Ranthambore National Park is famous for its Tigers. It is ironical then that it was once a hunting ground for the Maharajah of Jaipur. In 1955, it was declared a game sanctuary and was subsequently rescued under Project Tiger. It wasn't until 1980 that Ranthambore was declared a National Park.
Ranthambore National Park is one of the largest national parks in northern India. It is situated in Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan, about 180 km from Jaipur, which is also the nearest airport. The nearest town and railway station is at Sawai Madhopur, about 11 km away.
Ranthambhore was established as the Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955 by the Government of India, and was declared one of the Project Tiger reserves in 1973. Ranthambore became a national park in 1980. In 1984, the adjacent forests were declared the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and Keladevi Sanctuary, and in 1991 the tiger reserve was enlarged to include Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries.
Ranthambore is surrounded by the Vindhya and Aravali hill ranges and is very close to the outer fringes of the Thar Desert. Its deciduous forests spread over a terrain that is rugged with rocks, ridges, lakes and pools. Amidst the greenery, the landscape is dotted with ruins of palaces, remnants of ramparts and the famous Ranthambore Fort. A looming majestic 1,000-year-old Fort, it was built during the Chauhan dynasty and commanded a very strategic purpose. Today, it makes for a thrilling excursion, as Tigers are known to prowl about the ruins.
Ranthambore is also the abode of other wildlife like the Antelope, Nilgai, Sambhar, Chital, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Chinkara, Porcupine, Jackal, Leopard, Jungle Cat and marsh Crocodile. Its watering holes also play host to species of both resident and migratory birds.
Wildlife in Ranthambore National park
Ranthambore is best known for its large tiger population. As tourism in the park increased, so did the population of neighbouring villages. This led to increasing amounts of fatal human-tiger interactions and poaching. The Indian Government started Project Tiger in 1973 with an allotted area of 60 mi2. It was later expanded to become what is now called, the Ranthambore National Park. Besides tigers, the reserve has thriving bird population with more than 270 different species of birds here.
Safari Rides : Rides are carried out at two times: 06:30 and 14:30. Each ride lasts for about 3 hours. There are two options of vehicles for the safari : 20 seater open top canter or 6 seater open top gypsy. Each ride costs around Rs700-800 per person. The core park area has been divided into several zones and the safari vehicles go on one of those zones. Since there is a good chance of not sighting a tiger in one outing, people usually take more than one ride. There are a lot of quality resorts on the way from Sawai Madhopur to the national park.
Reaching there:
Air:Jaipur at 145 kms is the nearest airport.
Rail: Ranthambore National Park is 11 kms away from Sawai Madhopur railway station. It is on the main Delhi-Bombay railway line and major trains stop here
Road: A good network of buses connects Sawai Madhopur, the nearest town from Ranthambore to all the major cities within the state of Rajasthan. |
