The Ranthambhore Bagh [email protected] The Park The Ranthambhore National Park, which is a part of the much larger Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve, lies in the Sawai Madhopur district of eastern Rajasthan. The Chambal River forms a natural boundary of the Park towards the east, and on the eastern shore of Chambal lies the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. To the northeast of the Park, flows the river – Banas, a tributary of Chambal. Across the river Banas, lies the Keladevi sanctuary, while the Sawai Man Singh sanctuary lies to the south of the Park. Both these sanctuaries, like the National Park, are part of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. Today, the reserve spans over 1334 sq. km of area, of which only 282 sq. km is the Ranthambhore National Park. All the safaris in the Reserve are conducted inside the National Park. Few visitors go to the Man Singh or Keladevi sanctuary. Till the mid 20th century, the National park was a private hunting ground for the Maharaja of Jaipur, but was nationalized soon after India gained independence. In 1972, when the Project Tiger was launched, Ranthambhore was one of the “original 9” parks to be earmarked for tiger conservation, under the Project Tiger. Geologically, the region has elements of the Aravalli and Vindhya rock formations. As a result, the terrain is hilly, with wide valleys and plateaus. The park is open to tourists during October-June, and receives more than 50,000 visitors every year from all over the world. How to get there? Sawai Madhopur lies on the Eastern edge of the North Indian state of Rajasthan. It is 440 kilometers to the South West of Delhi, the capital of India, and 190 kilometers South East of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Sawai Madhopur has good road connections with Delhi (8 hours journey via Jaipur – Tonk - Uniara), Jaipur (3 hours drive – via Tonk - Uniara), Agra (6 hours drive – via Bharatpur – Dausa - Lalsot) and Bharatpur (5 hours drive – via Dausa - Lalsot). It also has a good road connection to Ajmer, Pushkar, Bundi, Kota, Jhansi and Orcha. The closest airport is in Jaipur, 170 kilometers away by road. The town has excellent rail connections with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkotta, Nagpur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Udaipur. The town lies on the main Delhi – Mumbai rail link and so, there are many trains a day to Mumbai and Delhi. Visitors from Delhi and Mumbai are advised to take a train, which is not only cheaper and faster but also much more comfortable. (For train details log on to www.indianrail.gov.in) Nearest Airport : Sanganer, Jaipur 170 km Nearest Railway Station : Sawai Madhopur 4 km Weather Sawai Madhopur, with its sub-tropical dry climate, has three very well defined seasons - summers, monsoons and winters. October and March are the time when the weather changes from monsoons to winters and from winters to summers, respectively. Summers: Summers start from the end of March and last through the months of April, May and June. During this season the days are very hot and dry. During May and June the maximum day temperature crosses 40 degrees and the minimum night temperature hovers around 30 degrees. During the day, hot and dry winds blow. These winds are locally known as loo. It is advisable to carry wide-brimmed hats, good coolers, and sunscreen; and take a lot of fluids regularly. Monsoons: The monsoons or the rainy season lasts from July to September, during which the park remains closed. This season is warm and humid, with one or two short thundershowers a week. Often there are long periods (10 to 15 days) with no rains. During such long breaks in the monsoon rains, the weather can get very hot and humid. Winters: The winter season lasts from November to February. The night temperature stays below 10 degrees, while the day temperature hovers around the 20-degree mark. There is often some rain and fog during the mid winters. It is very cold inside the park during winters. Since open topped vehicles are used for park drives, the wind chill adds to the cold. Visitors are strongly advised to carry a lot of warm clothing and protect themselves from the wind chill. Min. Temperature : 2 degree Centigrade Max Temperature : 48 degree Centigrade Avg. annual rainfall : 800 mm Avg. rainy days p.a. : 38 Rainy season : July to September Summer season : April to June Winter season : November to February Best time to visit The park is open to tourists from the 1st of October to the 30th of June. Most of the tourists visit the park between November and March, mainly because the summers heat is unbearable. The period between November and February is excellent for wildlife viewing, when a lot of migratory birds visit the park and the animals are active throughout the day. During the summer months (April to June), when the peak daytime temperature soars over 40 degrees Centigrade, sighting tigers is relatively easier than it is in winters. March is a great compromise between summers and winters and excellent for wildlife viewing. What to carry During the cold season – from November to February – visitors are advised to carry enough warm clothing, jackets, gloves, mufflers etc. Due to the wind chill factor, it often gets very cold during the safaris and a thick wind proof jacket can be a welcome relief. During the summer months – from March to June – it is very hot and loose, cotton clothing is recommended. A wide brimmed hat is nice to have during summers. Sunscreens are a must in summers, when the sun is very strong. Mosquito repellents are required, particularly during October and March, even though Ranthambhore is not a malaria prone area. Binoculars can add a lot of value to ones wildlife viewing. Photographers are advised to carry all the equipment that they would require, as there is little that they can buy locally. Safaris Time – There are two safaris a day from October to June, one in the morning and the second in the evening. Generally speaking, the morning safari starts half and hour after sunrise and the evening safari finishes half an hour before sunset. As a result the timings change slightly every 2 months or so. Each safari is for a duration of three and a half hours. Mode – There are presently two modes of transport for safaris in Ranthambhore – the 4 wheel drive jeeps called Gypsys (which seat up to 6 visitors)and 20 seater safari buses called Canters. A total of 40 vehicles, 20 Gypsys and 20 Canters, are allowed into the park at any one time. Safaris can be booked in advance and since the number of vehicles allowed inside the park are limited, it is recommended to do so. This is particularly true for Gypsys. All these vehicles are registered taxis and are attached to the Forest department though they are owned and run by local people. Vehicles that are not attached to the forest department are not permitted into the park. Zones – Right now the tourism area of the park is divided into 5 different zones. At the time of booking, each vehicle is allotted a zone and they are they not allowed to stray from their allotted zone. Birding Ranthambhore has over 330 species of birds and we are still counting. A keen birder can easily net over 120 species in less than 3 days. Though the park is great for birding but the restrictions that are placed inside tiger reserves, may not appeal to the very serious birders. There are some great birding spots outside the park and here one can walk around, something that you cannot do inside the park. Some of the good birding spots are Surwal dam, Mansarovar lake, Man Singh sanctuary, Banas and Chambal river. Photography Ranthambhore with its varied and beautiful landscapes, excellent light and relatively easy tiger sightings is one of the best parks for photography in India. Best time for photography – According to us the best time for taking pictures in Ranthambhore is from November to February. Not only is the soft winter light excellent during these months but the animals, particularly tigers, are more active during the winter months. However, if you are planning to shoot only tigers, summers (April to June) may be a better time because tigers are more visible during the summers. March is a good compromise between the good light of winters and good tiger sightings of summers. Equipment – There are no camera stores in Ranthambhore and photographers are strongly advised to carry all the equipment, film rolls, batteries etc with them. For the more serious photographers at least one telephoto lens of 300 mm or over is recommended. Carrying a beanbag or a monopod, both of which are more versatile than a tripod is highly recommended. Drivers and guides – There are a few drivers and guides who have worked with excellent photographers and it is really important for photographers to get a right team. Good areas – The good areas for photography are the area of the lakes, Lakkarda, Berda and Lahpur. However, it is advisable to get a local feedback from the park a few days before one start his trip. In case, you want a feed back on the tiger sightings, lighting condition and any other information that may help your photography, just drop us a mail. Camera fees – There are no fees for still cameras in Ranthambhore but a fee of Rs 200 is charged per entry, for video cameras used by non-professionals. A good tip to your driver and guide would go a long way in making your photography trip more fruitful.