Priyadarshini Park (PDP) Garden and Sports Complex – Mumbai

“Priyadarshini Park and Sports Complex (PDP) at Napeansea Road (South Mumbai) is a multifaceted 20-acre garden and recreation center manually nurtured by Malabar Hill Citizen Forum since 1985, when an uneven rocky patch of land was handed over to them.

Priyadarshini Garden has large coconut trees, a joggers park, recreational and sport activities options, and many yearly events like the annual kite festival, the Cool Breeze seafront,  and a great sunset view. These are just a few things to praise about the promenade park. Below are more details: timings, entry fee, how to reach, nearest railway station, contact information, and address…”

PDP Fast Facts

Real name: Rasikbhai Meswani Sports Complex
Car Parking: Parking inside PDP is not available. So roadside parking outside the park is recommended. There are no paid parking facilities available around the locality.
Park Entry Exit Timings: 5 a.m. to 11 a.m., 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Entry Fees: Free for all.
Sports Activities: Available (with minimum charges).
Various Timings (Sports, Dog Entry, Open, and Close): Please refer to the section above for details.
Joggers: Allowed for free during park timings.
Location: Malabar Hill, Napeansea Road (South of Mumbai).
Refreshments: Washrooms, drinking water, snacks, etc. are available inside.

What you Need to Know About Priyadarshini Park

The garden and walking area start on the right side as soon as you enter the park. The pathway is non-concrete and well maintained muddy for good feel and health, a little inconvenient during monsoons but equally a blissful environment during rains. Always recommend wearing rainy shoes or footwear.

Another entry gate is available that faces directly into the children’s play area inside. Named Children’s Amusement Park, this zone has boundaries and lots of play space and rides for children. Dragon-shaped zigzag rides are an eye-catcher here. Ample seating arrangements are made inside the children’s play zone and also on the pathway for jogging and walking.

Coconut trees are widely spread around the location of Priyadarshini Park. It has its own beauty and shade. Squirrels, sparrows, crocodiles, and other birds are always there for your company. The circular jogging and walking area is a must-experience here and has a wide, open Arabian Sea on the other side.

These little squirrels are all around to accompany you during sunsets and walks, or when you are just laying around the green lawn or under the shades of the tall, beautiful trees in this garden. Don’t worry about basic snacks, drinking water, coconut water, or the washroom, as they are all available inside.

The walk and jog pathway will lead you to one of the most beautiful, peaceful, and scenic locations inside this park for a wide-open panoramic view of the sea. The green lawn in the middle, especially during the monsoon, is soothing for the eyes, and walking barefoot on it is a real healthy activity that benefits your body, especially your eyes. The monsoon and the misty climate make for a great view of this green paradise right between the concrete of this Mumbai city.

PDP, as it is locally called the lush green garden with 600 odd coconut trees now—was once a rocky patch of Malabar hills. ‘Malabar Hill Citizen Forum’ is an active group residing in this elite residential location of South Mumbai that takes care of every aspect of this park, including sports activities.

With the perfect ambiance to fall in love with and a nice and well-maintained park area, local citizens love this park area as it is the only type of open space available, a boon to the urban lifestyle. An Arabian Sea promenade park, it is an ideal place for daily jogging, yoga, walking, aerobics, and other sports and athletic activities.

When Mumbai speaks about the space crunch, Priyadarshi Park welcomes people of all ages, classes, and castes to its wide open space, which is pollution-free. Come to relax, stretch, walk, and just spend some leisure time. The youth have this place ready for sports and other activities.

The extended care for the health of citizens is shown when they install a branded water purifying system that gives them fresh, cold drinking water for free. Two more vendors selling tender coconut water and wheatgrass juice are also recommended by them and are allowed considering the health benefits.

Till the last few years, the International Kite Festival was held around February 14th. (During Sankranti Kite Festival) is another big attraction of this south Mumbai PDP..

If you see a group of people chatting at one of the seaside locations with a standee named ‘Priya Park’, it is a beautiful seating and meeting area with green grass where the members chat, plan for upcoming events, and participate in many other activities that take place throughout the year.

An artificial beach with a sand pit is ready for all your children’s imaginations to create funny things and castle-like stuff. Timings for the same will be 11 to 12 p.m.

Monsoons give a natural green makeup to the beauty of this park. Citizens and couples prefer to sit beside this sea-facing garden and listen to soothing sea waves, see the sunset, listen to music, and feel the cool breeze, which beats the summer heat too.

A perfect place for sports and recreational activities for kids and youth, an ideal day outing location for family and friends groups Compared to other promenades, like lovers point, Which is beautiful but more famous between couples.

What’s more? This green cover in the midst of a high-rise concrete city is very clean and well maintained, and that too with no entry fees. Visit this park for a casual walk, go jogging daily, go cycling, join the laughter club, and hang around with your beloved dog (at specified pet zone timings).

