Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park
Encyclopedia
Protected areas of India
As of May 2004, the protected areas of India cover , roughly 4.95% of the total surface area.-Classification:India has the following kinds of protected areas, in the sense of the word designated by IUCN:-National Park:...
located in the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
of South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
, in Sanguem
Sanguem
Sanguem is a city and a municipal council in South Goa district in the Indian state of Goa.Notable landmarks include the Sagameshwar Temple, Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Mollem National Park and the Salaulim Dam.-Geography:...
taluk, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
along the eastern border with Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
.
The area is situated near the town of Molem
Molem
Mollem in Konkani, is a small village in Goa, South India on National Highway 4 near the border with Karnataka in the foothills of the Sahyadri Mountain range at the beginning of Anmod Ghat...
, 57 kilometres (35.4 mi) east of Panaji, the state capital of Goa. National Highway 4A divides it into two parts and the Mormugao - Londa railway line passes through the area. It is located between 15°15"30' to 15°29"30' N and 74°10"15' to 74°20"15' E. It contains several important temples dating to the Kadamba Dynasty, and Dudhsagar Falls
Dudhsagar Falls
Dudhsagar Falls is a tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the state of Goa, India, on Goa's border with the state of Karnataka...
.
The parkland is also home to a community of nomadic buffalo herders known as the Dhangar.
History
This area was first known as Mollem Game Sanctuary. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1969 and renamed as Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary. The core area of the sanctuary covering 107 square kilometres (41.3 sq mi) was notified as Mollem National Park in 1978.,Flora and fauna
This sanctuary contains pristine vegetation classified as West Coast Tropical Evergreen ForestMalabar Coast moist forests
The Malabar Coast moist forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India. It lies along India's Konkan and Malabar coasts, in a narrow strip between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats range, which runs parallel to the coast...
s, West Coast Semi - Evergreen Forest
North Western Ghats montane rain forests
The North Western Ghats montane rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India. It covers an area of , extending down the spine of the Western Ghats range, from Maharashtra state in the north through Karnataka to Kerala state in the south...
s and Moist Deciduous Forest
North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
The North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India. It lies between 250 and 1000 meters elevation in the northern portion of the Western Ghats range, from their northern end in Maharashtra state, through Karnataka to the transitional...
s. The evergreen forests are mainly seen at higher altitudes and along the river banks. The predominant species are Terminalia
Terminalia (plant)
Terminalia is a genus of large trees of the flowering plant family Combretaceae, comprising around 100 species distributed in tropical regions of the world. This genus gets it name from Latin terminus, referring to the fact that the leaves appear at the very tips of the shoots.Trees of this genus...
, Lagerstroemia, Xylia
Xylia
Xylia is a genus of legume in the Fabaceae family.It contains the following species:* Xylia mendoncae*Xylia xylocarpa...
and Dalbergia
Dalbergia
Dalbergia is a large genus of small to medium-size trees, shrubs and lianas in the pea family, Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The genus has a wide distribution, native to the tropical regions of Central and South America, Africa, Madagascar and southern Asia...
. The forest canopy is almost closed and the availability of grass is very limited. There are several perennial water sources in the sanctuary and the availability of water is not a limiting factor for wildlife.
Mammals
Wild mammals recorded in the sanctuary include: barking deer, bengal tigerBengal Tiger
The Bengal tiger is a tiger subspecies native to the Indian subcontinent that in 2010 has been classified as endangered by IUCN...
, Leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
, bonnet macaque
Bonnet Macaque
The bonnet macaque is a macaque endemic to southern India. Its distribution is limited by the Indian Ocean on three sides and the Godavari and Tapti Rivers along with a related competing species of rhesus macaque in the north....
, common langur, civet
Civet
The family Viverridae is made up of around 30 species of medium-sized mammal, including all of the genets, the binturong, most of the civets, and the two African linsangs....
, flying squirrel
Flying squirrel
Flying squirrels, scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini, are a tribe of 44 species of squirrels .- Description :...
, gaur
Gaur
The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
, malabar giant squirrel
Indian Giant Squirrel
The Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, is a large tree squirrel species genus Ratufa native to India. It is a large-bodied diurnal, arboreal, and herbivorous squirrel found in South Asia.-Description:...
, mouse deer, pangolin
Pangolin
A pangolin , also scaly anteater or Trenggiling, is a mammal of the order Pholidota. There is only one extant family and one genus of pangolins, comprising eight species. There are also a number of extinct taxa. Pangolins have large keratin scales covering their skin and are the only mammals with...
, porcupine
Porcupine
Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend or camouflage them from predators. They are indigenous to the Americas, southern Asia, and Africa. Porcupines are the third largest of the rodents, behind the capybara and the beaver. Most porcupines are about long, with...
