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Leisure Activities/ Recreational Facility
• Folk music and dance entertainment can be organized on
request for the visiting groups.
• Verandah for relaxing, snacking, chatting.
• Picnics at nearby, beautiful lakes.
• Bonfire.
• Library-books on wildlife.
• Recreational centre.
• Indoor games.
• Telephone facility.
• The camp site is very well laid out with lots of green space
/
play ground for children and adults alike.
• We do not have ACs but pedestal fans which are enough for
the day time ( Beginning October and Mid March onwards )
and not required in the night as it will be cool.
• Have good quantity of cricket bats, wickets, tennis balls.
• Chess, Carrom, Playing Cards, Badminton rackets, Volleyball
and footballs are also available for use.
• Beach Volleyball and mud wrestling are also there although
later will need some advance preparation!.
• The days are Cozy, but the nights are cool. So, if you are
planning to sit in the open (for drinks etc) after 2100
hrs, advisable to carry some light jackets/shawls.
• Please carry your own books (if into reading) or walkmans/ipods
(if into music). FM does not work here. There
is not any TV as yet.
• Have hot and cold running water in tents, but since the
water is heated by solar energy, it may be a little cool
in the morning.
• Please also carry your caps/hats and sunglasses if you plan
to do outdoor activities like cricket etc.
• A small torch can also come in handy as the power supply is
unpredictable.
• Being a campsite near a village, we have have hired the
local villagers as staff. So, although the service
standards may not be of very high standards, people are very courteous and
helpful. Also, you will need to
appreciate the slow pace of things there as that is what the whole idea behind
this place and your outing is
about - slowing down a little bit!!
• Although you may not have time to think going out of the
camp, yet we can provide a short trek to the nearby
fort through the countryside. But this should ideally be taken in the early
morning as after 1000 hrs it starts
getting warm. |
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A Complex mix of HISTORY, WILDLIFE, MYTHOLOGY... that's what SARISKA is.
The Sariska is located in Alwar district of Rajasthan. and
can be considered a central point for visiting various attractions within its
vicinity. Located close to Sariska are three old settlements Bhangarh Fort,
Ajaibgarh and Pratapgarh. The Sariska terrain has taken roots in this semi
arid deserts of Rajasthan and supports scrub-thorn arid and dry deciduous
forests that are full of rocks and grass patches intertwined with some thick
foliage. The wildlife present in the area is diverse and is a perfect example
of adaptability and symbiosis between nature and animals. The climate, as in
any desert, is dry and varies towards the extremes.
The place is also famous for old temples and palaces around the sariska. The
temples and chhattris and even the rare waterfall offer an exquisite view.
However, the ruins of many of these monuments only serve as a reminder of how
glorious the history of this land has been.
Sariska provides an opportunity to view tiger, langur, nilgai and various
many bird species. However, apart from the wildlife and forest Sariska is
surrounded by numerous places of historical interest, interspersed with
temples and monuments.
Enjoy the famous Sariska Tiger reserve in these forests, once a part of the
ancient 'Matsya' kingdom, are also supposed to have sheltered the exiled
Pandavas. It is believed that Bhima, smote the rock face of a cliff with his
cudgel at Pandu Pol and made a passage through a gorge in the sanctuary. The
sight of the huge gaping orifice with a picturesque spring emerging from the
rocks, is an awe-inspiring sight.
While in Sanctuary, trek on the numerous rugged hills and explore the ruined
palaces located atop them. The mornings and evenings are the busiest periods
in a day and the same holds true even in the forests. The Jungle Safari
organized for groups from the guest house or from the entrance is a thrilling
ride full of amusement and trepidation throughout. It's the dawn and dusk
period when the wildlife ventures out of compulsion towards one of the many
water holes scattered around the Park. The Game is not the correct word to
describe these extremely beautiful creatures that roam fearlessly in their
own domain thus providing the tourists the best chances of an awe inspiring
spectacle.
Sariska National Park:
Sariska Tiger Reserve is an area of 800 sq. kms.
Sariska was declared a sanctuary in 1955 and it became a Tiger Reserve under
Project Tiger in 1979.
