Vanganga Lake Garden

Vanganga Lake Garden is a landscaped public park built around a lake at Dadra, a few kilometres from Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, part of the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. Vanganga Lake Garden is laid out with lawns, small islands, footbridges and a pagoda-style gazebo, and it is the most popular family outing in the Silvassa area.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli was ruled by Portugal until 1954 and joined India formally in 1961. It is a green, forested district with a large Adivasi population, including Warli, Dhodia and Kokna communities, sitting between Gujarat and Maharashtra. Vanganga Lake Garden was developed as a leisure park for residents and weekend visitors from Vapi, Surat and Mumbai, and today it is busiest in the evening, when a musical fountain show plays on the lake.

What to see

• The lake islands, linked by arched footbridges
• Paddle boats on the lake
• The floating musical fountain show in the evening
• Shaded lawns and flower beds for a picnic
• The pagoda-style gazebo, a favourite photo spot

What to wear

Vanganga Lake Garden is a relaxed family park, so casual clothes are fine; locals tend to dress modestly, so shorts and T-shirts are acceptable but very revealing outfits stand out. It is hot from March to June and wet from June to September, so bring a hat, water and an umbrella. Wear comfortable shoes for walking. The Warli and other Adivasi communities of the region are known for their painting tradition, and many women wear the draped saree in the local style.

Local food to try

The food around Silvassa mixes Gujarati, Maharashtrian and Adivasi cooking. Try a Gujarati thali, poha and misal pav, and in winter look for ubadiyu, a south Gujarat dish of vegetables slow-cooked in an earthen pot, sold at roadside stalls in the Vapi and Silvassa area. There is a restaurant inside the garden, and snack carts outside sell vada pav, bhel and chaat. Vegetarian food is easy everywhere.

Good to know

• Best from October to February, in the late afternoon
• Open daily into the evening; some sources report a weekly closure, so check locally before you go
• Small entry fee; boating and the fountain show may cost extra
• Allow 1.5 to 2 hours
• At Dadra, about 5 km from Silvassa town and roughly 15 km from Vapi railway station
• Stay for the fountain show, which starts after dark

Nearby places

Daman and Devka Beach are about 30 km away on the coast. Mumbai, with the Gateway of India, is roughly 170 km south, and the Statue of Unity in Gujarat is a longer day trip of about 220 km.