Nandankanan National Park

Nandankanan National Park

Nandankanan National Park, a must-visit tourist spot of Orissa

Location: 20 km from Bhubaneswar

Established in 1960 and located at a distance of 20 kms from Bhubaneshwar, Nandankanan National Park is a must-visit tourist spot of Orissa. The sanctuary can be accessed by bus from Bhubaneshwar. Nandankanan justifies its literal meaning, “Garden of Pleasure” or the Garden of the Gods. The sanctuary has been so named because of its exquisite beauty and alluring serenity. It serves as the natural habitat of a number of animals, ranging from the rare white tigers, reptiles and snakes to distinctive kinds of birds.

It spreads out across the Chandaka forest, where the flora and fauna flourish in their natural habitat.

On one hand, it fulfills the standard of being a zoological park and on the other hand, it also serves as a grand botanical garden, where one can see even the rarest species of plants. The zoological park has been separated from the botanical garden with a natural lake. It is a place where kids would love to move around and enjoy its beauty. They can take a joy ride in the toy train that runs here. For the elders, there is enough to see i.e., boating facilities at the lake, white tiger and lion safaris, a nocturnal animal house, reptile park, above ground ropeway and cable car.

The Nandan Kanan national park houses the very first captive gharial breeding centre of the country. The zoo at Nandakanan is world-renowned for its white tigers. Currently, Nandankanan is home to over 34 white tigers.

The whole atmosphere of the Nandankanan National Park is so serene and composed that it completely invigorates the mind as well as the soul.