It is now a prime tiger country. The present area of the Reserve is 866kms which is divided into dry deciduous forests, steep cliffs, grasslands and rocky landscape. The two main types of forest present are tropical dry deciduous forest and tropical thorn forest.

The main species of flora here are the Dhok (Anogeissues pendula) trees which cover nearly 90 percent area of the forest. The other types of trees are Kattha (Acacia Catechu) and Bamboo which are common in the valleys. Dhak (Butea monosperma) and Ber (Zizyphus spp) are also found in the valleys. Salar (Boswellia serreta) and Gol ( Lannea coromandelica) grow at rocky patches. Besides there, some other notable trees are Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), Gugal (Commiphora wightii), Kadaya (Sterculia urens) and Bargad (Ficus benghalensis). Shrubs such as Kair (Capparis deciduas), Adusta (Adhatoda vesica) and Jhar ber (Ziziphus nummularis) are plentiful.

A variety of other wild animals like leopard, jungle cat, caracal, striped hyena, golden jackal, chital, sambhar, blue bull, chinkara, wild boar, hare and langur are found here apart from the tiger. The Sariska National Park is home to India’s largest population of peafowl, harbours quail, sand grouse, golden-backed woodpeckers and crested serpent eagles along with many other species of birds. Moreover, the Siliserh lake on the edge of the park has a large number of replies including crocodiles.

The reserve also houses several places of historical importance. The ancient Kankwari Fort is situated in the middle of the Reserve. It was originally built by Jai Singh II. The Mughal emperor Aurangzeb briefly imprisoned his brother, Dara Shikoh, here in the struggle for succession of the throne. There’s also a famous temple of Lord Hanuman which is situated at Pandupol which was believed to be one of the retreats of the Pandavas. Archaelogical treasures, Nilkanth and Garh Rajor of 9th and 10th century are ruins of Shiva and Jain temples, contemporary of the world famous Khajuraho. Nilkanth temples were built by the Bargujars.

Whether you love wildlife watching, visiting medieval palaces, enjoying the exciting jeep safaris or just go shopping in the surrounding areas, Sariska Tiger Reserve will offer you all this and much more.

The entire city is built out of yellow sand and yellow sandstone due to which it came to be known as “the Golden City”. The old city was completely encircled by a wall but much of it has crumbled sadly for want of building material in recent years. Just like all the other cities in Rajasthan, Jaisalmer also has its own glorious past.

According to the legends, the then Rajpur ruler of Jaisalmer, Maharawal Jaisal Singh founded the city at the behest of a local hermit named Eesaal, whom he respected a lot. In order to ensure his safety he built the fort on the Trikut hill because its location made it quite inaccessible and he could keep a watch on his surroundings. This helped him to know the movements on his enemies well in advance. The main source of income of the Bhatti Rajput rulers in the past was through the collection of taxes from the passing caravans. Jaisalmer was situated on one of the very important routes which connected India to several counties including Persia, Egypt, Africa and many western countries. Thus, it was a very busy business route and provided ample opportunity for the Bhatti rulers to collect taxes and amass huge wealth.

Due to its peculiar location, it remained out of bounds of any invaders for a long time. Only when the Bhatti Rajput rulers dared to loot the imperial caravan carrying treasures of Ala-ud-din Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi, they incurred this wrath. He led a siege around Jaisalmer to concur it and the siege lasted for 9 long years. In the final battle for their independence, the then ruler of Jaisalmer, Raja Jaisimha ‘s son Duda died while fighting the forces of the sultan. In the subsequent years, the rulers of Jaisalmer maintained good relations with the Mughal emperors. However, they did not accept the British rule easily. In fact, Jaisalmer rulers were the last to sign the Instrument of Agreement with the British Government.

Besides being a place of historical importance, Jaisalmer is still a living town and a major tourist attraction in Rajasthan. Unlike other forts, a quarter of the town’s population still lives inside the fort. This spectacular fort houses a royal palace (Raj Mahal), Jain temples and many sites worth visiting. The walls of the fort are constructed out of red sandstone which assumes a lovely honey-gold hue as the sun sets.

