Ranthambore National Park - The Tiger Den

Ranthambhore Royal Past !!!
Ranthambore is one of the best spotting tiger park ever build in India, nestling in the Sawai Madhopur district of south east Rajasthan, it nearly takes one an half hour drive from Jaipur to reach Ranthambore. Its a midway between Bharatpur and Kota. The lush green belts of Ranthambore were once the hunting ground of Maharajahs of Jaipur. The Chambal river in the South and the Banas in the North bound Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan. In the 19th century Ranthambhore became a prison fortress, where the prisoners were executed by hurling them down the fort walls after stuffing them with opium. Before Independence, the park was the preserve of Jaipur's maharajah, who mounted elaborate big game shoots (shikars) here. The Queen and Prince Philip were the special guests of Maharajah Man Singh in 1960. They stayed in the luxuriously appointed shooting lodge Castle Jhoomar Baori, and the Duke of Edinburgh proved himself as a hunter, bagging a large tiger.

Getting There !!!
Airways : The Jaipur's "Sanganer airport" is the nearest one to Ranthambhore National Park, lying nearly 145 km away. Airlines are well connected to cities like Kota, Aurangabad, Udaipur,Ahmadabad and Mumbai. It hardly takes one and half hours drive to reach Ranthambhore.

Railways : Sawai Madhopur Railway Station is the nearest one, lying at a distance of 11km, which lies on the Delhi to Mumbai broad gauge railway line. Sawai Madhopur tracks are well connected to cities like Agra, Kota and Jaipur

Roadways : A good network of buses connect Sawai Madhopur, it is the nearest town from Ranthambore National Park, which connects all the major cities within the state of Rajasthan and India. There are several buses from Jaipur to Ranthambore, nearly takes four and half hours to reach. Some important road distances are Kota is 158 km, Agra is 277 km, Delhi is 480 km (via Dausa) and Jaipur is 180 km (via Tonk), Bombay is 1077 km

Local Transport : The most convenient mode of transportation inside Sawai Madhopur district are bicycles, cycle rickshaws, city buses, auto rickshaws, which are easily available outside the main entrance to the train station.

About Ranthambhore National Park !!!
Ranthambore National Park, derives its name from the majestic Ranthambhore fort, that stands tall at the top of hills, overlooking the Ranthambhore wildlife sanctuary. Ranthambhore's royal past still breathe in some parts of its scary meadows, it was once the hunting grounds of imperial families in the royal estate Rajasthan. There are number of palaces, lakes, chhatris, old fortifications and a large imperial Ranthambhore Fort, overlooking the Ranthambhore National Park. In 1955, the shooting ground of Ranthambhore was declared as the wildlife sanctuary and later was selected as a part of Project Tiger Program. This beautiful preservation of flora and fauna was stated as the National Park of India in 1980 A.D and in 1984 A.D the forest to the south and to the north east of the park were announced as the Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries. Ranthambhore National Park now occupies an area of 1334 sq.km. Several safaris are organized on request for tourists to explore the scary tracks, one can easily spot various animal species, and colourful feathered birds inside the park. The best time to visit the park is between October and April, early mornings and late afternoons are the best times to chase and view wildlife.

Abode to Flora and Fauna !!!
Ranthambhore National Park, provide an adequate environment to flourish the treasures of flora and fauna in its vicinity. The tourists are open to visit the Ranthambhore National Park, which is flecked with cluster of timberland like Banyan, Dhok, peepal, Kardhas, Palas, khair, Ebony, Ber and others such trees. Even the virgin bush that covers the green vegetation of Ranthambhore park, add vibrant colours to its arena. One will be amaze to know that the Ranthambhore supports more than 300 variant trees, 50 species of aquatic plants, 272 species of colourful birds, tigers, hazardous reptiles, jungle cats, leopards, hyena, sloth bear, spotted deer, sambars and two species of antelopes, even the Indian gazelle and blue bull can be seen out here. Ranthambhore Park include a diverse bird life, which encircle large number of eagles, owls, herons, storks, cranes, pelicans, peacock and other migratory birds, that converge during the fall of various seasons. National Park is considered to be one of the best tourist sights to experience the enormous bird population as well as beautiful animal friends. Imagine yourself, how it is going to be like, when you chase ferocious wild tigers at Ranthambhore and see them hunting before your eyes. These are some the thrilling moments that you desperately want to capture on your handy cams.

Ranthambore Fort !!!
The ancient Ranthambhore park is located in the center of National Park. This rugged fort was originally build by the Chauhan Rajputs in the 10th century A.D. The Ranthambhore Fort earned its name from the two ancient hills. Ran, is a hill on the backdrop of the majestic fort and Thanbhor, on which the fort is constructed. Later in the 11th century, its rampart was ruled by the Rana Hamir. Its massive battlements enclose one of the India's most ancient forts. The forts prove to be a vital citadel for the control of central India and over the centuries many wars were fought for its possession. Inside the fort there are three Hindu temples, dedicated to Ganesh, who is most profoundly honored at each corner of the fort and a temple in his honour can be found overlooking its southern ramparts. Traditionally when a marriage has to take place, invitations are forwarded to Lord Ganesh, before any other guests. The temple at the fort receives hundreds of letters each week addressed to the elephant god, some of which include money to enable him to pay for his fare to the marriage celebration. The fort is open daily from 6 am to 5 in the evening.

Wildlife Tips !!!

• Pack your luggage with a pair of comfortable tracking shoes, cap, water bottle, sun-cream lotion.
• Once you are inside the wildlife, do not break the jungle rules, instructions do not feed animals and cause them harm in any way. One can be charged under the Indian penal code.
• A tourist must maintain a distance from ferocious animals and do not tease or provoke them in any way, it could be dangerous. Listen to your guide and obey his instructions.
• A tourist should not wear bright coloured clothes, avoid using strong deodorants and perfumes as it might cause undue attraction and animals may turn violent at times.
• A tourist should not try to get out of jeeps or canters without taking the permission of guides or forest officials.
• Remember to carry binoculars, long zoom cameras, as they will help you to capture animals and birds from a long distance and would help to maintain a space for safe sightseeing.

Safari Options
The best way to explore the various sites and sounds of Ranthambore National Park, will not be more enthusiastic than a jeep safari. The guides on a jeep with a groups of tourists, are allowed into the park at a fixed time, during the morning and evening. The jeeps are thoroughly advised to follow the fixed route, so as to escape the danger of life and other incidents. Apart from jeeps, one can also choose to travel through, open vans, also known as canters, which can carry up to 25 tourists at a single go. The open grasslands, dense bushes, and the ruins of monuments within the park offers lifetime opportunities for sighting wildlife. One can spot tiger, leopard, nilgai, wild pig, sambar, chital and the gaur. Even the colourful feathered birds can be calmly traced here under the shadow of trees. Whereas, the glimpse of a magnificent Royal Bengal Tiger is a sight that cannot be forgotten. Many renowned wildlife experts and photographers especially visit this park to photograph the ferocious tigers of Ranthambore, while they are on a safari track.