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Decide your favourite colour and pick a city to
match, Rajasthan's kaleidoscope of colours covers all.
Bastions of history, bristling with memories,
these splendid treasures stand battling the vageries of time.
 Fort Amber
The City Palace, Jaipur
Wind Palace, Jaipur
Chittaurgarh Fort
City Palace, Udaipur
Jaisalmer Fort
Mehrangarh
Fort
Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur
The desert sands shimmer and pulsate with an
energy and a spirit of festivity permeates the air, every season
provides many reasons to celebrate.
Camel Festival
Mewar Festival
Elephant Festival
Gangaur Festival
Pushkar Festival
Desert Festival
Ride a camel over the dunes or horses through
the hillside, speed ahead in a jeep and camp under open skies.
A delicate ecosystem, part desert part marshy
lands and even a small section of lush water filled valleys, sports a
wildlife rich in variety.
Whichever Budget Hotel you choose you will
always experience a traditional hospitality that you may never want to
forget.
Jaipur Budget Hotels
Jaisalmer Budget Hotels
Bharatpur Budget Hotels
Bikaner Budget Hotels
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Rajasthan Tours Travel » Tourist
Attractions » Tiger Viewing in
Ranthambore National Park
Tiger Viewing in Ranthambore National Park
Tyger, tyger burning bright
In
the forests of the night...........-.....reads the poem written centuries
ago by the English poet William Blake, proving once again that since time
immemorial tigers have intrigued man. These fast, furious and fascinating
creatures were once the coveted trophies in the Shikars of the Maharajas
and one of the former hunting grounds was Ranthambore. Due to
indiscriminate hunting and killing of tigers there came a time that called
for their protection, so in 1955 Ranthambore was declared a game sanctuary
and in 1972 it became a National Park.
The park is situated in Eastern Rajasthan, where the Aravali Hill ranges
and the Vindhyan plateau meet. Six man made lakes are the central focus of
the park and many perennial streams criss-cross the entire sanctuary. The
rivers Chambal in the South and Banas in the North bound the Ranthambore
National Park.
The lush landscape of this sanctuary is in part impregnable forest and
part open bush land. Dotted with ancient Banyan Trees, Dhok & Pipal,
clusters of mango trees in places 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 forest is the typically dry deciduous type, with Dhok, being
the most prominent tree.
Though rich in wildlife the Ranthambore Sanctuary is famous for the Royal
Bengal Tiger. The majestic tiger is the largest living member of the cat
family has a rather graceful built and gait. Bengal Tiger is also the
fastest running animal. Its length can measure up to 10 feet and has a
weight ranging from 180 to 260 kgs. When on safari in Ranthambore you can
see the tigers prowling in the forest, stalking their prey, drinking on
the edge of the lakes and watering holes and basking in the sun on the
rocky outcrops of the ruins of the Ranthambore Fort.
The national park of Ranthambore boasts of around 36 tigers whose
territory extends over the 392 sq Km area of the sanctuary. The park
provides the tigers a safe haven from poachers and a free reign over the
habitat. These creature of prey are free to hunt and the sanctuary is
abundant in wildlife. They feed mostly on the herds of deer, including
chital (spotted deer), sambhar (large stag), and nilgai (blue bull) and
smaller animals like wild boar in the park.
Other than the tiger the sanctuary also has 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.
On the tiger trail you are also bound to see large numbers of Sambar,
Chital, Nilgai, Gazzelle, Boars, Mongoose, Indian Hare, Monitor Lizards
and a large number of birds.
The
Ranthambore sanctuary derives its name from the Ranthambore Fort which
sits on a rocky outcrop in the heart of the park. A 10th century fort, it
is possibly the oldest in the province of Rajasthan and definitely worth a
dekko. Jogi Mahal or the forest guest house is another attraction as in
its compound stands the second-largest Banyan Tree in the country.
The Best Time to Visit
The desert does hold sway at Ranthambore and the weather is no different.
Spring and winter are the best seasons for some wildlife spotting,
Feburary to Aprilthe weather is mild and the winter months of October to
March also see pleasant days.
Getting There
Air : Jaipur the capital of Rajasthan, at 145-kms is
the nearest airport from Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary. From Jaipur one
can easily head forward by either rail or road.
Rail : Sawai Madhopur, just 11 Km from Ranthambore
National Park is the nearest Railway Station, connected to both Delhi as
well as Bombay, from the station one can easily get a car or bus to the
sanctuary.
Road : Ranthambore is well connected by road to most
destinations across Rajasthan. If you're traveling by road, there are many
options from luxury air-conditioned coaches to private taxis and local
buses of the Rajasthan Transport Corporation, through which you can reach
Ranthambore National Park.
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