The people of Jaisalmer are very hospitable and are gifted with a lot of folk music, dance and art forms. The main means of transport in this part of the country are camels. One can enjoy a camel ride during a visit to this place.

Jaisalmer has also got a rich cultural heritage and to display its rich past, the place has got a museum dedicated to the many artifacts used in the by-gone era. People interested in history would definitely enjoy a visit to this Government museum. In addition, there are mansions known as Havelis which used to the abodes of the rich, famous and powerful people belonging to the Raj Darbar of the rulers. These beautiful havelis were very well-crafted and are a piece of art and architecture of that time. Some of the most famous havelis are Patwon-ki-Haveli, Salman Sigh-ki-Haveli, Nathmalhi-ki-Haveli and Haveli Shreenath. A visit to these havelis will give you an idea of how lavishly the rich and powerful of that era lived.

People of Rajasthan are mostly vegetarian but they do prepare, serve and enjoy a variety of delicacies in their everyday life. A visit to Jaisalmer will definitely be satisfying to your culinary appetite besides capturing you with its magnificent sites and architecture. A visit to Jaisalmer will definitely prove memorable in all respects.

Ranthambhore was established as the Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955 by the Government of India, and was declared one of the Project Tiger reserves in 1973. Ranthambhore became a national park in 1980. In 1984, the adjacent forests were declared the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and Keladevi Sanctuary, and in 1991 the tiger reserve was enlarged to include Sawai Man Singh and Keladevi sanctuaries.

The park lies at the edge of a plateau, and is bounded to the north by the Banas River and to the south by the Chambal River. There are several lakes in the park. It is named for the historic Ranthambhore fortress, which lies within the national park. The park covers an area of 392 km², and is famous for its tiger population, and is one of India’s Project Tiger reserves. Other major wild animals include the tiger, leopard, nilgai, dhole, wild boar, sambar, hyena, sloth bear and chital. It is also home to wide variety of trees, plants, birds and reptiles. Ranthambore is also the site for one of the largest banyan trees in India.

Flora and Fauna

Ranthambore National Park is famous for its Tigers and is a favorite with photographers. For a relatively small area, the park has a rich diversity of fauna and flora – species list includes 300 trees, 50 aquatic plants, 272 birds, 12 reptiles including the Marsh Crocodile & amphibians and 30 mammals.

For the wildlife savvy, Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary today offers an intense diversity of flora and fauna. Tigers, the park’s pride makes it one of the best places in the country to observe them. Apart from that a large numbers of Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Gazzelle, Boars, Mongoose, Indian Hare, Monitor Lizards and a large number of birds.

The landscape is dotted with ancient Banyan Trees, Dhok & Pipal trees, clusters of mango trees and crisscrossed with evergreen belts. The terrain is made up of massive rock formations, steep scarps, perennial lakes and streams and forest suddenly opening up into large areas of Savannah. The terrain of Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary fluctuates between impregnable forests and open bush land. The forest is the typically dry deciduous type, with Dhok, being the most prominent tree.

Climate

Ranthambore National Park is open from 1st October to 30th June (July – September closed to visitors). A good time to visit is between November and May when the nature of the dry deciduous forests makes sightings common.

Get in

Nearest Town is Sawai Madhopur, situated on the Delhi-Mumbai railway line and also linked with Jaipur and Agra by rail.

Near by Airports – Jaipur and Kota.

Distance by rail: Delhi – 362 km, Agra – 227 km, Bombay 1027 km, Kota – 108 km, Jaipur – 132 km

Distance by road: Delhi – 480 km (via Dausa), Jaipur – 180 km (via Tonk)

Fees/Permits

At the entrance to the park you will have to pay ONLY for usage of your video-camera. Foto-cameras are used free of charge.

