There is no reason to assume that the universe has the slightest interest in intelligence - or even in life. Both may be random accidental by-products of its operations like the beautiful patterns on a butterfly's wings. The insect would fly just as well without them. -- Arthur C. Clarke in 'The Lost Worlds of 2001.

Yes. Butterflies would fly without the beautiful patterns on their wings. But tell me, can anyone imagine a butterfly without those colourful, delightful and wonderful patterns? Is there a single one of us who in a boyish - or girlish, ahem, no gender bias here - excitement did not walk a tiptoe behind a butterfly perched on a flower, making the stem bend with its weight and happily sipping honey? Is there a single one of us who did not with hands trembling with desire and breathless expectation tried to catch a butterfly, hold its wings in hands so very carefully, marvel at its beauty for a while and set it back to the freedom of the air, delighted at the ups and dips and sips that it takes! Oh! Delightful are the memories. 

How many of the children in the city have these lovely moments in their lives? Where to find butterflies? The cityscape is full of concrete flowers and of course steel flowers bloom on the grill gates. Unfortunately, butterflies do not find them interesting! Nevertheless, one or two plain green or yellow butterflies do flutter across the city, making children happy.

The Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Vandalur has set apart a vast area of land for a butterfly sanctuary. Two years of careful planning has gone into the project. Krishnakumar, Director of the Park says, 'We have been nurturing rich foliage and flowerbeds for around two years now. We have included only such plants whose flowers are rich in honey. Particular varieties of butterflies haunt only particular varieties of flowers. We therefore took pains to grow specific varieties of plants to attract different varieties of butterflies.

The butterfly yard is situated very close to the entrance, on the right side. Hundreds of plants are in full bloom with a variety of flowers. And there is a breathtaking crowd of butterflies in unimaginable colours, patterns and shapes. 

Sekar, a zoologist working in the Zoological Park told us: 'The area is cordoned off in order to prevent deer and other such herbivores grazing the plants. The butterflies cannot be stopped. They fly all over the place, freely. They hunt for honey throughout the day, wherever they please. They frequent this spot only in the mornings and evenings. More over it is not possible to breed butterflies in cages. There are five families of butterflies and three thousand varieties of them, found all over the world. 

In the beginning hardly thirty varieties of butterflies were found here. With the passage of time, more and more varieties are seen now. Common crow, blue tiger, plain tiger, lined tiger are a few of the varieties that are found in large numbers here. Some are seasonal visitors. But the ones I mentioned can be seen throughout the year.

Butterflies are found in larger hordes in winters and springtime than in summers. They swarm in large numbers normally from September to January, the flowering season of most of the honey-rich plants like lantana, marigold, etc. These butterflies lay their eggs on the plants grown here. They choose only the poisonous plants to lay eggs. It is so because other insects avoid these plants and their eggs are safe, stuck to the other side of the leaves, protected from rain and shine. Its colour goes with the plant on which it lays its eggs, the plants from which they suck honey and its general environment. Camouflage. The way nature protects any life form.

It is extremely difficult to protect the larvae from the attacks of chameleons, spiders, ants, grasshoppers, bats, bees, monkeys etc. There is a team of personnel appointed to take care of the larvae and pupae,' informed Mr. Sekar.

At the end of the flowering season we feed them with sucrose and water mixed with salt. Cotton wool dipped in sucrose is kept in open boxes in different locations and butterflies feed on them. Though they live on honey, they need salt too.

Butterflies need cool and humid atmosphere. The butterfly yard is designed with these aspects in mind. It was initially planned to cordon off the entire area and breed them in a closed area. But it was not possible, as it requires a very large space. We have therefore designed this centre to attract butterflies in large number and fly all over the place, to return in search of honey here. 

The place is 'buzzing' with activity from 6 to 9 in the morning and from 4 to 6.30 in the evening when silent wings brush the air softly, beautifying the entire spot and adding colour to the flowers, flitting and fluttering around and filling the atmosphere with joy.