Van Vihar National Park Bhopal (Timings, Entry Fee, Safari, Images, Reviews, Location & Contact Phone)

Van Vihar National Park Bhopal Entry Fee

Van Vihar National Park Bhopal Camera Charges

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Van Vihar National Park and Zoo is one of the prominent national parks and zoos in India. It is located in the city of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. This national park is in the truest sense a treasure trove of wildlife and unspoilt nature. It is a must visit tourist attraction in Bhopal and thus, it receives a large number of visitors, both casual tourists and wildlife enthusiasts, throughout the year.

The park’s topography is a combination of rugged slopes, wetland area, pools of water at many places, meadows, mixed bamboo vegetation and mixed plantations that support its rich faunal and floral diversity. Upper Lake, locally called ‘Bada Talab’, which is one of the primary sources of the city, lies next to the Van Vihar, which acts as a catchment area for siltation and thereby, contributing to the unpolluted water in the lake.

One of the distinctions of the Van Vihar is that it is a combination of a zoological garden, national park, wildlife rescue center and conservation breeding center for barasinghas, vultures and tigers.

Another of its significance is that it is the only rescue center in central India that is known to rescue circus tigers and lions; panthers, bears and tigers from the wild and areas of wildlife-human conflict and sloth bears from madaris and circuses as well as other distressed and abandoned animals.

Even though Van Vihar is a designated national park, it serves as a modern zoological park, which gives tourists and wildlife enthusiasts an opportunity to witness nature's beauty up close.

History of Van Vihar National Park Bhopal

The Van Vihar area was always serene and abundant with vegetation and wildlife; however, it was quite prone to encroachment. Not only that, the area had become a hub of illegal stone quarries. This led to the need for urgent steps to conserve and protect this bio-diverse region. In order to speed up things, it was decided to bring the area under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. This was followed by a formation of a committee that was given the responsibility to understand and recommend the next course of action.

The recommendation committee suggested a few steps, and these were combining approximately 56.92 hectares of land of the villages of Darahmpuri, Amkheda and Prempura and 388.89 hectares of government revenue land. With an approximately total area of 445.81 hectares, the region was designated as the Van Vihar National Park in 1983.

With time, more steps were undertaken to conserve and protect the flora and fauna of the area. Stonewalling and chain link fences were put in place as well as proper management and vigil of the forest department ensured that there was a quick improvement in the biodiversity of the park area.

In the last decade or so, Van Vihar Park has seen a tremendous increase in its flora and fauna, and this result has been the efficient habitat development measures undertaken by the park authorities. In November 1994, the park was recognized as a medium-sized zoo by the Central Zoo Authority.

Image Gallery of Van Vihar National Park Bhopal

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Things to do in Van Vihar National Park Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Witnessing the diverse wildlife is the first and foremost thing to explore in the Van Vihar National Park. In the park, some of the herbivore species include black bucks, blue bulls and spotted deer; omnivore wild boars and carnivore jackals, lions, tigers, hyenas and bears. Crocodiles, ghariyals and turtles can be seen on the pond banks inside the enclosures.

Another attraction of the zoo is its rescue-cum-transit center for snakes, where common krait, India cobra, saw scaled vipers, rat snakes, pythons and others are brought in for medical checkup and then released into their natural habitat.

The park is a paradise for migratory and resident birds. Around 210 bird species can be found in the park, with the easily spotted ones being kingfisher, painted stork, coots, pink legged stilts, wooly necked stork, spotted owls, etc. There is a Bird Interpretation Center inside, where tourists can visit and see different types of bird nests, eggs of birds and the different habitats of birds, and understand more about them.

Another attraction of the park is its Nature Interpretation Centre called Vihar Vithika, where tourists can learn about wildlife conservation. Along with that they can see a number of photographs, animal trophies, models and other items on display. There is a small souvenir shop in the center as well. There are a couple of refreshment kiosks for tourists inside the park, near the snake park and tiger enclosure. Tourists can enjoy snacks, pre-cooked food, hot and cold beverages here.

Once the excursion in the Van Vihar National Park is over, tourists can head to the beautiful Upper Lake located in proximity. It is one of the top attractions of Bhopal and receives thousands of tourists, across the year. Another location close to this one is the Lower Lake. Both these lakes are connected by a bridge called Pul Pukhta.

