Wings of Joy



The Striped Tiger

Mumbai - a city choking with pollution and population! Would you believe that tucked away somewhere not far away from this madness is a piece of heaven? Where countless butterflies spread their colourful wings in joy!



The Oakleaf Butterfly

Unbelievable, yet true. This piece of heaven is created through the hard work of a single man - Rajendra Ovalekar, who decided to convert his 2 acre plot of agricultural land into a garden for butterflies. India's foremost expert on butterflies, Isaac Kehimkar, lent his expertise and support in making this garden a reality.



The Common Grass Yellow (this fellow is really tiny!)



At the Ovalekarwadi Butterfly Garden, butterflies are not bred in an artificial environment. Instead, special varieties of plants are cultivated here that provide ideal food and breeding grounds for butterflies, thereby attracting these delicate winged creatures in large numbers.



The Danaid Eggfly



As can be expected, the garden has become a favourite hangout for butterflies, naturalists and shutterbugs alike.

The garden is home to more than 70 species of butterflies, with several migratory species visiting as well. On any good morning, it wouldn't be too difficult to spot atleast 20 to 25 varieties. We spotted quite a few ourselves....



The Common Crow



But capturing these creatures of flight in a camera is quite a task in itself! It requires tremendous amounts of patience and luck to get the right shot. And it is absolutely essential to stay quiet and not disturb the butterflies (sadly, something that a lot of visitors there simply refused to understand).



The Striped Tiger



The Blue Tiger

In order to really enjoy the Butterfly Garden and get good photographs, it is best to arrive as early in the morning as possible when butterflies are at their slowest. Butterflies become increasingly active as the day progresses.

The Common Jezebel



The Common Rose



Mr. Ovalekar and his team are always available at hand to guide the amateur visitors in spotting butterflies, cocoons, caterpillars and other interesting creatures found in the garden.

Located off Godhbunder Road, Thane (West), the Butterfly Garden is open on Sundays between 07:00 am to 02:00 pm. A nominal entry fee is charged. Space to park cars is available at the garden and breakfast can be arranged if adequate advance notice is provided to the team. Contact numbers are: +919892138338/ +919869323383.

For the Mumbaikar tired of seeing concrete jungles, the Ovalekarwadi Butterfly Garden is truly a sight for sore eyes....




The Great Eggfly Female

 
Photos contributed by Mr. Raman Sharaph