again! Thank you, D.I.
Time to revisit some of them now? 🙂
Destination Infinity
Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos. Why do you mention about these beautiful places in Chennai “after” I leave Chennai? May be you want me to include them during my next visit.
I want to make sure you come again 🙂
Destination Infinity
Hi Rajesh, I had not heard of Guindy National Park. Thanks for the info. I would definitely like to visit it.
Please do visit, if you come to Chennai.
Destination Infinity
The flowers were really good. Have been to Guindy park on school excursions, but havent visited the reserve. Not sure if I have the patience for it 😉 Nice clicks!
This one is an easy trek (actually walk). Do try to go if you get a chance.
Destination Infinity
Inviting! I know they have created tracks for public to take walk into the forest area… wish i could take a stroll too in my wheelchair. The route is sandy or solid?
Hehe … artificial animals statues 😉 🙂 your first para set the expectations right
🙂
Destination Infinity