Jahanpanah City Forest

Jahanpanah City Forest

Nitya Choubey 

Jahanpanah is equal parts forest and park, spanning 435 acres of lush woods. It’s a jogger’s paradise, honestly: no screechy children, no picnicking adults, and a veil of silence interspersed sporadically with the sound of nature.

The forest’s been a bit of a local secret, partly because it straddles a bunch of residential neighbourhoods, including Greater Kailash II and II, Alaknanda, Masjid Moth, Chirag Delhi, Govindpuri, and a little bit of Saket. Most entrances are unobtrusive and not too easy to locate. For this reason, the forest has a slightly mysterious, dark charm. It’s very densely forested in a way that, say, Sanjay Van perhaps isn’t – it feels much more like a wood than a jungle, if you know what I mean. The temperature drops by a couple degrees once you’re inside, and many of the paths aren’t paved. Vast sections of the forest also remain unlit at night. 

Much of this is to protect the wildlife: birds including kingfishers, parakeets, hornbill, mynah, indian tree pies, babblers, bulbuls and sunbirds, and animals like the nilgai and jackal. It’s a rare treat to sometimes find a nilgai peeking out at you from behind some thick foliage. Because of the rich biodiversity, you’ll find that the park is shut during afternoon hours to give the animals a break. 

Time Out tip: The tracks are winding and it’s not terribly hard to lose your way here, so keep your wits about you and perhaps don’t venture here alone after dark. Also keep in mind that this isn’t a touristy park; you won’t find water fountains or loos here. 

Address: Several openings from Greater Kailash II and III, Alaknanda, Saket, Govindpuri, Chirag Delhi. The Alaknanda opening is opposite Don Bosco school.