Sariska National Park is one of the most visited national parks of the country, famous for its main attraction, the Bengal Tiger. The park is spread across 273.8 square kms across mountains, grasslands, dry deciduous forests and cliffs of Aravalli range.
In 2005 no tiger was left in the area. The efforts to reintroduce tiger in the reserve have been successful. Also there is very high potential of eco tourism at Sariska because of the fact that following places of religious and cultural importance are either located inside the sanctuary or in the area adjoining the national park.
The area is rich in mineral resources. In spite of the Supreme Court’s 1991 ban on mining in the area, marble mining continues to threaten the environment.
Sariska Timeline:
- 1955 – Declared Wildlife Sanctuary
- 1979 – Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger.
- 1990 – Wildlife Sanctuary upgraded to National Park
Area & Location:
Sarika National Park is located in Alwar district of Rajasthan, about 107 kms from Jaipur & 200 kms from the capital, Delhi.
Wildlife
Apart from Tiger, Sariska National Park is home to numerous carnivores including Leopard, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Hyena, and Jackal. These feed on an abundance of prey species such as Sambar, Chitel, Nilgai, Chausingha, Wild Boar and Langur. Sariska is also well known for its large population of Rhesus Monkeys, which are found in large numbers around Talvriksh.
The avian world is also well represented with a rich and varied birdlife. These include Peafowl, Grey Partridge, Bush Quail, Sand Grouse, Tree Pie, Golden backed Wood Pecker, Crested Serpent Eagle and the Great Indian Horned Owl.
Nearby Places to See:
- Natural Places to See:
- Siliserh Lake
- Jai Samand Lake
- Garbhaji Waterfall
- Religious Places to See
- Neelkanth Temple: Built in the 6th century, the temple has a collection of erotic statues, bearing a similarity to Khajuraho.
- Pandupol Hanuman Temple
- Bharti Hari
- Parashar ji
- Jahaz
- Tal Vriksha
- Garthi Mamod
- Virat Nagar
- Tijara Jain Temple
- Historical Places to See:
- Kankwadi Fort – A 16th-century fort, originally built by Jai Singh II, located near the centre of the park.
- Fateh Jung Gombad
- Bhangarh Town
- Alwar City Palace
- Kesroli Hill Fort
- Bala Quila
- Neemrana Fort
- Moosi Maharani ki Chhatri
- The Palace Museum
- Thanaghazi
- Kushalgarh
- Ajabgarh
- Tehla
- Baldevgarh