See

• National Park (Ranthambore National Park), Rajasthan (Sawai Madhopur). Ranthambore National Park located in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan is one of the most visited wildlife parks in India. The main attractions of Ranthambore National Park are its tiger and bird population. The main faunas of Ranthambore are Tigers, Leopards, Striped Hyenas, Sambar deer, Chital, Nilgai, Common or Hanuman langurs, Macaques, Jackals, Jungle cats, Caracals, Sloth bears, Black bucks, Rufoustailed Hare, Indian Wild Boar, Chinkara, Common Palm Civets or Toddy cat, Coomon Yellow Bats, Desert Cats, Fivestriped Palm Squirrels, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Mole Rats, Indian Porcupines, Longeared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose. Various species of reptiles are also found in this park. edit

• Ranthambhore Fort, (13 Km from Sawai Madhopur Railway station). Founded in 944 and initially named “Ranath Bhawar Garh” which means “a place of Rajput warriors”.

Do

Take all the safaris you can (in the morning at 6:30 and in the afternoon at 14:30). You need a certain amount of luck to see a tiger (about 1 in 4 chance), but there are plenty of other wonderful sights. It is better to book the safaris while booking your hotel.

You can go to the safari in wheel drive jeeps called “Gypsys” (which seat up to 6 visitors) and 20 seater safari buses called “Canters”. Jeep safaris cost a bit more, but jeeps are more mobile and everything is better seen from them.

At the entrance to the Park your guide goes to the drawing procedure in order to get one of several roads you will be allowed to drive (since the park is a nature reserve only a limited number of cars can enter it and they are obliged to follow only one route). A good guide asks also a representative of the tourist group to be present at this procedure.

History

In the Puranas, the region has been referred to as Arbudaranya, (“forest of Arbhu“) and ‘Abu’ is a dimunitive of this ancient name. It is believed that sage Vasishtha retired to the southern spur at Mount Abu following his differences with sage Vishvamitra.

Get in

Mount Abu is a part of Sirohi district of Rajasthan. The nearest railhead is Abu Road, about 25 kms away, in the lowlands. Abu Road is on the railway line from Ahmedabad to Marwar Junction (onwards to Jaipur and Delhi or Jodhpur).

At Abu Road, car-taxis and cabs are available as well as state transport and private buses to take you to Mt Abu.

See

• Dilwara Temples Beautiful Jain temples, carved of white marble, built between the 11th and 13th centuries AD.

• Toadrock
• Nakki Lake
• Sunset Point
• Brahma Kumari’s Universal Peace Hall And University
• Guru Shikhar At 1722 meters above sea level, this is the highest peak of the Aravali range
• Achalgarh A short distance away, a fort built in the 14th century by Rana Kumbha of Mewar. Also houses Jain temples, Achaleswar Mahadev Temple (1412AD) and the Kantinath Temple (1513AD)
• Adhar Devi Temple
• Shri Raghunathji Temple
• Peace Park

Do

There is nothing specific to buy, As a Tourist Place, people use to buy Clothes and Others Household range of Products, which are brought from big cities like Ahmedabad, Baroda and Other big cities of Rajasthan.

It is known for its Rajput-era palaces. Particularly famous is the Lake Palace, which covers an entire island in the Pichola Lake. Many of the palaces have been converted into luxury hotels.

History

Udaipur was the capital of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, ruled by Ranawats of the Sisodia clan. The founder of Udaipur was Rana Udai Singh. The ancient capital of Mewar was Chittor or Chittorgarh, located on the Banas River northeast of Udaipur. Legend has it that Maharana Udai Singh came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and asked him to build a palace on the spot and it would be well protected. Udai Singh established a residence there. In 1568 the Mughal emperor Akbar captured Chittor, and Udai Singh moved the capital to the site of his residence, which became the city of Udaipur.

Getting In

Udaipur is well connected to the world through land, rail and air.

