Nandankanan Zoological Park

Entertainment & Arts

Asia, India, Odisha

Nandankanan Zoological Park is a 400-hectare (990-acre) zoo and botanical garden in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India. Established in 1960, it was opened to the public in 1979 and became the first zoo in India to join World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) in 2009. It also contains a botanical garden and part of it has been declared a sanctuary. Nandankanan, literally meaning 'The Garden of Heavens', is located near the capital city, Bhubaneswar, in the environs of the Chandaka forest, and includes the 134-acre (54 ha) Kanjia Lake. A major upgrade was done during 2000 (after the ruins caused by the super-cyclone of 1999 in coastal Orissa). More than 2 million visitors visit Nandankanan every year.