After a brief research on liveable and green breathing spaces in Delhi NCR, I stumbled upon an interesting village and a sacred forest called ‘Mangar Bani’ located midway between Gurgaon and Faridabad. It is equidistant from prime spots of the nearby cities – Delhi (Qutab Minar), Gurgaon (HUDA City Centre Metro Station), and Faridabad (Faridabad New Town Railway Station), about 20 kms from each of these spots.
Legend has it that several centuries ago, an ascetic came to meditate in a cave inside this forest and before attaining ‘samadhi’ (renouncing the world) he announced to his devotees and the villagers that a curse would befall upon anyone who fells a tree or kills any living being in this forest. Thereafter the dwellers of Mangar village started guarding the forest religiously and not a single tree is cut and no animal (wild or domesticated) is killed in this forest. The forest of Mangar Bani is said to protected by the spirit of this hermit called ‘Gudariya Das Baba’ who also has a temple dedicated to him in the forest.
The biologists who have studied this forest found it to be a ‘High-Biodiversity Zone’ since it is the last remaining natural ‘Tropical Forest’ in the Aravali Range. The forest now has 30 native tree species thriving along with the 100 native shrubs and herbs; a healthy count of wild animals that include leopard, hyena, Nilgai, and jackal; and 219 species of birds of which over 50 are migratory and 5 nationally endangered raptor species.
In the recent times, Mangar Bani and its surroundings have gained popularity due to the discovery of pre-historic cave paintings in caves nestled amidst a maze of quartzite rocks in the Aravali Hills. The existence of cave paintings came to light in May 2021 when an environmental activist, Sunil Harsana, belonging to the village spotted them. The fact-finding team then set up by the Directorate of Archaeology & Museums, Government of Haryana encountered cave paintings comprising images of human figurines, animals, foliage, and geometric shapes. Some have paled over time but others that are still very visible need to be preserved and studied in detail. The team later announced that the paintings of Mangar Bani caves are yet to be dated but at least some of them possibly belong to the Upper Palaeolithic period.
Owing to this historic discovery and thrilling adventure activities in the vicinity, several farms (some of them organic) have come up in Mangar village and its outskirts. ‘The Lalit Mangar’, offering 35 luxurious suites with excellent views of Mangar Bani Valley is worth mentioning. If you are looking for an out of the ordinary experience when Delhi, you can consider a visit to Mangar Bani – a verdant and beautiful forest grove with captivating natural ambience!