Road : The city falls on the Golden Quadrilateral, lying midway between Delhi and Mumbai on National Highway (NH) 8; it is around 650 kilometres from either metro. The roads in this part of the country are paved and fit for private vehicles. One can either drive from Jaipur (around 6 hours) or Ahmedabad (3.5 hours), or take a Rajasthan Tourism bus from India Gate in Delhi. It also falls on East West Corridor which starts from Porbandar and ends at Silchar and is intersecting the Golden Quadrilateral and shares the common space from Udaipur to Chittor.

Air : Dabok airport, also known as Maharana Pratap Airport, is 24 kilometres from the city centre. Daily Indian Airlines flights connect Udaipur with Jodhpur, Jaipur, Aurangabad, Mumbai & Delhi. There are daily flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur on Jet Airways, Indian Airlines and Kingfisher Airlines. The airport is going through modernisation project and will soon have a new terminal building with an additional 4 stands. The airport has been confirmed as an International airport by the Government of India.

Train : Train connectivity is established between Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad through trains run by Indian Railway. Recently Udaipur got connected with Delhi, Kota and Mathura with the “Mewar Express” on broadgauge tracks. In August 2007 Udaipur was connected with Kolkatta, by the “Ananya Express”. A train has also been introduced between Mumbai and Udaipur via Vadodara, Ratlam and Chittorgarh. Udaipur lacks direct connectivity to South India, and one has to reach it either via Kota or Ahmedabad.

Local transport : Unmetered taxis, auto rickshaws, tongas, city bus, and regular city bus service is available for Udaipur City main roads to Dabok Airport, Badi Lake, and Bedala.

Places of interest

City Palace Udaipur

Standing on the east bank of Lake Pichola is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic views of “Jag Niwas” (the Lake Palace Hotel), Jag Mandir on one side and on the other the city of Udaipur. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate – the Tripolia, built in 1725. The way now leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens. There is a Suraj Gokhda, where the maharanas of Mewar presented themselves in the times of trouble to the people to restore confidence. The Mor-chowk (Peacock courtyard), gets its name from the mosaics in glass decorating its walls. The chini chitrashala is noteworthy while a series of wall paintings of Krishna are on display in Bhim Vilas. There are numerous other palaces such as Dilkhush mahal, Sheesh mahal, Moti mahal and Krishna vilas – in memory of a princess of striking beauty who poisoned herself to avert a bloody battle for her hand by rival princes. Now the palace contains many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils and attracts thousands of visitors every day. The former guesthouse of the city palace, Shiv Niwas and the Fateh Prakash Palace have been converted into heritage hotels.

Lake Palace

Originally known as the Jag Niwas, took three years to build and was inaugurated in 1746. Nothing but marble is used in the composition of this palace. Lake Palace is now a luxury hotel owned by Taj Group of Hotels.

Jag Mandir

Another island in the Lake Pichola, which is known for its garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father.

City Palace and Museum

Pratap Museum, While entering the City palace the straight way go to the Government Pratap Museum housed with old sculptures and inscriptions. The antique paintings of Mewar, the turban of prince Khurram later on called Shah Jahan, who built the world famous Taj Mahal has also been displayed here as a token of friendship of Maharana Khazan Singh. Next to Fateh Prakash Palace, houses glass and mirror works.

Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal

A museum of folk arts. Also hosts puppet shows in its auditorium.

Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti Magri

Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse “Chetak”. More details are available at Maharanapratap.net, a collection of facts and figures on Maharana Pratap and his life.

Sajjangarh Fort

The summer resort of the Maharajas is atop the hill overlooking all the lakes. This palace had a way to collect rain water for consumption all year around.

