Fenced to Amuse

After discussing many plans regarding where to go for the holiday, I’m left with no plan to choose from except one to go on my own plan without any companion.  Even I have been in Chennai for years, I haven’t visited ‘Guindy Children’s Park’ once.  I’ve asked many people to accompany me but they refused saying that the place weren’t so exciting.  But I wanted to experience it at least once.  So, I decided to go alone.  I wanted to become a child once again.

When I entered the park, I was welcomed by a Dinosaur with a smiling face.  Don’t panic.  It didn’t make any move while I passed it by. The corridor got me to the entrance ticket counter.  I had to buy a ticket which meant for adult to enter into the Children’s Park! There were only a few people with their children wandering around the park.  The first animal I saw was Deer.  And the way got me to one by one, there are Foxes, Hyena, Peacocks in white also, different kinds of Deer, Parrots, Tortoises, Cranes, and other kind of birds which I don’t know the names.  Apart from a few species, all were seem to be so tired.  There were either sleeping or looking at us with a neglected look. 

 After watching all the species the way took me to the entrance again, to exit.  Then there was Snake Park just nearby.  Here, the ticket counter was crowded with lots of people especially school and college children.  Any way I tried my best to buy the ticket and entered. There were snakes in different kinds kept inside the glass-walled cabins.  Also the snakes were portrayed as sculpture which is traditional way of worshipping the snake god in Hinduism.  The most exciting thing which surprised me was Crocodiles.  They occupied the most of the park in the waterless artificial lakes!  They all seemed except one or two, to be so lazy, sleeping one on another. They were all fenced in and I felt so bad for them.  They were losing their identity and nature.  Are they Prisoners of Nature?!

Then, I went to nearby (just a walk away) ‘Rajaji Mandabam’, ‘Gandhi Mandabam’ and ‘Kamarajar Mandabam’. They could give only a desert look.  There were only a very few people sitting with their children.  They seemed to be taking rest in the shadow of the trees.  But this is place so quiet and you feel very peaceful.  Though the place has nothing more than what you can expect.  I returned to the bus stop to go my way home after enjoying the whole thing.

  

Travel Information

Guindy Children’s Park is situated in Guindy, Chennai.  There are many local buses which head towards this route. And the Snake Park is situated in the same compound.

Entrance fee: Children – Free, Adult – Rs. 5, Camera – Rs. 10