A healthy drinking water booth is installed next to the tennis court and a 400 meters long synthetic Olympic running track, which has a total of eight lanes, all inside the park. Total of 4 tennis courts and a huge running track, which are adjacent to each other, are members-restricted areas but can be seen easily from the seaside lifted public jogging track. A sea-facing football coaching and playing activity area is next to the large running track.

Outside food and eateries are now strictly allowed inside. An in-house store that has some packed food munching, ice cream, cold drinks, etc. is available near the gate. Otherwise, snacks and other regular street food options are always available outside Priyadarshini Park. After all, Mumbai is a famous city for street food.

Roam around, and you will see a small corner with a sign board named ‘Jungle Walk’. A small section of island with long trees covered gives a little feeling of a small jungle. Not much, but something I should mention if you want to explore.

What’s more coming up is a Sea Walk from Priyadarshini Park (PDP) to Amarsons Garden (Harish Mahindra Children Park) area. This elevated View Deck (Actually a sea walk) The promenades between these two parks are going to give a stunning view of the Arabian Sea, which is sure to be a hit attraction in Mumbai.

PDP Khelo Sports Coaching and Activities

Priyadarshini park is also a sports complex named ‘Rasikbhai Meswani Sports Complex’. It has lots of Athletics and Outdoor sports activities which are listed below:

• Athletics: Sprints, Jumps, Throws, Middle & Long Distance.
• Marathon training and cross country.
• Tennis for kids and adults.
• Advance training in tennis.
• Gymnasium for kids and adults.
• Football coaching.
• Futsal Coaching.
• Yoga training.
• Aerobics training.
• Kabaddi training.
• Crossfit traninig.
• Laughter club.
• Children Park.
• Open Gym.

What’s more? PDP also has team sauna, spa, and jacuzzi facilities for all those post-workout sessions and to relieve tiredness. A cold shower also helps a lot for any athletic body after a real workout session.

PDP Khelo Timings: The Junior Cricket Academy Coaching and Playing Center is open Monday to Saturday, and the activity is only three times a week. Timings for cricket are morning 7:00 to 9:00 and evening 4:00 to 6:00. The age limit for PDP Cricket Khelo Academy is 6 years and older.

One can enroll for the same at the PDP site office or online. For free trials, call or WhatsApp 9699784184 and 9619406996.

Some Rules: No unauthorized coaching inside the park premises is allowed. Smoking and drinking are strictly prohibited. Football and Cricket are not allowed in the lawn area. Photos, videos, and other shooting are not allowed (but are seen clicking with mobile phones).

Park Address, Reaching, Timings and Contacts

Mumbai’s Priyadarshini Address & Contact

Address: Priyadarshini Park and Sports Complex, Nepean Sea Road, Mumbai 400006
Landmark: Malabar Hill Locality, Opposite Central Government Guest House (Hyderabad Estate).
Office Number: +917021817928
Superintendent Mr. Shivaji Kamble Contact: +919323463772
Booking and Enquiries: +919619406996

Priyadarshini Park Timings

Public Entry Morning Timings: 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.; Evening Timings: 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Dog Entry Timings: Morning, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Dog leashes or pattas are compulsory and only allowed in dog-restricted areas inside the park.
Sports Activities Timings: Monday to Saturday (3 days a week), 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

How to Reach PDP

By Train: The nearest railway stations are Grant Road and Mumbai Central on the Western Railway Route.
By taxi: at a distance of 2.8 km, which takes 10 minutes from Grant Road Railway Station (West).
Bus Numbers and Route: Bus number 122, 104. Refer: Routes Details. Also see details of all buses on priyadarshini park bus stop.

Other Parks and Sightseeing Near PDP

Few more gardens, parks and other sightseeing attractions at radius of 2 to 5 kms distance from Priyadarshini park.

1. Hanging Garden at 10 minutes, (2.5 Km).
2. Kamla Nehru Park at 10 minutes, (2.5 Km), Next to Hanging gaarden.
3. Babulnath Temple at 10 minutes, (3 Km).
4. Girgaon Chowpatty Beach at 16 minutes, (4.5 km). Also see the new Viewing deck here.
5. Taraporewala Aquarium at 12 minutes, (3.5 km).
6. Sacred Banganga Water Tank at 9 Minutes, (2.5 km).
7. Colaba Botanical garden at 26 minutes, (8.5 km).
8. Parsi Tower Of Silence (Restricted for public visits).
9. Mahalaxmi Temple at 5 Minutes, (2 km).
10. Haji Ali Dargah Inside Sea at 9 minutes, (2.8 km).
11. Nariman Point at 20 minutes, (6.6 km).
12. Bandra Worli Sea Link at 27 minutes, (10 km).

Picture Courtesy: Rahul Yadav, Anshul Sharma & Root to Toute Vlogs

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