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Bannerghatta National Park

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Overview

Wikivoyage guide · 15 sections

▸Introduction346 chars

Bannerghatta National Park is a national park south of Bangalore, in Southeastern Karnataka. It is a popular tourist destination with a zoo, a pet corner, an animal rescue centre, a butterfly enclosure, an aquarium, a snake house and a safari park. You can find everything from avifauna to panthers (tigers, lions, leopards) in the national park.

▸History1,345 chars

The park was founded in 1970, and declared a national park in 1974. This 104.27 km² national park consists mostly of dense forest and scrub land. There is also a state-run zoo within the national park, which is home to wild animals such as tiger, lion, bison, leopard and wild boar. The national park is an important corridor for elephants migrating between the eastern and western ghats. Other attractions at the zoo include a crocodile farm, serpentarium and a newly added butterfly park. In addition, a portion of the park is used as a sanctuary for rescued wild animals, mainly from circuses. The rescue center is off-limits for visitors. Indulge in your sense of adventure with a lion and tiger safari or a Grand Safari (covering herbivores and big cats).

For an elaborate knowledge of nature and wild-life along with the eco-recreation, eco-tourism and conservation of nature, a 12.8 km² area added the park for a free space for the wild animals to be in their natural habitat. It is a popular tourist destination with a zoo, a pet corner, an animal rescue center, a butterfly enclosure, an aquarium, a snake house and a safari park. It is also a trekking destination. The Zoo Authority of Karnataka and the educational institute such as University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore have been establishing good environment to visitors.

Facts

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From Wikipedia576 words

Introduction

National park in Karnataka, India Bannerghatta National ParkIUCN category II (national park)Tiger at the Bannerghatta National ParkBannerghatta Biological ParkInteractive map of Bannerghatta National ParkLocationKarnataka, IndiaNearest cityBangaloreCoordinates12°48′03″N 77°34′32″E / 12.80083°N 77.57556°E / 12.80083; 77.57556Area260.51 km2 (100.58 sq mi)Established1974Governing bodyMinistry of Environment and Forests, Government of IndiaAdministratorThe Executive Director, Bannerghatta Biological ParkWebsitebannerghattabiologicalpark.org Bannerghatta National Park is a national park in India, located In Bengaluru and Ramanagara District, Karnataka. It was founded in 1970 and declared as a national park in 1974. In 2002, a small portion of the park became a zoological garden, the Bannerghatta Biological Park. There are ancient temples in the park for worship and it is a destination for trekking and hiking. Within the national park area are six rural villages enclosed within three large enclosures for sheep and cattle farming. This park offers a wide range of diverse wildlife to the explorers. Coming from the finest of Bengaluru, Karnataka, this park offers a guided bus tour all along the 6 km safari roads, which is specially made for safaris and foreign tourist gatherers. Between 1995 and 2021, the dry deciduous forests in the National Park shrank by approximately 44% due to uncontrolled diversion of forest land for agricultural purpose, urbanisation, etc.

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Trekking enthusiasts will enjoy Uddigebande (3.5 km) a natural rock formation called Hajaamana Kallu (3 km) and Mirza Hill (1.5 km)

Covering an area of 104.27 km2, including ten reserve forests of Anekal Range of the Bangalore Forest Division, the scenic hills are dotted with many ancient temples.

The Bannerghatta Biological Park is part of a wild-life corridor for elephants which connects the Biligiri Rangana Hills and the Sathya Mangalam Forest. The Bannerghatta Biological Park is a landmark with a connectivity with Talli Reserve Forest in the South-East and Bilikalli Forest in the South.

The beautiful Suvarnamukhi stream running through the park, originates in the Suvarnamukhi hills. These hills spread out to a huge rock, about a kilometre long. The Champaka Dhaama Swamy temple built in the Dravidian style of the Hoysala age, lies at the foot of the rock. The temple enshrines an image of Vishnu with his consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi. The Suvarnamukhi hill also houses a small shrine dedicated to Narasimha(the fourth incarnation of God Vishnu, is half-lion half-human), and at a distance of 2 km away is the Suvarnamukhi water pond. The water of this pond are believed to have curative powers.

