Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore National Park is situated in Eastern Rajasthan at the confluence of the Aravali hill ranges and the Vindhyan plateau. Two rivers flow through the Ranthambore National Park - the Chambal River in the South and the Banas River in the North. Six man-made lakes and many perennial streams pass through the entire national park. In 1955.

Location : Near Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan.
Nearest Access : Sawai Madhopur
Main Wildlife Found : Tigers, Leopards, Boars
Coverage Area : 392-sq-kms

Ranthambore National Park:

The park, which is one of the finest tiger reserves in the country Park's abandoned fortress,lakes and above all it's `friendly' tigers have made it one of the most filmed wildlife reserves in the world. Ranthambore was decalred a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and became part of Project Tiger in 1973. Ranthambore National park is famous for its tigers and is one of the best places in the country to see these majestic predators in the wild. The Indian Tiger can be easily spotted even during the day. A good time to visit between November and May when the nature of the dry deciduous forests makes sightings common. The Park which covers an area of nearly 400 sq. km. and is set between the Aravali and Vindhya ranges. Its deciduous forests were once a part of the magnificent jungles of Central India. The varied topography of the national park is home to animals like the jackal,mongoose, sloth bear, leopard, and of course, the tiger.

Situated in Eastern Rajasthan, where the Aravali Hill ranges and the Vindhyan plateau meet, the Ranthambhore National Park was once the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Jaipur. The rivers Chambal in the South and Banas in the North bound the Ranthambore National Park.

Six man made lakes are the central focus of the park and many perennial streams criss-cross the entire park. The Ranthambore National Park has internal drainage and has no link up with any river system, even though two rivers bound the Park in it’s north and south side.

Flora in Ranthambore National Park:
The landscape is dotted with ancient Banyan Trees, Dhok & Pipal trees, clusters of mango trees and crisscrossed with evergreen belts. The terrain is made up of massive rock formations, steep scarps, perennial lakes and streams and forest suddenly opening up into large areas of Savannah. The terrain of Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary fluctuates between impregnable forests and open bush land. The forest is the typically dry deciduous type, with Dhok, being the most prominent tree.

Major Wildlife Attractions - Ranthambore National Park:

Ranthambore National Park is famous for its Tigers and is a favorite with photographers. For a relatively small area, the park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora - species list includes 300 trees, 50 aquatic plants, 272 birds, 12 reptiles including the Marsh Crocodile & amphibians and 30 mammals.For the wildlife savvy, Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary today offers an intense diversity of flora and fauna. Tigers, the park's pride makes it one of the best places in the country to observe them. Apart from that a large numbers of Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Gazzelle, Boars, Mongoose, Indian Hare, Monitor Lizards and a large number of birds.

Best Time to Visit Ranthambore:
The best visiting season of Ranthambore national park is during the months of October - March and April to June.

How to Get there:

Air : Jaipur at 145-kms is the nearest airport from Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary.

Rail : Ranthambore National Park is around 11-kms away from Sawai Madhopur railway station, that lies on the Delhi to Mumbai trunk route.

Road : A good network of buses connect Sawai Madhopur, the nearest town from Ranthambore to all the major cities within the state of Rajasthan.