Once covering an area of 5 km2 (1.93 sq mi) of one of the last remnants of Tropical dry evergreen forest of the Coromandel Coast, Guindy Park was originally a game reserve. It was established as a Reserve Forest in 1910 then owned by a British citizen named Gilbert Rodericks. Chital (Spotted Deer) were introduced into the park probably after 1945. It was transferred to the Tamil Nadu Forest Department in 1958. It was walled off from the adjacent Raj Bhavan and Indian Institute of Technology Madras Campus in the late 1980s.
There is an interesting story behind the Guindy National Park. The present day Guindy Park was actually a hunting preserve in its early days and belonged to a British citizen named Gilbert Rodericks. After his death the Government of Madras purchased it in the year 1821 and later in 1910, it was declared as a reserved forest.Guindy national park can be said as the only national park which is in the heart of a metropoliton city.
The animals found here include spotted deer, black bucks (also known as Rare Indian Antelope found only in India), white bucks, river otter, hyena, bonnet monkey, civet cat, jackals, pangolin, hedgehog and common mongoose. Birds which can be seen here are the black winged kite, the buzzard, olden Backed Woodpecker, Crow Pheasant, Yellow Wattled Lapwing, Red Wattled Lapwing, Blue Faced Malkoha, Shrikes, Koels, pariah kite, Minivets, Munias, Barkets, Parakeets, Grey Partridge, Tailor Birds, Robins, Drongos, Quails, Beak Paradise, Flycatcher, Stone Curlew and so on.
Visitor information
There is a new interpretation center about the biodiversity of the park. Entry into this protected reserve is restricted, and visitors can go into the core area only when escorted by a forest ranger from the Forests Department.Guindy Park is contiguous with the Arignar Anna Zoological Park. It is behind the Gandhi Mandapam, Kamaraj Memorial and Rajaji Memorial on Sardar Patel road on the southern part of Chennai. The rear southeast edge of the park adjoins the campus of Indian Institute of Technology. Along its fringes are the Cancer Institute, CLRI campus, the Anna University and the Raj Bhavan.
Guindy Snake Park, formerly the location of Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, is next to the Guindy National Park. The Snake Park in Chennai gained statutory recognition as a medium zoo from the Central Zoo Authority in 1995. There one can see King Cobra, pythons, vipers and other reptiles.
About 22 acres (8.9 ha) of the Guindy National Park has been carved out into a park known as the Children's Park and play area at the northeast corner of the national park with a collection of animals and birds. Animals in the Children’s Park include black buck, sambar, spotted deer, porcupine, hyena, jackal, python, grey pelican, night heron, cormorant, cockatiel, parrot, mongoose, common peafowl, crocodile, common otter, rhesus monkey, bonnet monkey and common langur. The Children's Park also exhibits a fossilised tree specimen which is estimated to be about 20 million years old. The Children's Park and the Snake Park have separate entrances and independent entry fees. Drinking water, vendors and catering are available. The entrance lies on the busy Sadar Patel Road next to the Adyar Cancer Institute
How to Reach the Guindy National Park
The nearest railway station is the Kasturibai Nagar MRTS station which is less than a kilometer away. Guindy station (Suburban Track) is 1 km away. Chennai Egmore Railway station is 9 km away. Chennai Central Railway station is 12 km away. Chennai airport is 8 km away.
Air
The Chennai airport is connected with major cities within the country and also with countries like USA, Singapore, U.K., etc.
Rail
Chennai is well connected by rail with important towns and cities within the state and beyond.
Road
State transport buses and private buses connect Chennai with the major towns and cities within the country. For local transportation local trains, city buses, auto rickshaws and taxis are easily available.
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