Sariska Tiger Reserve

The Sariska Tiger Reserve was initially a royal hunting preserve of the Alwar territory. It was declared a tiger reserve becoming it a part of India's Project Tiger in 1978, and subsequently a national park in 1990. The park is the most famous for inhabiting the Royal Bengal Tigers, that were relocated there when the original inhabitants became extinct. In fact, it is the first reserve in the world with successfully relocated tigers. In 2003, 16 tigers lived in the park. However, no tigers were spotted in 2004, and any endeavor to identify them through indirect signs proved fruitless. In January 2005, it was reported that there were no tigers left in Sariska, and poaching was blamed for this disappearance. In 2005, the Government of Rajasthan, in cooperation with the Government of India and Wildlife Institute of India, planned the re-introduction of tigers to the reserve. The first aerial translocation of the male tiger from Ranthambore to Sariska was carried out on 28 June 2008 by helicopter. As of October 2018, there are 18 tigers including five cubs. Apart from the Bengal tiger, the reserve includes many wildlife species including Indian leopard, jungle cat, caracal, striped hyena, golden jackal, chital, sambar deer, nilgai, wild boar, small Indian civet, Javan mongoose, ruddy mongoose, honey badger, Rhesus macaque and Northern plains gray langur and Indian hare. Sariska is also famous for its’ birds with some of the rarest feathered species like grey partridge, white-throated kingfisher, golden-backed woodpecker, crested serpent eagle and the Indian eagle-owl. Other than flora and fauna, the national park also encompass the ruins of 11th centuries ‘Garh-Rajor’ temple and the 17th-century ‘Kankwari’ fort on the hill where Emperor Aurangzeb imprisoned his brother and which offers a beautiful view of soaring vultures and eagles. Then there is the ‘Sariska Palace Resort’, the former royal hunting lodge and currently a hotel, and the Neelkanth Temples from 6th to 13th century AD that are a must visit despite of their dilapidated condition. In addition, it is one of the alone forest area in the entire western Aravalli hills which is enriched with flora.

The Sariska National Park is located in the Alwar district in the state of Rajasthan, India. Initially encompassing an area of 273.8 square kilometers, the park now stretches to an extensive 881 square kilometers with arid forests, dry deciduous forests, grasslands, and rocky hills. It is a part of the Aravalli Range and the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests' ecoregion. It circles the Siliserh Lake and the Jai Samand Lake, which are home to various creatures of land and water. The park is situated 40 kilometers from Alwar, 106 kilometers away from Hindaun, 107 kilometers from Jaipur, 124 kilometers from Bharatpur, 179 kilometers from Agra and 200 kilometers from Delhi. The park is well connected by road and buses operate by the Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation (RSRTC) and other private operators in the area from all major cities of the state and nearby. The nearest railway station is the Alwar Railway Station, situated 38 kilometers away from the park, and it connects all the important cities of India like Jaipur, Delhi, Kolkata, Indore, Mumbai, Kota and many more. The nearest airport to the park is the Jaipur International Airport at 110 kilometers, from where buses and taxis are available to reach the reserve.

The Sariska Tiger Reserve provides for two types of safari: the six seater jeep safari and the twenty seater canter safari. The safaris are scheduled twice a day and their timing differs according to the seasons. In the winter months from October to February, the morning safari is scheduled from 06:30 am to 10:30 am and the afternoon safari is scheduled from 01:30 pm to 06:00 pm. Similarly, during the months of March to June, the safari timings are 06:00 am to 10:00 am in the morning and 02:00 pm to 06:30 pm in the evening. All the procedures of Sariska Safari booking for Jeeps and Canters are fully administered and managed by the forest officials of the Sariska Tiger Reserve. The safari can be arranged at the Forest Reception Office on Jaipur Road. No private vehicles are allowed inside the park, and jeeps with less than five tourists would not be allowed to enter, unless under a specified permission and extra charges. A maximum of 12 jeeps and canters are allowed within the park in a single shift. The required bookings must be done at least 60 days before, and it is non-transferrable and non-refundable. The visitors can choose the mode according to the size and needs of the group. Both the jeep and the canter are an excellent way to spot the wildlife, however, jeep is more preferred by photographers and adventurous wildlife enthusiasts. In addition, one can even book a 'hide' overlooking one of the water holes, and research paper writer also provides an excellent opportunity for wildlife viewing and wildlife photography within the Reserve.

Sariska Tiger Reserve experiences monsoon from July to September. As monsoon is occasional here, at some point of time it receives very heavy rainfall and sometime no rainfall. However, as per the rules, the park remains closed during these three months, or is only partially opened. The summer, ranging March to June, sees extremes of temperatures, with the maximum temperature reaching 49 ̊C. The weather therefore, is hot and humid. As a result, it is also the best time to view the animals who are out of their habitat in the blazing heat. The months from October to February mark the winter season. These months are mild and pleasant, with the temperature ranging between 15 ̊C to 25 ̊C. Therefore, the best time to visit the park is during the winter months, especially November to February. However, for photographers and those who could bear the desert heat, the best time to visit the park is the summer season, as most of the wild are sight under the sun.

Sariska Tiger Reserve is one of the most important sanctuaries in the country, and also the first to have successfully relocated tigers. The park not only boasts of variety of flora and fauna found within it, but also the historical ruins that are present within it. It has a different thrill attached to it, due to the presence of wild carnivores like the tigers, leopard, wild dog, jungle cat, hyena, jackal, etc. in such rocky and arid environment. The only green area in the Aravalli region, the sanctuary is a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts and serves as the untainted getaway for the tourists looking for peacefulness and endless spans of widely varied vegetation in the Thar Desert.