Sukhadia Circle

Sukhadia Circle (Square), Udaipur, a large roundabout in the city’s northern suburb of Panchwati, on the road to Ranakpur and Mt. Abu. The centrepiece of the Circle is a large, three-tiered fountain just over 21 m. high, with scalloped dishes surmounted by a wheat-ear motif, representing prosperity. Illuminated at night, it is now a well-known landmark. Its foundation was laid in 1968 and was opened in 1970. The Circle is a popular recreational centre and meeting place. A circular pond surrounds the fountain; nearby are pleasant gardens. Families and friends come together, especially at night, when music plays, and dozens of food, cold drinks and tea stalls do a flourishing trade. Children particularly enjoy the experience: they float toy boats in the central pond, where odd duck-shaped pedallos (paddle boats) vie for space; there is even a mini train nearby. Sukhadia Circle commemorates the memory of Udaipur’s MOHAN LAL SUKHADIA, one-time Chief Minister of Rajasthan and a native of Udaipur.

Jagdish Temple

A temple situated in the middle of the city – a big tourist attraction, the temple of Jagannath Rai, now called Jagdish-ji, is a major monument. It is raised on a tall terrace and was completed in 1651. It attaches a double storeyed Mandapa (hall) to a double – storied, saandhara (that having a covered ambulatory) sanctum. The mandapa has another storey tucked within its pyramidal samavarna (bell – roof) while the hollow clustered spire over the sanctum contains two more, non – functional stories. Lanes taking off from many of the sheharpanah (city wall) converge on the Jagdish Temple. It was built by Maharana Jagat Singh Ist in 1651 A.D. It is an example of Indo – Aryan architecture.

Fateh Sagar Lake

Fateh Sager Lake is a vicinity for young lovers, it is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh, As lot of destruction was caused by heavy rains.In the year 1993-1994,the water vanished from the lake and again in the year 2005-2006, the lake regaind its water.The lake is tried directly to connect with mansivacal dam so that it doesnot suffer any type of water problem again in future.

Lake Pichola

The Sapphire Udaipur : Lake Pichola is a lake that has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II after he discovered Rajasthan “Udaipur”. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace of Udaipur (Bansi Ghat). In the heart of lake, the Lake Palace stands, which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel. This palace hotel is considered to be 3 decades old in the history of Udaipur. The Lake remains fairly shallow, at the time of heavy rains, and gets dry easily at the time of severe drought. A hermit is said to have advised the Maharana to establish his kingdom over Lake Pichola, after the fall of Chittaurgarh by Mughal emperor Akbar.

Saheliyon-ki-Bari

Sahelion Ki Bari’ was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry. The gardens set below the embankment of the Fateh Sagar Lake have beautiful lotus pools, marble pavilions and elephant- shaped fountains. These fountains are fed by the water of the lake gushing through ducts made for the purpose. Each water channel has its distinct sound and the mingling of these sounds complement the ambience of the place.

Udaipur Solar Observatory

Asia’s only solar observatory, the Udaipur Solar Observatory is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatehsagar and the main office building is located at its NW-shore near Bari Road – Rani Road Junction. The site is run under PRL (Physical Reaserch Lab) in Ahemdabad. The sky conditions at Udaipur are quite favourable for solar observations. The large water body surrounding the telescopes decreases the amount of heating of the surface layers. This decreases the turbulence in the air mass and thereby improves the image quality and seeing. The main objective of obtaining the high spatial and temporal resolution observations of solar photospheric and chromospheric.

The city is known as the Sun City for the bright, sunny weather it enjoys all year. It is also referred as the Blue City, due to the indigo tinge of the whitewashed houses around the Mehrangarh Fort. Jodhpur lies near the geographic center of Rajasthan state, which makes it a convenient base for travel in a region much frequented by tourists. The old city of Jodhpur is surrounded by a thick stone wall.

History

Jodhpur was founded in 1459 by Rao Jodha, a Rajput chief of to the Rathore clan. Rao Jodha succeeded in conquering the surrounding territory and thus founded a state which came to be known as Marwar. As Rao Jodha hailed from the nearby town of Mandore, that town initially served as the capital of this state; however, Jodhpur soon took over that role, even during the lifetime of Rao Jodha. The city was located on the strategic road linking Delhi to Gujarat. This enabled it to profit from a flourishing trade in opium, copper, silk, sandals, date palms and coffee.

