The Ranthambore National Park Declared the Sawai Madhopur Wildlife Sanctuary in 1955, the Ranthambhore National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary was a hunting reserve of the Jaipur State in pre-independence days and later became a Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1973. One of the first reserves to come under Project Tiger, the park, inspite of being comparatively small, has an amazing variety of animal species.
The ones that are commonly spotted include Leopard, Jungle Cat, Hyena, Fox, Jackal, Sloth Bear, Wild Boar, Blue Bull (Nilgai) and a wide range from the deer family. With prey like Sambhar, Chinkara (Indian Gazelle) and Chital(Spotted Deer) running around in droves, the predator is bound to be around. Sightings of the magnificent tiger are quite common here because of the comparatively large number of these cats being squeezed into a small area. Tigers usually have demarcated areas but with the shortage in space, they tend to encroach upon each other's space.
So, if in luck, you might be an awestruck witness to some action! For those who like tranquility, the 200 km safari on four different trails, will present an amazing assortment of resident and migratory birds in the area. The avifauna at Ranthambhore comprises of migratory birds like Graylag Goose, Paradise Flycatcher, Pintail and Indian Pitta while the common resident birds are King Vulture, Brown Fish Owl, Great Indian Horned Owl, Crested Serpent Eagle, Bonelli’s Eagle, Parakeets and Panted Stork among others. With such a variety of fauna to watch out for, any amount of time is too less and yet one has to be content with the regulated trips into the park. One has to adhere to the Forest Department's fixed timings for the morning and afternoon trips of three hours each. No private vehicles are allowed into the Park, so hire the jeeps that the resort or hotel arranges for you and be sure to get there early or make an advance booking since only a limited number of vehicles can enter at a time.
* Park entry fee Indians Rs 25, foreigners Rs 20.0 Vehicle entry/hire standard Gypsy/Canter Rs 125, deluxe Gypsy Canter Rs 375. Guide Rs 125. Still camera Rs 25 video camera Rs 200.
Ranthambhore Fort The 1000 year old fort saw many a great battles during the reign of its first ruler, Govind, son of the Legendary Prithviraj Chauhan but due to its location and structure, none of the invaders like Alaudin Khilji, Kutub-ud-din, Feroz Tughlaq or Bahadur Shah of Gujarat could breach its walls.
And yet the fort has a history of Jauhar, a custom in which the queen and all the womenfolk of the kingdom committed mass suicide by jumping into a fire, preferring death to falling prey to the invader's armies.
The Emperor Akbar apparently resided here for a while after the fort changed hands from the Rajputs to the Mughals in 1528. Now in ruins, the Ranthambhore Fort last belonged to the royal family of Jaipur who had received it as a gift from the Mughals in late 17th century.
Even the tremendous disrepair cannot wipe away the glorious past of this mega structure which stands atop a hill and is dotted with summer palaces, cenotaphs, tombs and bauris or stepped-wells.
Although not too impressive, the fort has a few places that hold historical interest, like Toran Dwar, Sameton ki Haveli, the 32 pillared Chhatri and the famous Ganesh Temple which attracts thousands of devotees from far and wide.
The fort is open from dawn to dusk and the entry is free. Jogi Mahal It is unlikely that you would be permitted to stay much rather see this palace which has now been converted to a forest guest house. Once a home to the great conservationist, Fateh Singh Rathore, it is a part of many a folk lore. Water Bodies- Apt for sightings The three main lakes in Ranthambhore are Padam Talao, dotted with pink and white water lilies right in front of Jogi Mahal; Malik Talao and Raj Bagh, where Tigers can be spotted roaming the grass at the edge of the lake in anticipation of a kill owing to the large population of Sambhar, Chital and Wild Boar that frequent this place. You might even be lucky enough to see a Tiger killing its prey around these lakes especially early in the morning and just before sunset since this is when all animals gather at the lake to quench their thirst.
