Van Vihar National Park

Van Vihar National Park is an urban national park and zoological garden in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, located beside the city’s Upper Lake (Bhojtal). It functions both as a protected green space and as a managed wildlife facility within the city.

The park comprises wooded areas and landscaped enclosures where animals are kept in large, naturalistic settings; pathways and viewpoints run along the lake edge and through the park, offering opportunities to see deer, primates and a variety of water and woodland birds. The facility is managed to balance conservation, public access and animal care rather than to operate as a fully free-roaming wilderness.

Van Vihar was developed in the late 20th century as part of Bhopal’s urban planning to protect lakeside land and provide a wildlife area within the city. Management since its creation has focused on maintaining habitats, captive-animal care and visitor facilities.

The park sits on the southern shore of Bhojtal (Upper Lake) in central Bhopal, easily reachable from the city centre and adjoining roads; the lake-side location gives the park a mix of woodland and wetland habitats and makes it a frequent stop for local visitors and birdwatchers.

• Area: Covers about 4.45 square kilometres on the southern shore of Bhopal's Upper Lake (Bhojtal), making it an urban national park in the centre of the city.
• Wildlife: Displays a mix of free-ranging herbivores and animals kept in naturalistic enclosures; commonly seen species include spotted deer, rhesus macaques, peafowl and various waterbirds linked to the adjacent lake.