Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan which is also known as the Byculla Zoo. It was earlier called Victoria Gardens. It is a garden and a zoo spread in around 50 acres located at Byculla, in the heart of Mumbai, India.
Veer Mata jijabai Bhosale Udyan was earlier known as Ranichi Bagh, the garden of Queens. The important thing to note about this Garden is that this is the oldest public garden and open space in the Mumbai area. During the Britishers’ rule it was named as Victoria Garden by Britishers. Later it was renamed as Veer Mata jijabai Bhosale Udyan and the zoo dedicated to the mother of Shivaji is located in Byculla.
Visiting Detail
- Location: Byculla, Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Closed: Wednesday
- Timings: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Entry fee: Paid
Features
- It is spread over 50 acres of land in Byculla.
- There is a statue of Jijamata with her son Shivaji in Jijamata Udyan.
- It is owned by the municipal corporation of Greater Mumbai and operated by director Zoo, MCGM Mumbai.
- There are more than 843 species found in the Zoo.
Dr Bhau Daji Lad museum
There is a museum with the name Dr Bhau Daji Lad museum in the garden which is a staff building built in Roman style and it has been created in the memory of lady Frere. It is made of black marble. It is installed near Mumbai University which is known by the name Kalaghoda and David Sassoon Clock Tower.
Features of Byculla Zoo
- Zoo was built in 1851 which is the only zoo in Mumbai.
- It is also one of the oldest zoos in India.
- Many wild animals are there in this zoo like lions, crocodiles, elephants and many other animals.
- Many birds are also there in the zoo which make a lot of noisy sounds.
- Lot of renovation work has been done in the garden including a medicinal Garden former is installed in the Garden for visually impaired people.
- There is also a butterfly enclosure in the garden.
- More than 500 birds and more than 180 mammals are there in the zoo.
- The zoo is spread over 48 acres of land having more than 3000 rare species.
- Variety of animals are there in the zoo like black bugs, monkeys, crocodiles, hippos, lizards etc.
- There is also an open space for the Black deers for the people who want to take a close look.
Location of Zoo.
The Zoo is located opposite to Byculla railway station, just walking distance for the visitors to reach the zoo from the railway station.
This place is one of the top tourist attractions in Mumbai. The best time to visit this location is in the second half of the Year.