The Butterfly Kingdom of Bannerghatta

A Tale of Wings and Wonder
Oscar Wilde once observed, “The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.” Few creatures embody this mystery better than butterflies. So visibly enchanting, their bright, vibrant colours and intricately carved patterns mesmerize us, yet the life they lead remains a profound enigma. Their beauty is ephemeral, their existence a delicate dance between grace and survival. Beyond their captivating charm, butterflies play an indispensable role in maintaining ecological balance, their significance extending far beyond what meets the eye.
A History Written in Wings
Lepidopterans—the biological classification for butterflies and moths—have graced our planet for over 250 million years. Today, approximately 18,000 butterfly species flutter across the world, with India home to more than 1,200 of them. Karnataka alone boasts over 320 species, some as tiny as 1.5 cm, others spanning nearly 25 cm in wingspan. Their lives, ranging from a fleeting two weeks to a remarkable year in some species, are a testament to nature's genius. Devoid of chewing mouthparts, butterflies can only sip nectar, rendering waste excretion almost unnecessary. Their eyes, complex mosaics of thousands of tiny facets, grant them a visual perception unlike any other.
Butterflies are also nature’s great travellers. Monarch butterflies, for instance, embark on an extraordinary 4,000 km migration. Equally astonishing is the female butterfly’s ability to identify the perfect host plant for her eggs simply by tasting it with her feet. Their evolutionary journey, dating back 140 million years, is a saga of resilience and mutual dependence, as they have forged intricate relationships with the flora they pollinate.
A Sanctuary of Ephemeral Beauty
Stepping into the Bannerghatta Butterfly Park is akin to entering a dream woven with wings and colour. The cacophony of Bengaluru fades into whispers of rustling leaves and the gentle flutter of delicate creatures in motion. Ahead, a shimmering, translucent dome glows under the sun, inviting visitors into an enchanted world where time slows down, and butterflies paint the air with fleeting strokes of iridescence.

Established in 2006, India’s first dedicated butterfly conservation park, is not merely an extension of the Bannerghatta Biological Park but a conscious effort to revive what was slipping away unnoticed. Butterflies, often overshadowed by larger, more charismatic wildlife, finally found a sanctuary devoted solely to their preservation.
A Walk Through a Living Kaleidoscope
The 10,000-square-foot walk-in conservatory is a microcosm of paradise. The air is humid and fragrant with nectar-laden blooms—Lantana, Ixora, Zinnias, and Pentas—meticulously chosen to sustain the winged inhabitants. The temperature and moisture are carefully regulated to mimic their natural habitat, ensuring a thriving ecosystem within the enclosure.
A regal Southern Birdwing, India’s largest butterfly with a wingspan exceeding seven inches, glides past in slow, deliberate motion. Nearby, a Crimson Rose flutters excitedly, its striking black-and-red wings warning predators of its toxic nature. Some butterflies hover over blossoms, unfurling their coiled proboscis like miniature drinking straws, while others engage in aerial ballets of courtship and play. Beneath them, caterpillars—tiny architects of metamorphosis—feast voraciously, oblivious to the miraculous transformation that awaits them.
Nature’s Silent Guardians: A Narrative of Survival
In the quiet folds of nature, butterflies weave a story of resilience. Picture a meadow at dawn—dew-laden grass shimmering, the first golden rays of the sun spilling over wildflowers. In this hushed moment, a butterfly emerges from its cocoon. Its wings, crumpled and soft, slowly unfurl, catching the light in shimmering hues. The creature pauses, as if in quiet contemplation, before taking its first flight—an ethereal embodiment of rebirth and survival.
Butterflies are more than fleeting beauties; they are guardians of the environment, whispering secrets of ecological health. They pollinate flowers, ensuring the survival of countless plant species. Some, like the Flame Lily, depend exclusively on butterfly pollination. Their delicate wings carry the imprints of environmental change—scientists have found that pollution subtly alters their patterns, making them bio-indicators of climate shifts. Even their life cycle is a marvel of endurance, defying the constraints of time and form. The caterpillar’s memory, remarkably, survives metamorphosis, carrying echoes of its past even as it embraces its radiant new self.
A Future as Fragile as Their Wings
Despite their resilience, butterflies face an uncertain future. A growing crisis looms over them—one that disrupts the sacred synchrony between butterflies and their host plants. Climate change is altering the bloom cycles of flowers, throwing off the delicate balance between nectar availability and the butterfly life cycle. Habitat destruction, pesticide use, and global warming further exacerbate their decline. India alone has lost nearly 50% of its butterfly diversity in the past century.

The Bannerghatta Butterfly Park is a step in the right direction, but conservation must extend beyond protected reserves. Even a small balcony garden can become a butterfly sanctuary with the right flora—Milkweed for Monarchs, Curry Leaves for Common Mormons, and Passion Vine for the Tawny Coster. By restoring lost habitats, we can give butterflies a fighting chance.
A Legacy in Motion
As you leave the park, a lingering thought takes flight: If something as delicate as a butterfly can brave storms, traverse continents, and transform itself entirely, then surely, we too can find ways to preserve their magic.
Perhaps the poet Rabindranath Tagore captured it best:
“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.”
Once dismissed as mere frivolous creatures, butterflies are now recognized as pivotal players in ecological science. Henry Walter Bates, a pioneer in lepidopteran studies, remarked over 150 years ago, “The study of Butterflies—creatures selected as the types of airiness and frivolity—instead of being despised, will someday be valued as one of the most important branches of biological science.”
In its ephemeral flutter lies a timeless lesson—a reminder to cherish beauty, embrace transformation, and protect the fragile wonders of our world. The Bannerghatta Butterfly Park stands as a beacon of hope, a sanctuary where nature's living poetry takes flight, reminding us that to protect these creatures is to protect the soul of our planet itself.

(Uday Kumar Varma is an IAS officer. Retired as Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting)