When you think of Mumbai, the first thing that comes to mind is high-rises, crowded streets and people busy with their day-to-day lives — everything almost happening in fast motion. And that is true on most days. But amidst all this busyness when the mind seeks some calm and tranquillity, there is a green sanctuary where you can go to rejuvenate your soul: Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

A green patch of 104 sq. km forms the lungs of Mumbai city. It’s not just a rare forest within a bustling city — it’s a thriving ecosystem with over 1,300 species of trees, 274 species of birds, 170 species of butterflies and most famously, around 54 leopards. All nestled right in the heart of Mumbai.

This is where I go to bathe in green sunshine, to feel the stillness hum beneath my feet, and to let my breath match the rhythm of something older, wiser, wilder.

Some call it forest therapy, nature therapy, nature immersion, or biophilic therapy — but I call it being one with nature, where a simple walk in the forest refreshes both body and mind.

The best part is that the forest looks different in every season. My favourite time to visit Sanjay Gandhi National Park is during the monsoon, when everything turns into a pleasing shade of green. As you walk, rain filtered through the branches of the trees touches you, like a blessing, the sweet, damp smell of the mud and the trees tugs at your senses, and the occasional call of birds reminds you where you are.

There are a couple of ways to enter the park. If you’re a first-time visitor, I recommend signing up for the nature trail organised by the SGNP team every weekend. Joining them gives you access to the forest area, which is usually not open to the public. You’ll be accompanied by a forest guide, who will share lesser known facts and stories, helping you learn much more about the forest.

Interestingly, it is the only wildlife preserve in the world located within the administrative limits of a metropolitan city. It is also one of the most visited national parks in Asia, and mind you, it is not visited by tourists but by the locals. Rightly so, because the urban landscape of Mumbai is a cacophony of honks and hurried steps, but the minute you enter the deep lanes of the forest, all you hear is swishing of the leaves and see a herd of deer lazily wandering around. This is where Mumbaikars like to get their early morning dose of oxygen and tranquillity before stepping into their daily lives.

I’m one of those people who like to visit the forest every chance I get. On one such walk, which I had signed up for with BNHS, the trail leader Nandita Dube mentioned something very interesting. Leopards are highly elusive, fiercely territorial, and need substantial space to thrive. But in this Mumbai forest, leopards have learnt to adapt to less space, just like Mumbaikars. Isn’t that beautiful?

As per the latest census of May 2025, there are a total of 54 leopards in the forest. They are like shadows, moving quietly behind the thick growth, only leaving behind a faint footprint every now and then. They’re co-existing in the middle of an urban space, a story to be proud of. It also speaks volumes about nature’s resilience and adaptability.

It also speaks about the conservation efforts by various people who have come together purely out of the love for the forest and the flora and fauna that thrive within it. These include the SGNP team, the Wildlife Conservation Society of India, BNHS, Vanshakti, and many more NGO’s and individuals who are constantly putting in all the efforts that are needed.

Among them is also the Warli tribe, who live inside the forest and consider it their home. On another visit, I met Manisha, who belongs the Warli tribe, and had gone to her house inside the Aarey forest. The first thing that stood out to me was the front wall of her house, adorned with Warli paintings depicting nature — trees, birds and leopards. When I had asked her about the beautiful wall painting, she said, “For us there is no other God. Nature is our God, we worship nature. For generations, we have lived inside the forest, and this is our life in co-existence with trees and animals around us.”

When I asked her if they were worried about the leopards in the forest, she replied with a kind smile, “Nature is abundant, they’ve their food inside the forest, so they don’t harm us, as long as we don’t harm them.”

A simple walk in the forest teaches us so much about the philosophy of live and let live, and living in harmony, even though we are all different from each other.

Despite being a unique biodiversity space and the lungs of Mumbai, the forest is under constant threat from encroachment and developmental projects like roads, corridors, and tunnels. The irony is not lost on me that the land I currently live on was once part of the forest. But in the times we are living in, preservation is the only way forward. Our delusion that we are more powerful than nature has been shattered many times.

So, go for a walk in the forest every once in a while. Feel the raindrops on your body, the cool air on your skin, and embrace the secret that lingers everywhere in the forest. Let yourself sense the unfathomable presence of nature, and experience how it affects every tiny cell in your body. Because I believe the more people fall in love with the forest, the more it will be protected.

If you are nature-lover, then read this piece.