A trip to Bannerghatta National Park is truly an unforgettable experience for nature, history, botany and wildlife buffs.

▸Flora and fauna699 chars

Flora: Dry deciduous forests and thorny scrub, with patches of moist deciduous forests along the streams.

Flora include Latifolia, Schleichera Oleosa, Terminalia Tomentosa, Sandalwood, Neem, Terminalia Arjuna, Grewia Tilaefolia, Santalum Album, Tamarind, Bamboo, Eucalyptus, Bauhinia Purpurea, Samanea Saman, and Peltphorum Pterocarpum.

Fauna in the park include Gaur, Leopard, Jackal, Fox, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear, Sambar, Chital, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Common Langur, Bonnet Macaque, Porcupine, Hare, Slender Loris, Monitor Lizard, Cobras, Python, Russell's Viper, Krait and Hippopotamus.

Fauna: Elephant, lion, Bengal tiger, white tiger, panther, bear, bison, spotted deer, birds, butterflies.

▸Get in2,084 chars

The park can be easily reached from Bangalore city by public transport. Comfortable air-conditioned city buses reach the park from the heart of Bangalore.

Route 365, runs to and from the park to Majestic every 20 minutes. The bus runs via corporation and Shantinagar bus stand to Dairy circle where it joins the Bannerghatta road

Route 366 from City market via Lakkasandra, and Dairy circle.

Route 368 from Shivajinagar via Shantinagar. But not very frequent

Route G-4 (G for Green colour), also called Big-10-4, runs every 10 minutes once from Brigade Road junction to the park.

The frequency of these routes generally increases on holidays for benefit of vacationers.

From other locations, Jayadeva Hospital/Mico checkpost is the easiest point for getting to Bannerghatta Road as it is the nearest stop to the Ring Road. 201, 410, 500, 600 and various other routes plying on the Ring Road connect to Jayadeva Hospital junction, from where 365, 366, 368 or G-4 can be taken after a 2-minute walk over the underpass.

If you are using public transport, catch BMTC bus no. 375 or V365 (Volvo A/c).

From Kadugodi or Whitefield, the best option is to take a daily pass in the Volvo which costs ₹110. Then take the V335E or V331-A from the Kadugodi bus-stand to Marathahalli. Near the fly-over get down and take the V500C and get down at Jayadeva hospital stop. There you get the V365 which will take you to the park. Travel time on weekends is around 1.5 to 2 hours.

The 500C starts from ITPL stop.

The V411 connects ITPL to Bannerghatta. The frequency of this bus is pretty less. But it is by far the most convenient way to travel at ₹90. The bus goes via Marthahalli, Sarjapur, BTM Layout, Udupi Gardens, Jayadeva Hospital. This is another viable option.

From BTM layout, go to Jaydeva Hospital flyover stop and can catch any G4 or 365, for both ways, going there and coming back, get down and take an auto to your place in BTM, pay by the meter, minimum auto fare is ₹25 (₹20 earlier), no need to spend much (more than ₹100 per person) on auto or taxi, the frequency of buses is good.

▸Fees and permits856 chars

The entry fee is determined based on what you opt for. There are many options available, for example: Zoo + Lion-tiger safari, Zoo + Grand safari, or Zoo only. The prices are slightly higher on holidays (this include weekends, national holidays, and the whole month of May).

The park is open to visitors Wednesday to Monday between 9AM and 5PM.

Fees for foreigners from non-SAARC countries (July 2017) for the Zoo, Butterfly Park and the Grand Safari (normal bus) are: adults ₹400, and children ₹300.

Indians and foreigners from SAARC countries may buy separate tickets for each visit (prices shown for adults/children aged between 6 and 12 years/senior citizen 60 years above) (July 2017):

Zoo: adults ₹80, children ₹40, seniors ₹50

Butterfly Park: adults ₹30, children ₹20, seniors ₹20

Grand Safari (normal bus): adults ₹260, children ₹130, seniors ₹150

▸See2,310 chars

A variety of animals are found in the park. Mammals live freely in the forest, and the visitors are taken around the forest in a well caged 'safari' mini-bus to view them. Partitions with huge gates and moats separate the forest into the herbivorous section (with deer, elephants, bears and a few monkeys) and the carnivorous section (with white tigers, lions, and Bengal tigers).