Sariska, with its awe inspiring craggy canyons and the tropical dry deciduous
scrub jungles and limited water supply, was the western limits of the
distribution of the tiger in India. Tigers could be seen in the area even
during the day time till 2002 or so. But unfortunately, due to poaching and
many other reasons Tigers have disappeared from Sariska. The State Government
started an all out effort to re-introduce Tiger in Sariska under the
technical supervision of the Wildlife Institute of India and has sent the
detailed proposals, to Government Of India, for Re-introduction of Tigers in
Sariska.
Finally Sariska got a Tiger Couple in July 2008.
Sariska is a special Tiger Reserve also because the natural
history of the ecosystem combines with the rich history of the country. The
ruins of Shiv temples and a few Jain temples that exist in the archaeological
complex of Garh Rajore, belong to a period between 8th and 10th century. The
abandoned fort of Kankwari tells of the grim story of the Moghul Empire ,
where Prince Darah Shikoh was kept in prison for years by his younger brother
Aurangzeb. Pandupole, with a legend of Pandava period, Narainimata temple and
Bharthari temple are the centres of attraction for thousands of pilgrims.
Terrain:
The terrain of Sariska is hilly with numerous valleys, both wide and narrow,
and expansive undulating plateaus. The characteristic features of the
Aravalli range - sharp hog -black ridges - are conspicuous in the Reserve.
Most of the high ridges are composed of quartzite conglomerates and grits.
Flora:
The forests are of a typical dry deciduous type with Dhok as the dominant
tree species of gentle to moderate slopes constituting over 90% of the tree
canopy. The ridges support Salar on steep dry slopes. Khair and Cheela occur
in vally beds. Bamboo grows to a limited extent along moist and cooler parts.
Aam, Jamun, Arjun and Bahera, which grow in moist depression and on nallah
banks attain large sizes. The ground cover is mainly Ber, and Adusa. Zizyphus
and Grewia are good fodder species. The dried and fallen leaves of Dhok help
the herbivores to tide over the fodder scarcity during summer months. The
forests become lush green in the monsoon months and completely dry in the
summer months.
Fauna:
Sariska is very rich in wild animals. Panther, Hyena, Jackal and Jungle cat
are the carnivores of the forest. Caracal and Wild dog are seen very rarely.
Among the prey population are the Sambhar, Chital, Nilgai, Wild boar, Hare
and Porcupine etc.
Sariska is unique in animal distribution. The wild animals here seem to have
decided their area -limits. Slopka is best for observing the Sambhar, Kundli
for Chitals and Tarunda & Kalighati for Nilgai. Four -horned antelopes or
chausingha can be seen in the Pondupole Nallah. Chausingha is exclusively
Indian and is the only buck on earth with four horns.
Sariska is also famous for its population of common Langurs and the Rhesus
monkeys. Talviksh is where the main population of Rhesus exists and one can
see hundreds of them at a time. Langurs can be seen in large numbers at
Pandupole, slopka and Kalighati as well.
In sariska, observing Wildlife at the water holes is quite fascinating during
the hot days of April, May and June. Water requirements increase and Wildlife
activities get restricted to the water holes,specially around Kalighati and
Slopaka. Sambars, Chitals, Nilgais, Chausinghas, Jackals, Wild boars, Langurs
etc. visit water holes throughout the day. The predators appear around dusk
or during the silence of the night.
Birds:
For the ornithologists and birding enthusiasts, the natural surroundings of
Sariska draw the migratory birds from Siberia and China. It is quite a
mingling of horned owl, tree pie, grey partridge, woodpecker, peafowl,
crested serpent eagle, bush quail, sand grouse. Probably, Sariska is the
richest Tiger Reserve as far as avifauna is concerned. More than 225 species
of birds can be seen here. The populations of Peafowl, Grey partridges and
Bush quail are conspicuous. Other commonly seen birds are Parakeets, Red
spurfowl, Doves Green pigeon, Flycatchers, Bee-eaters, Shrikes, Woodpeckers
Vultures and Nightjars etc.
Trees Checklist of Sariska:
Dhok (Anogeissus pendula) is the dominanat tree species covering over 90 per
cent area of the forest. Boswellia serreta and Lannea cormandalica grow at
rocky patches. Kattha (Acacia catechu) and Bamboo are common in the valleys.
Some valleys support Palas (Butea monosperma) and Ber (Zizyphus spp.).
Besides these, some noteworthy tree species are Arjun (Terminalia arjuna),
gugul (Commiphora wightii), Kadaya (Sterculia urens), Amla (Emblica
officinalis), Bahera (Terminalia belerica).
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