Mumbai Greens: Eight-acre garden with jogging track, hidden in Dadar’s concrete jungle

Said to be one of the biggest gardens in Central Mumbai, it is known as ‘Belgaon Karvar Sah Samyukta Maharashtra Sangharsha Smruti Manoranjan Maidan’. Located near Bhoiwada, it was inaugurated in 2016 and is maintained by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

The Belgaon Karvar Sah Samyukta Maharashtra Sangharsha Smruti Manoranjan Maidan in Dadar, Mumbai. (Express photo by Jayprakash S Naidu)

The beautiful garden is well maintained and a perfect getaway for residents looking for some lush greenery to beat the day’s stress. It is filled with around 200 trees, including 49 coconut trees, and ten different types of colourful flowers. One can hear little birds chirping around while moving around. It also has multiple fountains with colourful lights to attract the crowd, especially children, though these are found to be not maintained well.

The garden houses a ‘hutatma smarak’ (monument) to pay tribute to fallen soldiers of India. (Express photo by Jayprakash S Naidu)

Those who wish to just sit and relax with their family or friends will find ample space to sit or lie down on the grass. A couple of beautiful gazebos are made where people sit and read books.

Those who want to exercise have been provided with a jogging track which is 1.15 kilometres long bordering the entire garden. The area houses one of the biggest police colonies in Mumbai and police personnel often come here for jogging. The garden also has a basketball court. For those who want to do some workouts, a separate section has been created with a few pieces of gym equipment.

A separate section has been created for kids below the age of 11 years. (Express photo by Jayprakash S Naidu)

Darsh G Sampatrushi, 18, said, “It is the best garden in our locality. It is well maintained. I come here regularly for jogging and many come here to do yoga daily.”

The park is guarded by five security guards who work in shifts. (Express photo by Jayprakash S Naidu)

His friend, Prem R. Kandu, also 18, another regular at the garden, said: “I just wish they add some more equipment for the gym like in nearby five gardens, for example, iron bars for push-ups.”

Apart from the jogging track, a separate section has been created for kids below the age of 11 years. It has a few swings, slides, and a sea-saw among others. Waqar Khan, a resident, is seen playing with his seven-year-old daughter and two sons, aged 12 and nine.

Khan said: “It is a very good garden and the best in the area. I come here daily for a morning walk. It is safe and well maintained. Today being a holiday, I brought my kids so they can have some fun. Only if the authorities make a few more amenities for kids to play will it be wonderful.”

The garden also houses a ‘hutatma smarak’ (monument) to pay tribute to fallen soldiers of India. Once a year, residents of Mumbai gather at the smarak to pay their tribute to those who lost their lives for the country.

Ganesh Bagal, a contractor who maintains the garden since it was opened, said: “There is a lot of scope to add new features to the garden like making a library. The BMC can do it.”

The park is guarded by five security guards who work in shifts. The only issue is the lighting in the garden has been affected and work is on to ensure it is well lit till 9 pm when it shuts down.