1 Champakadhama Temple (Bannerghatta/Jigani/Anekal buses via Bannerghatta Road). An old temple dedicated to Lord Champakeshwara, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The name stands because of the presence of the "Champaka" flowers in the area that was used for worship. A small temple dedicated to Lord Narasimha is on the hillock accessible through a flight of stairs. A small Kalyani is present behind the temple, in about 700 m walk from the top of the hillock. Visit to the Tank is prohibited in winter evenings and late evenings owing to the presence of elephant movement (updated Feb 2018)

2 Biological Park. Offers safari excursions to observe the free-range captive wildlife in immersive, naturalistic exhibits in the midst of the natural forests. The zoo is home to panther species and a large variety of birds and amphibians. Wander through the zoo, with its canopy of shady and sturdy trees, find a quiet resting spot beside a pond and watch the waterfowl frolic. One can see rhinoceros, elephants, zebras, and porcupines in the zoo area. The zoo boasts an amazing reptile collection; a snake park lets you get up close and personal with the scaly, slithery creatures. There are also chipmunks (American ground squirrel) which are very rare in India. A children's corner provides an added attraction. (updated Jul 2025)

Butterfly Park. India's first butterfly enclosure. It occupies 7.5 acres (3.0 hectares), which houses a butterfly conservatory, a museum, and an audiovisual room. The butterfly conservatory consists of a circular dome enclosure with a poly-carbonate roof, of area 930 m² (10,000 sq ft). The conservatory has a humid tropical climate, with an artificial waterfall and appropriate flora, designed to support over twenty species of butterfly. The conservatory leads to a second and third dome, which houses a museum containing dioramas and exhibits of carefully preserved butterflies. (updated Mar 2026)

▸Do750 chars

Once you reach Bannerghatta National Park, go to the ticket counter and collect tickets for Grand Safari, Lion & Tiger Safari, and Zoo Park. On weekends, it is advisable to reach the park before 2PM to avoid nonavailability of tickets.

Then wait in queue to board the green safari mini-buses.

Grand Safari is 16 km (to&fro) while Tiger & Lion Safari is 11 km (to&fro).

Complete the Safari and visit at Butterfly Conservatory on the way back. It houses around 20 species of butterflies in a tropical setting, complete with plants, shrubs and a waterfall. After that, see the beautiful exhibits of preserved, exquisitely colored butterflies and moths.

Walk towards the Zoo Park and check out the caged animals, reptiles, and birds in the zoo compound.

[edit] The 65,127.5 acre (260.51 km2) national park is located about 22 km south of Bangalore in the hills of the Anekal range with an elevation of 1245 - 1634m. The park has a hilly terrain of granite sheets under moist deciduous forest valleys and scrubland on higher areas. Sixteen villages border the park. Most of the national park consists of artificial forest, and some animals have been introduced. The park is part of a wildlife corridor for elephants which connects the BR Hills and the Sathyamangalam forest. The park is contiguous with Talli reserve forest in the southeast and Bilikal forest in the south. Water sources[edit] The park's rainfall is 700 mm per year. The Suvarnamukhi stream runs through the national park. On 15 May 2014, four bore wells were opened to provide water in dry times. Flora[edit] Flora in the park include: Narcissus latifolia Schleichera oleosa Terminalia tomentosa Sandalwood Neem T. arjuna Grewia tilaefolia Santalum album Tamarind Bamboo Eucalyptus Bauhinia purpurea Samanea saman Peltophorum pterocarpum Fauna[edit] Notable fauna in the park include Asian elephants, gaur, Indian boar, Indian leopard, sloth bears, Indian jackal, Bengal fox, dhole, sambar deer, chital deer, Indian pangolins, Indian pythons, and king cobra. wild bear One hundred and one species of birds have been recorded in the park. The fauna pose some risk to humans. In August 2012, a man was trampled to death by an elephant. Occasionally, animals leave the reserve, coming into contact with humans. For example, elephants have been sighted on the Bantamweight-Anekal road which passes close to the park. In 2007, a leopard and her cubs entered a local school.