Bhopal Van Vihar National Park Timings and Entry fee

The Van Vihar National Park remains open on all days of the week, except Fridays and holidays – Holi, Diwali and Rangpanchami. It also follows different timings for opening and closing as per various seasons as well as sunrise and sunset. From 16th February to 15th April, the timings remain 6.30 am to 6.30 pm; from 16th April to 31st July, it is 6 am to 7 pm; 1st August till 31st October, it is 6.30 am to 6.30 pm and 1st November to 15th February, the timings are 6.30 am to 6 pm.

There are different gate entry fees for tourists, depending on how they wish to explore the national park. The charge for walking tour per person is Rs. 20; cycle tour per person is Rs. 30; two wheeler with maximum two persons is Rs. 60; auto rickshaws with four person including the driver is Rs. 120; light four wheeler (capacity of more than 5 persons) including jeep, car and gypsy is Rs. 250; mini bus (capacity up to maximum 20 persons) is Rs. 1000 and bus (seating capacity of more than 20 persons) is Rs. 2000. The charge for Safari Tour in the vehicle provided by Van Vihar, excluding the gate entry charge, per person is Rs. 50. The sale of tickets ends half an hour before the park closing time.

Charges for still photography, tele-documentary, filming and video per cameraman per day are Rs. 10,000 for seven days, Rs. 7500 from the 8th day to the 15th day and Rs. 5000 from 16th day and beyond for Govt. of India & State Govt. Dept. & Institutions or Indian Educational or Research. On the other hand, the charges for other people are Rs. 40,000 (seven days), Rs. 30,000 (8th to 15th day) and Rs. 20000 (16th day onwards), respectively.

How to reach Van Vihar National Park Bhopal

By Air: The Raja Bhoj International Airport in Bhopal is the closest airport to the Van Vihar National Park. It is about 16.5 km away from the park and the distance between these two places can be covered in 33 minutes by availing auto rickshaws or private taxis.

By Rail: The major railway station of the city is the Bhopal Railway Junction, which lies at a distance of about 8 km from the park. Another railway station in the city is the Sant Hirdaram Nagar Railway Station, which is about 14 km away. Both private taxis and auto rickshaws can be availed from both the stations.

By Road: The Bhopal Habibganj-ISBT Bus Stand is about 14.5 km away from the Van Vihar Park, and the distance between the two can be covered in about half an hour by availing services of auto rickshaws or private taxis. This major bus depot of Bhopal receives regular buses from various cities of Madhya Pradesh as well as from the neighboring states.

City Travel: Traveling to the park from any part of the city can be easily done by hiring a private taxi from top car rental companies in Bhopal or by taking an auto rickshaw. However, there is an alternative traveling option which is the metro train. The nearest metro station to the park is the AIIMS Metro station, which is about 13.9 away. After getting down at the metro station, tourists can hire taxis or auto rickshaws for the remaining part of their journey. There are local buses that ply to different places of the city, and the closest bus stops to the park are the Kamla Park and Polytechnic bus stops, which are around 15 minutes away.

Things to keep in mind while visiting Van Vihar National Park Bhopal

• Entry without ticket or legal entry pass or previously purchased ticket is strictly prohibited.
• Taking an official guide with every vehicle is compulsory and so is obeying the guide.
• Carrying sufficient drinking water is suggested.
• Wearing light-colored clothes to seamlessly blend with natural surroundings is advised.
• Over speeding inside the park is prohibited (speed limit is 20 km/hour)
• Bringing along pets, explosives, firearms and fire crackers is strictly prohibited.
• Maintaining discipline and silence inside the park is compulsory.
• There is prohibition on crossing or climbing walls/ barriers of animal enclosures as well as prohibited roads/areas.
• Damaging trees, nests, fences, signages, animal enclosures and display boards is punishable.
• Parking of vehicles should be done at the designated parking space only.
• Throwing wastes or food items or using non-biodegradable or polythene materials is prohibited.
• Swimming, bathing, washing and fishing in the lakes and ponds inside the park is prohibited.
• Consuming tobacco or alcohol or smoking and burning anything is prohibited, unless allowed at certain areas.
• Throwing pebbles at animals, teasing them, irritating them by making faces or offering them eatables is strictly prohibited.
• Playing car stereo, listening to radio, making sounds and blowing car horns are prohibited.
• Applying strong perfumes or deodorants is not advisable.
• Vehicle carrying persons beyond permitted capacity is prohibited.
• Any violation of the park is strictly punishable under the provision of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

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Location Map for Van Vihar National Park Bhopal