Butterflies have long been of interest to wildlife lovers across the world for their bright colors, patterns,0 0and varying shapes. There are about 17500 different species of butterflies in the world, of which 1800 can be seen in India. With rapid urbanization, development of cities and destruction to their natural habitat, many species have become rare and wildlife associations throughout India have tried their best to preserve these creatures. They are extremely delicate insects and tend to injure themselves very easily. They must be provided with the right ecosystem to feed and breed naturally. Butterflies evolve through a process known as metamorphosis, starting as eggs to the larva stage (caterpillar stage), after which they create a protective covering called the pupa or chrysalis where most of the development takes place before they emerge as adults. The life cycle of different butterflies varies from just 10 days to about 6 months. Here’s a list of India’s best parks where butterflies have been preserved to educate and appreciate their natural beauty.
- Butterfly Park at Bannerghatta National Park, Bangalore
The first butterfly park to be set up in India is in Bangalore, at the Bannerghatta National Park. The butterfly park was opened in 2006 and covers an area of over 7.5 acres. The centre has been in use for conservation and research, with a dome of 10000 square feet that houses about 30 different species of butterflies. They have maintained good vegetation and very good daylight to provide the effect of their natural habitat. There is a museum where you can learn in detail on butterflies, various species, life cycle and other things. There is also a theatre where documentaries are screened for visitors to educate and promote conservation.
- Ovalekar Wadi Butterfly Garden, Thane
Just off the Mumbai city limits in the village of Owla, Rajendra Ovalekar decided to convert his 2-acre farm into a butterfly park. The Ovalekar Wadi Butterfly Garden is a privately-owned butterfly park where butterflies are bred entirely under natural conditions. Through an entirely personal effort of passion and patience, Ovalekar cultivated various different plants to support the feeding and shelter needs of the butterflies. If you visit the butterfly park at sunrise, Ovalekar will personally show you around and educate you on the life and varieties of butterflies. The lovely garden hosts about 70 different species, and often other migrant varieties that fly in from elsewhere.
- Sammilan Shetty Butterfly Park, Karkala
Sammilan Shetty’s Butterfly Park was inaugurated in 2013 at Belvai near Karkala, a 42-km drive from Mangalore. The 7.35-acre private park was set up by Sammilan Shetty, a former college lecturer, to further the conservation and natural breeding of butterflies. The park attracts locals, tourists to visit Karnataka and many students who come here for research purposes. It is home to the largest Indian butterfly the Southern Birdwing with a wingspan of 19 cm, among 120 other common and rare species (Blue Nawab, Long-Banded Silver line etc.). One can easily spot many varieties here that are local to the Western Ghats or can be found only in South India.
- Butterfly Conservatory of Goa, Ponda
The Mystic Meadows Conservatory was started in Ponda, Goa by Dr. Jyoti Heblekar and her family after they grew tired of the city life. The hillside butterfly conservatory has recorded over 87 species. Before the conservatory was started, the land was barred, without a good source of natural water. However, the family has now converted it into a lush green land with their own stream to provide water for plants, which in turn shelter and feed various butterflies. A large puddle welcomes you at the entrance of the butterfly park, Jyoti explains, where male butterflies smear themselves with mud and salt water before mating. Jyoti and her family also have their residence within the conservatory compound, they live an extremely eco-friendly life there with utmost love and care for their butterflies. They also allow volunteers and accept plant donations in favour of their butterfly conservation.
- Butterfly Park, Shimla
The butterfly park is a must visit place in Shimla and was built on a similar model to that in Bangalore, with an aim to educate and bring nature lovers closer to the butterflies. The park is located at about 15 km from Shimla town and was set up in 2008, the second of this sort after it was started in Bangalore. There are 300 different species in Himachal Pradesh and about 20 varieties can be seen in this region. The park has a butterfly conservatory, nature park, museum and theatre and spans over an area of 4.2 hectares. The butterflies are reared in a controlled environment and usually released into the surrounding hills.
In today’s urban setting it’s almost rare that we spot these beautiful winged insects, and if we don’t take a positive step towards preserving them, the next generations will never get to know of these vivid flying jewels. We must appreciate the commendable work that is being done by both government and private organizations to better the population of butterflies and protect them too. Some other amazing butterfly parks in India include Pune, Sikkim, Chandigarh, and one absolutely must visit in India is the Bombay Natural History Society where 25000 varieties of butterflies have been collected and displayed in their museum.
Author’s Bio:Rohit is an excited traveler whose only dream is exploring the unexplored. His experiences are real and fascinating; follow his tremendous work on transindiatravels.com
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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