Nov 17, 2007 05:33 PM
19926 Views
(Updated Jan 06, 2009 05:20 PM)
SARISKA NATIONAL PARK Sariska National Park, a forest located near Alwar in Rajasthan is a must watch for all nature lovers. There are 2 ways of reaching Sariska from Delhi: Delhi - Gurgaon - Sohna - Nuh - Firzpur Zirak - Alwar - Sariska(190 kms) & Delhi - Gurgaon - Dharuhera - Behror - Shahpura - Thana Ghazi - Sariska(240 kms). I would recommend you the second route as this one is Delhi - Jaipur Highway and the roads are also very well mantained and broad here unlike the first one. Sariska I guess is the only forest where even your private vehicle is allowed inside the Core Area, everywhere else you have to hire the forest ranger's jeep.
Sariska can be visited anytime of the year exept 3 months ie. from July 1 to September 30, as all the forest are usually closed in rainy season. The park also has another attraction, which very few people know about or have noticed. Around 6 km from Kalighati, when heading into the park, the road gives an impression of sloping down ahead of you. If you shift your vehicle into neutral gear and let it roll, it soon comes to a halt and then starts rolling back in the direction it came from.
What appears to be an uphill incline! Try it out, it's good fun but don't let it shift your focus from the surrounding wildlife for too long, bcoz dont forget that you are in the forest and not any garden. Some places of interest in the forest are Kalighati, Pandupul(Hanuman Mandir), Neelkanth(Shiv Mandir), Siliser Lake(hope I have spelled it correctly), Mansorovar Lake and Kanakwari Fort located on the top of hill. A ruined village located on the outskirts of Sariska known as Bhangarh is a must watch place. And none the less the scenic beauty which will follow you from starting till the end of forest. The entry ticket to Core Area is Rs.25/person and Rs.125/vehicle. But if you want to hire a Gypsy or Jeep, it would cost you Rs.800 for the entire Core Area(excluding Kanakwari Fort & Neelkanth Mandir). And if you want to visit Kanakwari Fort also then the price would be Rs.1700 and if you include Neelkanth mandir also then the price would be Rs.2500. But I would like suggest you guys that if your budget is not a big problem then most definately go for a gypsy tour, because what your guide can show you, you can never explore the forest yourself no matter how many times you have visited the forest. And who knows if you are lucky then you could spot a Leopard from a distance of just 20 or 30 Feet(like we did). One good news is that 2 Tigers have been rehabilitated from Rathambore Forest to Sariska in February. The rules of the forest also say that entry and exit have to be made in the forest after sunrise and before sunset respectively.
*Places to stay:
*- Sariska Palace(Room Rent - Rs.7000/day{starting range})
*Camera Fee:
*- Still camera is free.
- Movie camera will be charged Rs.200.
*Contact:
*Sariska Tiger Reserve -(0144)2841333
And finally "Follow The Rules", "Take Precautions" & "Have A Safe Journey". Enjoy!