, slender loris
Slender loris
The slender lorises are two species of loris native to India and Sri Lanka, the only members of the genus Loris:* the red slender loris, Loris tardigradus* the gray slender loris, Loris lydekkerianus...
, sambar, spotted deer, wild boar and wild dog
Dhole
The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
.
Birds
.Popular birds which can be seen in the sanctuary include: DrongoDrongo
The drongos are a family of small passerine birds of the Old World tropics, the Dicruridae. This family was sometimes much enlarged to include a number of largely Australasian groups, such as the Australasian fantails, monarchs and paradise flycatchers...
, Emerald dove
Emerald Dove
The Common Emerald Dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and east through Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, to northern and eastern Australia. The dove is also known by the names of Green Dove and...
, Fairy bluebird, Golden oriole
Golden Oriole
The Eurasian Golden Oriole or simply Golden Oriole is the only member of the oriole family of passerine birds breeding in northern hemisphere temperate regions...
, Greater Indian hornbill
Great Hornbill
The Great Hornbill also known as Great Indian Hornbill or Great Pied Hornbill, is one of the larger members of the hornbill family. Great Hornbills are found in the forests of Nepal, India, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Indonesia. Their impressive size and colour have made them important in...
, Indian black woodpecker
White-bellied Woodpecker
The White-bellied Woodpecker is found in evergreen forests of tropical Asia. It has 14 subspecies, part of a complex including the Andaman Woodpecker . Many island forms are endangered, some are extinct. Populations differ in the distribution and extent of white...
, Malabar grey hornbill
Malabar Grey Hornbill
The Malabar Grey Hornbill, Ocyceros griseus, is a hornbill that is endemic to the Western Ghats and associated hills of southern India. They have a large beak but lack the casque that is prominent in other species of hornbills. They are found mainly in dense forest and around rubber, arecanut or...
, Malabar pied hornbill
Malabar Pied Hornbill
The Malabar Pied Hornbill is a hornbill. Hornbills are a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World....
, Grey-headed myna
Chestnut-tailed Starling
The Chestnut-tailed Starling or Grey-headed Myna is a member of the starling family of perching birds. It is a resident or partially migratory species found in wooded habitats in India and Southeast Asia. The species name is after the distribution of a former subspecies in the Malabar region...
, Grey jungle fowl, Large green barbet
Megalaimidae
A family of birds comprising the Asian barbets, the Megalaimidae were once united with all other barbets in the Capitonidae but they have turned out to be distinct...
, Paradise flycatcher, Racket-tailed drongo, Ruby-throated yellow bulbul (the Goa state bird), Shrike
Shrike
Shrikes are passerine birds of the family Laniidae. The family is composed of thirty-one species in three genera. The family name, and that of the largest genus, Lanius, is derived from the Latin word for "butcher", and some shrikes were also known as "butcher birds" because of their feeding habits...
s, Three-toed kingfisher, Sri Lanka Frogmouth
Sri Lanka Frogmouth
The Sri Lanka Frogmouth or Ceylon Frogmouth is a small frogmouth found in the Western Ghats of south India and Sri Lanka. Related to the nightjars, they are nocturnal and are found in forest habitats...
, Wagtail
Wagtail
The wagtails form the passerine bird genus Motacilla. They are small birds with long tails which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, means moving tail...
s. This sanctuary contains quite a few birds which are endemic to the Indian Subcontinent, specifically the Southern India.
Butterflies
Some of the many interesting butterfly specien in the area are: Blue Mormon, Common Jezebel, Common Mormon, Common MimeChilasa clytia
The Common Mime, Papilio clytia, is a Swallowtail butterfly found in South and South-east Asia. The butterfly belongs to the Chilasa group or the Black-bodied Swallowtails...
, Plum Judy
Abisara echerius
The Plum Judy is a small but striking butterfly found in Asia belonging to the Punches and Judies family. This active butterfly is usually seen at the tops of trees and amidst foliage....
, Common Wanderer, Crimson Rose, Lime Butterfly
Papilio demoleus
Papilio demoleus, the Common Lime Butterfly, is a common and widespread Swallowtail butterfly. It gets its name from its host plants which are usually citrus species such as the cultivated lime. Unlike most swallowtail butterflies it does not have a prominent tail...
, Plain Tiger, Southern Birdwing and Tailed Jay.It also has endemic specied like Malabar Tree Nymph
Idea malabarica
The Malabar Tree-nymph or Malabar Tree Nymph is a large butterfly found in peninsular India that belongs to the danaid group of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in forest clearings and above the forest canopy.-Description:...
and Tamil Yoeman
Cirrochroa thais
The Tamil Yeoman is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in forested areas of tropical South Asia and Southeast Asia....
