The largest and most ancient wildlife sanctuary of Maharashtra, Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve is one of the greatest tourist destinations in Maharashtra. The national park is located in the Chandrapura district of Vidarbha region. The total area of Tadoba National Park is 17127 sq km. In 1986 Andhari Tiger Reserve was established and over the period it collaborated with Tadoba National Park to flourish as Tadoba Andheri Tiger Reserve.
To reach Tadoba National Park, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur is the nearest airport and Chandrapur Railway Station is the nearest railway station. The tiger reserve is well connected by road to most of the major cities in India. Chimur and Chandrapura are the nearest cities to Tadoba National Park. On your visit to Tadoba, tourists are provided with many options to indulge in several activities.
The most common activities in Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve are:
• Photography
• Bird watching
• Trekking
• Boating in Irai Lake
• Night Safari
• Log hut stay
• Nearby Sightseeing
And so on…
Keeping aside the above-mentioned activities, a visit to the Butterfly Garden is a lesser-known wonder among visitors but must be experienced at least once. The Butterfly World is known to be an offbeat attraction of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, spread across five acres of land.
Let’s dig deeper into what we have in the Butterfly Garden.
Butterfly World
As the name suggests, the Butterfly World is a garden for butterflies that attracts tourists’ attention with their bright colorful wings. Lepidoptera Rhopalocera is known to be the scientific name for butterflies. The Butterfly World is located near the lesser-known Agarzari Gate of the national park. It is an information center set up in an open-air pasture. More than 80 species of butterfly can be seen in this garden. This place is of great interest to both adults and kids and you will get so much to learn about the various species. It was inaugurated on February 10, 2021.
The Butterfly World is settled on the way to Chandrapur from the Moharli Gate. Various nectar plants have been planted in that region to entice a large crowd of butterflies. Another interesting fact is that the Butterfly World is located in the buffer zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. This garden receives a handsome crowd during the weekends, as people flock here to watch these colourful creatures lovingly interacting with nature.
The motive of the establishment of this butterfly park is firstly to conserve the butterfly population. Secondly, to raise awareness and educate people about the ecological significance of the presence of butterflies. To fulfill the objective, an interpretation centre is set up near the entrance of Butterfly World to intimate the visitors about the life cycle of the butterflies - egg, larva, pupa and adult, and a lot more.
A glass house is built for a close display of the butterflies and several boards provide detailed information along with pictures or diagrams. Inside the premises of Butterfly World there are butterfly-shaped fountains, hanging bridges, playing areas for kids, local souvenir shops, a cafeteria, and a few more facilities to provide an awesome experience to the visitors. Apart from being a tourist attraction, the conservation project encourages the nearby villagers to participate in the initiative and simultaneously Butterfly World generates employment opportunities for the tribal youth. The garden is maintained by the Forest Department.
