"Truly the woods are lovely dark and deep, as the wild
world beckons you to unravel it's splendid mysteries".
Once
a royal reserve of the rulers of Alwar, Sariska National Park is located
amongst the dry deciduous forests. It was declared a sanctuary in 1955 and
became a Tiger Reserve in 1979.
Sariska itself is a wide valley with two large plateaus and is dotted with
places of historical and religious interest, including the ruins of the
Kankwari Fort, the 10th century Neelkanth temples, the Budha Hanumab Temple
near Pandupol, the Bharthari Temple near the park office, and the hot and
cold springs of Taalvriksh. The large Siliserh Lake is at the north-eastern
corner. The forests are dry deciduous, with trees of Dhak, Acacia, Ber and
Salar.
Known for it's tigers.......
The Tigers that inhabit Sariska are largely nocturnal and are not as easily
seen as those of
Ranthambhore.
The forests are lush during and immediately following the monsoon, but
during the dry months of February May there is a shortage of water and in
consequence mammals are attracted to water holes. At this time of year
visibility is good because of the sparse foliage. Sariska national park is
excellent for birdwatching and has an unusually large population of
Indian Peacock.
The hides have been carefully located near the water holes in the park.
These provide fine opportunities for viewing and photographing wildlife.
Splendid ruins scattered in the vicinity of Sariska give it an added
interest.
Flora
In the Aravalli hill range, this reserve has some of the last dry tropical
and thorn forests of the region and a sizeable population of fauna of the
semi-arid region. The has a good network of roads, tracks and waterholes,
the latter providing excellent places to view animals and birds, especially
in the hot summer months.
Fauna
Rhesus
macaque, langur, nilgai, sambar, chital, wild boar, jackal, ruddy mongoose,
hare, lizard and occasionally a tiger or leopard may be seen The attractive
Indian pitta comes here to nest in the summer, while tree pies, partridges,
spurfowl and peafowl are resident, year-round attractions. 9th and 10th
century temples and forts add historical interest Can look out for herds of
sambar, chital, nilgai and sounders of wild boar and predators like the
tiger and leopard, move around in the 765.80 sq km Reserve.Hyena, jungle
cat, and caracal are the other carnivores. Interestingly enough, the dhole
or wild dog has been sighted in the Park only in the last few years.
General Information :
Best time to visit : Open throughout the year , the season being
November to June.
Accommodation : Sariska Palace Heritage
Nearest Town : Alwar ( 36 km)
How to get there? : Sariska is a 3 hour drive from Delhi and can
also be reached via Jaipur.
