Quick Facts About Sariska :

1955 – Sariska area was first notified as a Wildlife Reserve

1958 – Identified as Wildlife Sanctuary and became Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary.

1979 – Sariska became India’s 11th tiger reserve

2004 – All the Tigers got extinct from Sariska.

2008 – Tigers were reintroduced to Sariska from Ranthambore (Worlds First Tiger Relocation)

2012 – World first Tiger Relocation got successful after a tigress from Sariska (ST2) gave birth to 2 cubs.

2013 – Sariska forest was extended to Siliserh lake and Balaquila forest as the buffer zone of Sariska.

History of Sariska:

Set against the backdrop of the majestic Aravallis, Sariska is regarded as the place in the Mahabharata where the Pandavas found sanctuary during their last year of banishment. According to legend, it was here that the strongest Pandava brother, Bhima, was defeated by Hanuman. A shrine dedicated to Hanuman at Pandupol, which means “gateway of the Pandavas” in Sanskrit, is thronged by thousands of pilgrims on certain auspicious days.

Historically, the beauty of the forests here has caught the eye of royalty too. The Kankwari Fort, located within the core of the reserve, was built by the Rajput Maharaja Jai Singh II in the 17th century and was recently reopened to visitors. It had gained notoriety when Mughal emperor Aurangzeb imprisoned his elder brother Dara Shikoh here.

Despite the intrigue surrounding Kankwari, Bhangarh, another fort located on the southern border of the reserve, is more well-known. Bhangarh Fort is older, constructed by Maharaja Man Singh I, one of Akbar’s foremost military commanders and navratnas. It is famous for being one of the most haunted places in India.

Tiger Relocation in Sariska – The Glory is Back :

The Sariska Tiger Reserve is a remarkable success as the Tiger has been reintroduced here and they are breeding after 2005 when all Tigers were found having disappeared here. The reintroduced plan was devised in 2006- 2007 with a core group constitution by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Department of Forest, Rajasthan.

It was during 2008 to 2011, eight Tigers were reintroduced here and each was given a number. In 2012, ST 2 gave a little (2 female cubs), In 2014, ST2 gave another litter of (2 cubs) and ST10 also gave its first litter (2cubs) in the same year.

The radio-collared Tigers are monitored round the clock through ground tracking (VHF) using homing in and triangulation technique. Seventeen dedicated teams have been deployed each has one forest guard and one research assistant with the vehicle. Wireless, GPS, and datasheet are provided to each party.

Flora:

The Reserve has a beautiful blending of tropical dry deciduous and tropical thorn forest and is dotted with numerous narrow valleys. Dhok (Anogessus pendula) is the dominant tree species covering over 90% area of the forest. Boswellia Serrata and Lannea coromandelcia grow in rocky patches. Kathaa (Acacia catechu) and Bamboo are common in the Valleys. Some valleys support Palas (Butea monosperma) and Ber (Ziziphus species). Besides these, some noteworthy tree species are Arjun (Terminalia arjuna), Gugal (Commiphora wightii), Kadaya (Sterculia urens), Amla (Emblica Officinalis), Bahera (Terminalia bellerica).

Fauna:

Carnivores Species :

Sariska is home to numerous carnivores including Tiger, Leopard, Striped hyena, jackal, jungle cat, Desert Cat, Caracal, Fishing Cat, rusty-spotted cat, Bengal fox, ratel, palm civet, common Indian civet, ruddy tailed mongoose, grey mongoose, common mongoose.

Leopards are the second big cat in the Sariska tiger reserve. They are able to climb trees, even when carrying heavy prey and often choose to rest on tree branches during the day. One reason why leopard sometimes takes their prey up in the trees is to insure Tiger or hyenas can’t steal them.

Herbivorous:

Sariska is home to numerous herbivores including the rare four-horned antelope or Chousingha, large numbers of Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Wild boar. Porcupines and Langurs. Sariska is also well known for its large population of Rhesus Monkey. The Siliderh lake and Bala quila forest are situated in the buffer area of the Sariska wildlife sanctuary.

In fact, during summer when most of the grasses are dry and are nonpalatable, the highly nutritious dry Dhok leaves fall on the forest floor and provide fodder for Sambar, Chital, and other herbivores.

Birds:

The avian world is also well represented with a rich and varied Birdlife. These include Peafowl, (the largest population density in India) Grey partridge, Painted spurfowl, Bush Quail, Sand Grouse, Rufous Treepie, Golden-backed Woodpecker, Crested Serpent Eagle, White-eyed Buzzard, Oriental honey buzzard, Shikra, Short Toed snake eagle-owl, Disky eagle owl, Brown fish owl, and Paradise flycatcher. Golden oriole, Indian pitta migrate in large numbers in summers.

Sariska host more than 200 species of birds. For aquatic species, it is an ideal habitat as water is retained around the year, Resident species breed here while migratory ones stay during winter.

Reptiles:

Sariska, a tiger reserve with extremely rich biodiversity is not only home to many mammals and birds but also inhabits various reptile species as well. While Cobras and Kraits are the common venomous snake species that can be seen in the fields and grasslands, the rocky terrain provides an ideal habitat for Vipers like the Saw Scaled and Russel’s. Other non-venomous species like the trinket, wolf snake, Royal snake, common kukri, Checkered keelback, etc can be easily seen including the Rock Python and Boa.

Bengal Monitor is fairly common around the whole Sariska while Spiny Tailed Lizard is visible at the desert patches around it. The mugger crocodile can be seen for its prey at Karna Ka Baas water body & Siliserh Lake within STR accompanied by the Flapshell Turtle. The Indian Star Tortoise and Leopard Gecko can be spotted in the dry regions of Sariska.

How to Reach :

Air:

Jaipur International Airport is the nearest airport to Sariska, situated at a distance of around 123 kilometers. From the airport, you can hire taxis & private vehicles to reach the park.

Rail :

Alwar Junction Railway Station is the nearest railway station, situated about 37 kilometers from Sariska National Park.  Alwar is connectivity to all the major cities of India.

Road:

Sariska is connected to all the major cities in India via road. Delhi is connected to Sariska via NH48 and is just 200 Km from Sariska. Jaipur the capital city of Rajasthan is just 2 hours away from Sariska.

Best Time to visit :

Summer Season :

Sariska forest remains dry during the summer season from April to June, the temperature can go as high as 45℃. However, during this season, the chances of spotting tigers & other animals are quite high as they visit the water holes to dampen and quench their thirst and relax from the heat.

Monsoon Season :

During the monsoon season, from July to September, several zones of the Sariska National Park remain closed for visitors. The core zone 1-3 remain closed, while the buffer zone remains open for visitors.

Winter Season :

The forest remains green during the winter season from October & lasts till March,  It is a great time to visit Sariska National Park for its pleasant weather & the numerous opportunities for spotting the animals as they bask under the sunlight in the daytime.