Guindy National Park is the protected area that has been spread over the area of about 2.82 km2 (1.09 sq mi) of Tamil Nadu, which is situated in Chennai of South India. This is the 8th smallest National park of India and is one among the very few National parks that are situated within the city. This park is surrounded by the Raj Bhavan that is an extension of the grounds formerly known as the Guindy Lodge' that was given to the Governor of Tamilnadu as the as the official residence. This park is extended up to the deeper parts of the estate of governor that consists of beautiful forests, scrub lands, lakes and streams.

This park has a position in both ex-situ as well as the in-situ conservation. This is the habitat for about 400 blackbucks, 24 jackals, 2,000 spotted deers, a large variety of snakes can be found here. Many species of geckos, tortoises and about 130 species of birds can be traced here. There are about 14 species of mammals and about 60 species of butterflies present here. Various species of spiders are also present here. There is the wealth of different invertebrates like grasshoppers, termites, ants, crabs, snails, scorpions, slugs, mites, millipedes, earthworms and many more. This park has the presence of free-ranging fauna that have their habitat almost free from the interference of humans. Like in any other in-situ conservation the major motto of the management is the protection of the park. This park is being visited by about 700,000 visitors in one year.

General Information

History

The area of about 5 km2 (1.93 sq mi) that was covered by Guindy Park out of the last bits and pieces of tropical dry evergreen forest of the Coromandel Coast was originally a game reserve. This land was purchased by the Government in 1821 by a British citizen named as Gilbert Rodericks who was the owner of this land for a sum of 35,000. Than in 1910 this area was developed as a Reserve Forest. After 1945 famous deer specie named as Chital (Spotted Deer) was introduced in this park. In 1958 this specie was than transferred to the Department of the forest of  and finally this forest area was declared as the National Park in 1978. A wall was created between this park and the Raj Bhawan as well as the IIT Madras Campus that are adjacent to this park in late 1980s.

Flora

Regarding the Flora this park have the presence of dry evergreen scrub and thorn forest, grasslands. There are also many small water bodies containing more than 350 species of plants that consists of shrubs, herbs, climbers and grasses and more than 24 varieties of trees such as the Sugar-apple, wood apple, Atlantia monophylla and Neem. Due to this rich flora it acts as a suitable habitat for more than 150 species of birds. In order to protect and preserver the habitat for the blackbucks near about 1/6th of the total land of the park has been left as open grassland. However the blackbuck as well as the spotted deer can reside in the grasslandas their natural habitat. The spotted deer generally give preference to the bushes and the land that is covered with shrubbery.

Fauna

Regarding the Fauna of this park there are more than 14 species of mammals that includes blackbuck, chital or spotted deer, small Indian civet, Jackal, common palm civet, hyena, v, hedgehog, pangolin, common mongoose and three-striped palm squirrel.

The flagship specie of the park is the blackbuck that is near to threatened and was introduced in 1924 that has experienced the decrease in the population in recent times. According to the census that was conducted on 29th February, 2004 it was found that the population of Blackbuck was 405 (10 spotted in the IIT campus). However the population of the chital in the Park has seen almost steady or slightly increased as this deer was introduced in this park many years ago. According to the same census of 2004 the total population of the spotted deer was about 2,650. out of which 1,743 were found female and 336 were fawns. The census was done by using the King’s Transect method in the Guindy park and the areas around it that includes the Raj Bhawan campus as well as the Indian Institute of Technology campus, so that the actual number of the deer can be calculated.

There are about 150 species of birds that are available in this park such as grey partridge, pheasant, crow, parrot, paradise fly-catcher, quail, black-winged kite, pariah kite, Honey Buzzard, red-wattled lapwing, eagle yellow-wattled lapwing, shrike, blue-faced malkoha, koel, minivet, parakeet, tailor bird, robin, quail, drongo and stone curlew. The bird watchers Bird watchers expect migratory birds in this park that are teals, pochards, garganeys, medium egrets, large egrets, pond herons, night herons and open-billed storks every fall season.

Many kinds of amphibians and reptiles species can also be found here like tortoise and turtles(especially the endangered Star Tortoise), lizards, chameleons, geckos and the common Indian monitor lizard. There is also a large number of species of insects that includes about 60 species of spiders and 60 species of butterflies.

Best Time To Visit

Distance From Guindy National Park

The nearest railway station that is available from this park is Kasturibai Nagar MRTS station that is not more than a kilometer distance. Another station is the Guindy station (Suburban Track) that is almost 1 km away. Slightly far station is the Chennai Egmore Railway station that is almost 9 km away. Chennai Central Railway station is about 12 km away from this park. The nearest airport available is the Chennai airport that is about 8 km away. For further details please contact the Wildlife Warden, 50, IV Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, Chennai – 600 020.

How To Get There

Rail-Chennai (3 km)

Air-Chennai (3 km)

Things To Do In Guindy National Park

The animals found here consist of spotted deer, white bucks, black bucks (also known as Rare Indian Antelope found only in India), river otter, bonnet monkey, civet cat, hyena, jackals, pangolin, hedgehog and common mongoose. Birds which can be observed here are the black winged kite, Barkets,the buzzard, olden Backed Woodpecker, Crow Pheasant, Minivets, Red Wattled Lapwing, Blue Faced Malkoha, Shrikes, Yellow Wattled Lapwing, Koels, pariah kite, Munias, Parakeets, Grey Partridge, Beak Paradise,  Flycatcher, Tailor Birds, Robins, Drongos, Quails, Stone Curlew and so on.

Location Map

Accommodation

Guindy National Park is one of the national parks located inside the city. It is situated near Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor of Tamilnadu. The park is located behind the Kamaraj Memorial and Gandhi Mandapam on Sardar Patel road.List of Luxury & Budget Hotels/Resorts near Guindy National Park Chennai, available at cheap prices.

Weather

In summers the average temperature of this area is about 38 °C (100 °F)

In winters the average temperature of this area is about 20 °C (68 °F)

Photo Gallery