Ovalekar Wadi….. A Paradise for Butterflies
Ovalekarwadi Butterfly Garden is an open butterfly garden, where one can enjoy butterflies flying around you in natural surroundings and not in enclosures.
A perfect place for nature lovers, students, zoologists and photographers or for anyone who simply admires butterflies! A concept very well developed and maintained by the owner Mr Ovalekar. Mr Ovelakar, a teacher by profession and a nature lover by heart has maintained the park nicely.
It’s amazing to observe the variety of butterflies and learn about their life and habits. You can spot species of butterflies such as the Great Egg fly (Male and Female), Common Mormon, Common Rose, Maharashtra’s state butterfly the Blue Mormon, the tiger butterfly, pansy butterfly, jay butterfly and many insects too. You can observe the different stages of how the butterflies grow… Eggs… Cocoon… Caterpillar. Great for kids to learn and know about nature and understand the process of a butterfly taking birth.
Host plants and trees are cultivated to attract butterflies and maintained so that butterflies can come from the nearby jungle for laying eggs and complete their life cycle. Also nectoring plants are cultivated so that butterflies can collect nectar.
It is one of the most beautiful places I have come across to spot Butterflies. There is also a guided tour which explains the life cycle of the butterfly. It is a must visit place if you are a photographer, butterfly lover, or parent to a kid.
This park is located at the end of Ghodbunder road and in a village named Ovala. It has parking space for around seven to eight cars. They charge a nominal fee of ₹100. If you wish to take breakfast it is available at a nominal cost. The park is open only on Sunday from 8am to 12.30pm. You can consider it as an educational or Infotainment visit. You can see 70-80 species of butterflies in one visit. The best time to visit this place is between October and January for good sightings.
Renuka Deshmukh