Early in its history, the state became a fief under the Mughal Empire, owing fealty to them while enjoying some internal autonomy. During this period, the state furnished the Mughals with several notable generals such as Maharaja Jaswant Singh. Jodhpur and its people benefited from this exposure to the wider world: new styles of art and architecture made their appearance and opportunities opened up for local tradesmen to make their mark across northern India.

Get in

Jodhpur is well connected by road, rail and air to all major cities and towns.

By plane Connected by air from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Udaipur; the airport is about 5 km from the city centre

By train Jodhpur is an important division of the North Western zone of the Indian Rail network . It is well connected by direct trains from all metros and major cities in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner, Ajmer, Alwar, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, Gaya, Kolkata, Indore, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patiala, Chandigarh, Kalka, Jammu, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.

By bus Jodhpur can be reached by RSRTC (Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation) buses and private luxury buses which operate from all major towns and cities in Rajasthan as well as the cities of Ahmedabad and Delhi.

Get around

Means of transport include

• Tourist Cabs (Taxis) – ply on a minimum distance/hour per day basis

• Mini buses – public transport is available but chaotic and not advisable except when on a shoestring budget
• Car Rental – Visit Jodhpur by Car. There are many Car Rental Companies available which Provide world Class Services.

• Enterprises Car Rental a reputation luxury car rentals service.

• Auto Rickshaws (unmetered) – negotiate before you board one
• Tongas – horse driven carriages

See

• Mehrangarh Fort Mehrangarh Fort dominates the city and is the largest fort in all Rajasthan. Founded in 1458 as the site of Rao Jodha’s new capital — hence the name, Jodhpur — the city has grown around it, and in the 500 years that have passed the fort has never been taken by force. It’s easy to see why: it occupies the entire top of a 150-meter hill with commanding views all around, with some three kilometers of massive ramparts built around the edges.

• Moti Mahal (Pearl Hall). Pearl-colored inside and decorated with colored glass windows, this is where the Maharaja held his audiences, with the five alcoves on the far wall allowing his queens to listen in.

• Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Hall). Just what the name says.

• Phool Mahal (Flower Hall). The most extravagant of them all, this was the Maharaja’s pleasure chamber, for dancing girls and revelry.

• Zenana Deodi. The inner sanctum of the palace once guarded by eunuchs, this is where the Maharaja’s wives whiled away their days. The delicate sandstone screens and carvings are exquisite.

• Chamunda Mataji Temple. Tucked away at the far end of the battlements, this temple is devoted to Rao Jodha’s favorite goddess and remains a local favorite to this day.

A number of people are employed here and there to add flavor by dressing in period costume and doing photogenic things like playing traditional instruments and smoke opium (yes, the real thing). Snap away, but they’ll appreciate a tip if you do. The museum also includes galleries devoted to howdahs (elephant-mounted seats), palanquins, fine arts, weaponry, and the inevitable Turban Gallery.

• Jaswant Thada, 1 km downhill from Mehrangarh (easily walked). Royal cenotaphs built in marble, with a picturesque location next to a little lake.

• Mandore, 7 km outside the city. The ancient capital of Marwar, before Jodhpur was built.
• Umaid Bhawan Palace. Clearly visible to the south of the city and completed only in 1944, this is the last great palace built in India. The Maharaja of Jodhpur lives here to this day, but half the building has been converted to a 5-star hotel (see Sleep) and there is also a small museum on grounds .

• Balsamand Lake – now converted to a resort.

• Kailana Lake – a picnic spot and a main drinking water source for the city.

• Baba Ramdev Temple, Masuria Hills.
• Ganesh Temple, Ratanada.
• Mahamandir Temple, Mahamandir Chauraha.
• Pal Balaji Temple, Pal Gaon.
• Santoshi Mata Temple, Lal Sagar.