Know Ranthambore National Park
The
Ranthambore National Park is situated between the Aravalli and Vindhya
ranges, in Rajasthan, one of the most desired destination of India. The 400
sq km of Ranthambhore National Park is perhaps India’s finest example
of Project Tiger. The forests of Ranthambhore were hunting grounds of the
Maharajas of Jaipur. After been neglected for years the park was declared
game sanctuary in 1955 and in 1980 it was given the status of a national
park. But it was included in projects in 1972 with the commissioning of
Project Tiger. The inclusion of the neighbouring Keladevi and Mansingh
sanctuaries in 1984, has increased the total area of the Ranthambore
National Park - to 1,334 sq km.
The rich forest of Ranthambore houses the ruins of the Ranthambore Fort,
dating back to 10th century. The lake palaces, old fortifications and a
majestic 1,000-year-old fort adds glory to every bit of the park. The
Ranthambhore park is famous for tigers. One can often spot tigers in their
normal pursuit during day time. Ranthambhore is select few places to offer
these majestic scenes. The flora, the fauna, the beautiful lakes &
pools, rushing stream, rolling grasslands, wooden valleys have embraced the
ruins of the history at the Ranthambore National Park to offer one of the
dazzling landscapes one can experience anywhere.
Major Attractions at Ranthambore National Park
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.
Flora : The Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary is typically
dry & deciduous type with ancient Banyan, Dhok, Pipal and mango trees,
Dhok being the prominent of all. The impregnable forests and open bush land,
perennial lakes, streams, rocky formations are the distinctive features of
the Ranthambore National Park.
Fauna : Ranthambore National Park is famous for its
Tigers. The tigers of the Ranthambore National Park are one of the most
photographed all over the world. Spread over an area of 400 sq km,
Ranthambhore National Park has a tiger population of about 32. Spotting
tigers in Ranthambore National Park is relatively easier as compared to
other national parks. Apart from tigers, the Park also supports a large
number of other wild species including leopards, caracal, jungle cat, hyena,
jackal, sloth bear, wild boar, marsh crocodile, porcupine, common langur,
spotted deer, Indian gazelle, gazzelle, sambar, nilgai, monitor lizards and
a large number of birds. .
Other Attractions at Ranthambore National Park
Ranthambore Fort & Jogi Mahal : Covering almost 400 sq
km of land, the park has got the name from the Ranthambhore Fort, dating
back to 10th century. The 1000 year fort is probably the oldest existing
fort in Rajasthan. The Ranthambore Fort is said to be the then vital citadel
for control of Central India and particularly the Malwa plateau.
The entry point to the Ranthambore National Park, goes straight to the foot
of the fort and the forest rest house, Jogi Mahal. The latter boasts of the
second-largest Banyan tree in India.
How to Reach There
The nearest airports are Jaipur and Kota. Ranthambore is situated on the
Delhi-Bombay railway-line and also linked with Jaipur and Agra by rails. It
is almost 480 km from Delhi (via Duasa) and 180 km from Jaipur (via Tonk).
