With the nearest railhead being Sawai Madhopur, Ranthambhore is undoubtedly one of the largest National Parks in Northern India. It was initially established as Sawai Madhopur Game Santuary and was declared as a Project Tiger Reserve. It covers a whooping 392sq kms and attracts tourists from far and wide to watch the majestic beast in its jungles.
I along with a few friends had a recent chance to visit this beautiful place which happens to be a paradise for the naturalists and the shutterbugs alike. We got off at the beautiful Sawai Madhopur station which has a charm of its own. Don’t miss out on watching the main building which is elegantly styled adding grace and enhancing the Rajasthani lure. From the station we proceeded to our hotels, with our mode of transport being canters which are actually open buses that one takes while on a safari. We realized that we had already started our wildlife adventure just by being seated in these vehicles. During our short trip to the hotel our driver who happened to be very friendly and jovial was telling us about the latest sightings at the park and many other wildlife incidences.
We were well received at our hotel where we retired to our rooms for freshening up and later assembled for snacks ready for our first venture into the famed national park. We had decided that our first trip inside the park would be to visit the impressive Ranthambore Fort which is located within the national park. One will undoubtedly come across this massive structure on their way into the core areas. The canters will drop you off at the base of the Fort, it is then a short hike uphill through the fort walls along a cobble stoned path. Be careful with your belongings as the first wildlife you will definitely come across is the Hanuman Langur. It is also impossible to miss out on the stunning peacocks that continuously call out to their better halves. If you get lucky you could even get to see the enchanting courtship display dance in full splendor and grace.
While walking up the path inside the fort you will realize that the fort was very well fortified with the doorways being built on blind sides so that it could not be easily seen by the enemy. Once at the summit you will come across various temples built in the ancient times which still hold their stance and faith amongst people. One famous temple which attracts crowds from afar is the temple of Pratham Ganesh or the Trinetra Ganesh. Lord Ganesh is the God of GooD Fortune, Education, Knowledge, Wisdom and Wealth and it is a common belief here that all wishes are granted. The temple itself is well maintained with prayer offerings on a timely basis. There is also a wonderful temple at the top which is sure to take your breath away, an added charm to this was that we came across a carpet of parakeets (rose ringed, plum headed and Alexandrian parakeets) feeding on grains. My…!! What a spectacular sight it was; so much of green mixed with red.. and a constant hum.
There is a pedestal specially made for viewing the entire park which is spread out in front of you as far as the eyes can see. You could easily get to see it on your way back. Three large lakes, the Padam Talab, Malik Talab and Raj Bagh, are visible from the fortification walls and contribute to a landscape of forests which is sure to leave you spellbound. We now knew what exactly we were looking forward to, venturing into the vastness of the jungles with the anticipation of getting the chance to watch the magnificent beast in its territory. With added excitement we headed back to our hotel to prepare ourselves for our first morning safari.
The following morning we had a light breakfast and our canters were waiting for us at the hotel to take us for the safari. With our backpacks readied and our cameras charged we were all set for our venture. The park gates open at 6:00 am and we had to reach before the stipulated time in order to get our zone allotments. (The entire park is divided into 6 zones, one safari will take you across only one zone and zone allotment is done by the park officials. It could also happen that you could end up getting the same zone again. For the permission of a safari one has to submit their details, photograph and id proof; it can be given to your hotel manager or at the park check post.)
On getting our zone allotments, we proceeded into the park with all our senses on alert to try and catch a glimpse of the awaking wildlife. We slowly made our way into the core area hoping to get a hint of the predator on the prowl, we came across impressive herds of Chital deer or the spotted deer basking in the sun and grazing undisturbed. We got to see two male Chitals with striking antlers dueling for courtship, it sounded as if swords were clashing in battle. Moving on, we came across a variety of birds, the largest deer viz the Sambar deer and even a few Nilgai (Blue Bull) which are the largest Asian antelopes. Unfortunately we didn’t come across the magnificent predators on this safari, or the ones after that. It was only on our fourth Safari that luck was on our side, our joy new no bounds.
We entered the jungle heated by the afternoon’s sun for our last venture into the national park, praying that we have good sightings in this safari. The safari was the same as before, similar sightings, but no predator, with dampened spirits we started our return journey to the outer gates. No sooner had the vehicle turned; our trained canter guide picked up the alarm calls which were absolutely inaudible to us. He made the driver stop, we realized that he had heard the movement of the predator. With our hearts crossed and absolute silence we tried to take our guides lead, slowly we could hear the alarm calls surer and clearly moving towards us. After almost an hour of waiting in anticipation we were gifted with the sight of the largest male tiger in Ranthambore. Like royalty, he strode towards us without any haste through the dried river bed. We were all holding our breaths, unsure of which course this handsome guy was going to take, it was as if the angels were looking down on us, the impressive beast had started going uphill. Our guide asked our driver to move from that place and go uphill in order to get a better glimpse. With an adrenaline rush and maddening beats in our ear we reached the spot where we were about to get a closer glimpse. True to the guides words the tiger came walking up the path in full splendor. He stretched a little as if trying to tease us and started walking away, after a few steps he marked his territory and gave us an absolutely captivating glance. He stood in the only path of the dying sunlight, which made his fur glisten like jewels, it was the most enchanting sight which I doubt I will ever forget. Unfortunately the encounter was brief as we had to return to the gates as the safari time was up.
We were hastily returning, animatedly talking about our recent sightings; which was definitely the highlight of the entire trip. But little did we know that there was more in store for us, as luck would have it, we chanced on spotting the timid yet stealthy and attractive leopard just a hundred meters away from us. Though we didn’t capture it on cam because of the dying light, we definitely captured this beast in our hearts and mind. The trip to Ranthambore had ended on a beautiful note.
We entered the jungle heated by the afternoon’s sun for our last venture into the national park, praying that we have good sightings in this safari. The safari was the same as before, similar sightings, but no predator, with dampened spirits we started our return journey to the outer gates. No sooner had the vehicle turned; our trained canter guide picked up the alarm calls which were absolutely inaudible to us. He made the driver stop, we realized that he had heard the movement of the predator. With our hearts crossed and absolute silence we tried to take our guides lead, slowly we could hear the alarm calls surer and clearly moving towards us. After almost an hour of waiting in anticipation we were gifted with the sight of the largest male tiger in Ranthambore. Like royalty, he strode towards us without any haste through the dried river bed. We were all holding our breaths, unsure of which course this handsome guy was going to take, it was as if the angels were looking down on us, the impressive beast had started going uphill. Our guide asked our driver to move from that place and go uphill in order to get a better glimpse. With an adrenaline rush and maddening beats in our ear we reached the spot where we were about to get a closer glimpse. True to the guides words the tiger came walking up the path in full splendor. He stretched a little as if trying to tease us and started walking away, after a few steps he marked his territory and gave us an absolutely captivating glance. He stood in the only path of the dying sunlight, which made his fur glisten like jewels, it was the most enchanting sight which I doubt I will ever forget. Unfortunately the encounter was brief as we had to return to the gates as the safari time was up.
We were hastily returning, animatedly talking about our recent sightings; which was definitely the highlight of the entire trip. But little did we know that there was more in store for us, as luck would have it, we chanced on spotting the timid yet stealthy and attractive leopard just a hundred meters away from us. Though we didn’t capture it on cam because of the dying light, we definitely captured this beast in our hearts and mind. The trip to Ranthambore had ended on a beautiful note.
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