.
Reptiles
This sanctuary is famous for its snakes, particularly the king cobraKing Cobra
The king cobra is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length up to 5.6 m . This species, which preys chiefly on other snakes, is found predominantly in forests from India through Southeast Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia...
. Also here are: Bronzeback Tree Snake, cat snake, hump-nosed pit viper
Hump-nosed pit viper
Hump-nosed pit viper may refer to:* Hypnale , any member of a genus of venomous pitvipers found in Sri Lanka and southwestern India.* Hypnale hypnale , a venomous pitviper species found in India and Sri Lanka....
, indian rock python, malabar pit viper, rat snake
Rat snake
Rat snakes are medium to large constrictors that can be found through a great portion of the northern hemisphere. They feed primarily on rodents and birds and, with some species exceeding 3 m , they can occupy top levels of some food chains. Many species make attractive and docile pets and one,...
, russell's viper, Indian cobra
Indian Cobra
Indian Cobra or Spectacled Cobra is a species of the genus Naja found in the Indian subcontinent and a member of the "big four", the four species which inflict the most snakebites in India. This snake is revered in Indian mythology and culture, and is often seen with snake charmers...
and common krait
Common Krait
The common krait is a species of genus Bungarus found in the jungles of the Indian subcontinent. It is a member of the "big four", species inflicting the most snakebites in India....
,
Attractions
This sanctuary and national park contain several geological, cultural and visitor service attractions that make this largest protected area in Goa a popular visitor destination.Tambdi Surla Temple
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
temple of the lord Mahadeva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
is an active place or worship, located 13 km east of Bolcornem village, past the end of a single lane paved road in the northern region of the park. The temple consists of garbhagriha
Garbhagriha
Garbhagriha or Garbha griha is the small unlit shrine of a Hindu temple.Garbhagriha or ' is a Sanskrit word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the murti of the primary deity of the temple...
, antarala
Antarala
Antarala is a small antichamber or foyer between the garbhagriha and the mandapa, more typical of north Indian temples....
and a pillared Nandi mandapa
Mandapa
A mandapa in Indian architecture is a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals.-Temple architecture:...
built of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
. The four pillars, embellished with intricate carvings of elephants and chains support a stone ceiling decorated with finely carved lotus flowers of the Ashtoken
Nelumbo nucifera
Nelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Bean of India, or simply Lotus, is a plant in the monogeneric family Nelumbonaceae...
variety.
Dudhsagar Falls
Dudhsagar FallsDudhsagar Falls
Dudhsagar Falls is a tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the state of Goa, India, on Goa's border with the state of Karnataka...
(literally Ocean of milk) is a tiered waterfall located high up on the Mandovi River, at the Karnaraka border in the southwest part of the park, 10 km upstream from Collem village. At 310 m, It is Goa's tallest waterfall, India's 5th tallest, and is 227th in the world An Aqueduct of the South Central Railways passes spectacularily through the waterfalls. This popular destination may be reached by hiking along the 10 km one lane dirt road or hiring a 4 wheel drive vehicle at Collem. Access is dangerous and restricted during the monsoon season of June and July.
Devils Canyon
This is an eerie canyon of water carved crevises downstream from Dudh Sagar Falls, created from solid rock by serpentine underwater currents. It is just off the main trail soon past the Collem entry point.Tambdi Falls
Sunset Point
This point provides a breathtaking view of the park, revealing a vast expanse of closed canopu treetops. It can be reached by park vehicles, hired at Mollem check-point, driving along a zig-zagging road carved from the mountain.Threats
This protected area is threatened by extensive surface mining and transport of manganeseManganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
and iron ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
s. A serious threat is the deposit of toxic wastes. In 2006, nearly 13 truckloads of sponge iron by-products had been dumped in the Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary and at Anmod Ghat, The settlement of private rights and concessions has still not been done away with. Some private lands are still within the sanctuary and need to be acquired in due course of time.
Visitor information
Accommodations- For bookings at the Forest Rest House in Mollem, contact: Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest Department, Panaji, Goa
Phone: 0832-2224747 or 0832-2225926.
The Doodh Sagar Resort has cottages, dormitory and a restaurant at Mollem adjacent to the Sanctuary Headquarters. Phone: 0832-2612319 or 0832-2612238
The OM Shanti Eco-Resort near the Tambdi Surla Temple and the Shangri-la Jungle Village Resort near Anmod
Anmod
Anmod is a town at the Goa-Karnataka border.Some of the oldest rocks in the Indian subcontinent are found in Anmod on Goa's border with Karnataka...
offer high-end foreign tourism experiences including forest trekking, elephant rides and tribal music.