Ranthambore National Park is one of the largest national parks in northern India, covering an area of 392 km. It is situated in the Sawai Madhopur district of southeastern Rajasthan, about 110 km northeast of Kota and 160 km southeast of Jaipur, which is also the nearest airport. The nearest town and railway station is at Sawai Madhopur, about 11 km away. The park is also close to the Kota railway station. RIDCOR operates a mega-highway between Kota and Ranthamboree. Ranthambore National 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. It is named after the historic Ranthamboree fortress, which lies within the park.Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary is known for its tigers and is one of the best places in India to see these animals in their natural jungle habitat. Tigers can be easily spotted even in the daytime. The best times for tiger sightings at Ranthambore National Park are in November and May. The park's deciduous forests are characteristic examples of the type of jungle found in Central India. Other major wild animals include leopard, nilgai, wild boar, sambar, hyena, sloth bear, southern plains gray langur, rhesus macaque and chital. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of trees, plants, birds and reptiles, as well as one of the largest banyan trees in India.
Ranthambore Fort : Perhaps the only one fort, which is not visible from a long distance. The Fort is a massive enclave and quite high. Mughal Emperor Shah Alam gifted it to Sawai Madho Singh I of Jaipur in 1754 AD and since then it was maintained as the private hunting preserve. Much later, Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh were part of the Royal Hunting, who stayed here too. It's a unique Rajput Fort. Archeological Department took over the fort in 1954 and area of the fort is 4½ square kilometres. It is 1578 feet from the sea level and 750 feet from ground. Total area of the fort is about 7 miles. There is no drive way up to the fort, just the stairs. There are three big artificial lakes up in the Fort.
Surwal Lake : The lake of Surwal is situated next to a small village, also called Surwal. This place is frequented by bird watchers as it attracts a lot of winter migratory birds. Different types of herons, egrets, ducks and waders can be seen in large flocks here. The lake is used for fishery by some locals. The fish also attract some large fishing birds like the Brown Fish Owl and the Osprey. It takes almost half-a-day to explore Surwal, and the evening return drive can yield sightings of Jackals and Jungle Cats as they have been often spotted in the area.
The Ganesh Temple : In 1300 AD, King Hammer built the temple of Trinetra Lord Ganesh in the Ranthamboree Fort. He placed the idol of Lord Ganesh, Riddhi Siddhi (his wife) and two sons (Shub Labh) along with the idol of mushak (mouse, his vehicle). The temple remains crowded during the Ganesh Chaturthi Season.
Amareshwar Mahadeo Temple : This Shiv temple is said to be more than 1200 years old, making it one of the oldest Shiv temples. An enchanting waterfall and beautiful view of the valley also make the place a perfect spot for picnic.
Sawai Madhopur Town : The city was founded by Sawai Madho Singh Ji in the 1750-68. One can find shops of bandhani, lahariya, block printed textiles, silver jeweler, antique furniture, wood, metal handicrafts, carpets as well as its exclusive toys, ethnic ornaments and costumes in the vicinity.
Chamatkar Jain Temple : The Chamatkar Temple dedicated to the Join Tirthankar, Rishabh Deo. It is one of the pilgrimage sites for Jains all over the world. It is believed that wishes made at this temple always get fulfilled, hence the name “Chamatkar” has been given to it.
Devpura : Devpura is famous for its Black Buck sightings. Blackbuck or Antilope cervicapra is an antilope species native to the Indian Subcontinent and is the last of the Antilope genes.
Rameshwarghat : Rameshwarghat is situated about 60 km from Sawai Madhopur, at the convergence of the Banas and Chambal rivers. It is famous for its Shivratri mela near the temple of Lord Shiva.
Mammals : 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, Indian False Vampires, Indian Flying Foxes, Indian Foxes, Indian Gerbilles, Indian Porcupines, Long eared Hedgehogs, Ratels, Small Indian Mongoose, Small Indian Civets and Common mongoose. The park is most famous for its diurnal tigers. The amphibian species only consist of the Common India Toad and the Common Frog.
Reptiles :The Ranthamboree National Park is bounded by the rivers where we can see reptiles like Snub Nosed Marsh Crocodiles, Desert Monitor Lizards, Tortoise, Banded Kraits, Cobras, Common Kraits, Ganga Soft Shelled Turtles, Indian Pythons, North Indian Flap Shelled Turtles, Rat Snakes, Russel's Vipers, Saw-scaled Vipers and the Indian Chamaeleon.
Rameshwarghat : Ranthamboree has registered around 300 species of birds which include includes Graylag Goose, Woodpeckers, Indian Gray Hornbills, Common Kingfishers, Bee Eaters, Cuckoos, Parakeets, Asian Palm Swift, Owl, Nightjars, Pigeon, Dove, Crakes, Snipes, Sandpipers, Gulls, Terns, Great Crested Grebe, Eagles, Darters, Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Bitterns, Flamingos, Ibis, Pelicans, Storks, Pittas, Shrikes, Treepies, Crows, Orioles, Cuckoo-Shrikes, Minivets, Drongos, Flycatchers, Ioras, Wood Shrikes, Pipits, Bayas, Sparrows, Finches, Wagtails, Munias, Bulbul, Mynas, Falcons etc.
