Located in northwest India, Rajasthan borders Punjab in the north, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the northeast, Madhya Pradesh in the east andGujarat in the south. On the western side it shares a long stretch of border with the neighboring country Pakistan. Situated on the Thar Desert, Rajasthan protects the western border of the country standing as the sentinel who never tires. The art of Rajasthan ensures that people visit the desert.
Rajasthan is diagonally divided into the hilly and rugged southeastern region and the barren Thar Desert, which extends across the border into Pakistan. Within these divisions however, it is a storehouse of varied physical feature or topographical diversity. The arid Thar also boasts of Mount Abu the only hill station in the state famous for its flora and fauna. While the Aravali hills provide the much-needed relief to this arid land, the wide spread sand dunes of the desert and arid region make it one of the toughest terrains in the world. Jodhpur (the second biggest city of the state) is the edge of the dry and shifting desert land from where on the not so arid but cultivable land starts. It is a store house of the art of Rajasthan. Moreover, the rocky range of Amber, hilly range of Mewar, river basin of Bharatpur and fertile Aravali range gives the topography of the state a unique look.
Popular Tourist Attractions in Ranthambore
Ranthambore Fort : This is the most ancient fort in the Sawai Madhopur area located just 13 Kms from Sawai Madhopur Railway station to bring a magnanimous charm for the wildlife as well as for the heritage lovers. Founded in 944 and initially named as "Ranath Bhawar Garh" which means "a place of Rajput warriors", the Ranthambore Fort is today an ideal territory or the ideal ruling area for the most famous Ranthambore tigress- the Machali. The tiger lovers, especially the fan of Machali who is better known as the "Queen of Ranthambore" specially come to this fort to catch the mightiest and the royal moves of the pride of Ranthambore- the Machali, who is best known for her bravery acts and winning over the other residents of Ranthambore to capture the territory.
Bakula Region : Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary is the ultimate region which is mostly covered with thick forests. Bakula is among such thickly forested regions in Ranthambore to carry the most wildering effect on the region. Bakula region is plush with various pools and water-holes including the dense forest part. The dense forest cover and easily availability of water is the ultimate reason for the presence of abundance of wildlife in the Bakula Region. This is the reason why tourists can easily trace many tigresses with their young cubs near the water holes. Bakula dense forest is an excellent place for tigresses and their young cubs to make a great stay and relax.
Kachida Valley :
The Kachida Valley is located at the outskirts of the reserve to bear different outcrops and low hills. The tourists can make a good excursion through Jeep Safari to explore the region of the Kachida Valley. This is the only location where Panther population of Ranthambore National Park is found, as they avoid venturing in the main area of jungle so they would not indulge into any kind of conflicts with tigers. Besides, beers are also found in a good number here.
Lakarda Anantpura :
Located in the north and north-west part of the Ranthambore National Park, the Lakarda Anantpura is an area ideally located to visit great amount of Sloth Bears. Tourists can also find lots of ant hills, the favorite recipe for the beers. Although, it is a rare chance to visit these beer as they kept themselves hidden in the lush region, but Hyenas and their pugmark can be easily seen over here.
Jogi Mahal :
The Jogi Mahal is actually a fort which is recognized among the must watch places in the famous Ranthambore national park. Locating quite near to the Ranthambore Park, this fort brings amazing facilities to the tourists making their journey more comfortable.
Fairs and Festivals in Ramthambore
There are common and most popular festivals of India get celebrate in Ranthambore. Ganesh Chaturthi Ranthambore(aug-sept), Saraswathi Puja (Oct-Nov), Holy (Feb-Mar), Kaila Devi Fair (April) and Diwali (Oct) are some popular festival celebrated in Ranthambore. But, Ganesh Chaturthi is a hot attraction among the local people as well as tourist.
Ganesh Chaturthi Ranthambore :Ranthambore Park is popular for Ganesh temple like national park. We can see boisterous and colorful celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi festivals in a most of the movies; Ranthambore is no different as the festivals are celebrated with all enthusiasm in the Ranthambore town. Several devotees horde to the Ganesh Temple at Ranthambore Fort to pay their respect to Lord Ganesh at this day. During the Ganesh Chaturthi Festivals in the months of September/October, devotees participate in the singing of devotional songs. It is a common belief here that all the marriage invitations should be first sent to Lord Ganesh at his temple here.
Kaila Devi Fair Ranthamborekaila devi fair ranthamboreThe Kali Devi Fair Ranthambore is celebrated in Kaila Devi Temple or Mahalaxmi temple in the village named Kaila which is near from Ranthambore National park. This one of the best Festivals in Ranthambore is a 15 days festivals host by the Kaila Devi Temple and Mahalaxmi temple. Approximately 2, 00,000 devotees are come for this festival of Ranthambore is every year. Laughter, happiness and family gatherings celebration for 15 days. Thousands of devotees take part in the fair with much enthusiasm and ardor.
By Air
The nearest airport is at Jaipur which connected to all the major cities which includes Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Jodhpur.
By Rail
The nearest railhead is at Ranthambore is connected to many major cities of India. There are daily trains from Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai.
By Road
Rajasthan Roadways run very comfortable deluxe from Jaipur to Ranthambore. The roads are very good, and it takes around 4-5 hrs from Jaipur. You can also come by taxi.
Best Time to Visit Ranthambore
Ranthambore National Park remains open from the months of October to June, with the winter months (October - December) being the best time to visit this place. October to April are the best months to visit Ranthambore to spot tigers. Summers are quite hot, however, chances of spotting tigers increase in the summers. The park remains closed during monsoons.
Ranthambore in Winter (October-March)
Perhaps the perfect time to take a trip to the Ranthambore National Park, the months between October and March experience pleasant weather, complete with clusters of flowers that adorn the landscape beautifully. If you are planning your trip sometime between late December and early January, however, be prepared with warm woollen clothes to keep you cosy during the cold weather. The temperatures range between 10 degree Celsius and 27 degree Celsius. Apart from the tiger safaris, make sure to head out to the Ranthambore Fort, Malik Talao, and Kachida Valley, all of which lay within the reserve itself, the latter being home to numerous migratory birds as well as panthers. Ganesh Trinetra Temple, Lakarda and Anantpura, Wild Dragon Adventure Park, Dastkar Ranthambore, and Rajiv Gandhi Regional Museum of Natural History are some of the other places that you should add to your itinerary.
Tips For Visiting Rajasthan
For travel to any destination, there are certain precautions that one needs to take before starting the exciting journey. There are certain tips that the travelers should follow while traveling to Rajasthan which include:
Check the itinerary: Every trip has an itinerary which the tourists follow during the travel. By checking the itinerary, you will get an idea about the duration of stay. This will help to pack enough clothes for the stay. Rajasthan is hot during the day and temperatures drop down in the night. So, take the suitable types of clothes.
Weather updates: Before packing for the trip it is better to check the weather forecast for the stipulated time duration. This will help during the travel and for selecting the types of clothes. If the climate is hot during the stay, then visitors should select the light-colored clothes. Also, if the trip is during the winter season carry winter wears.
Make a checklist: Make a list of all the things that you need during the trip. It helps to check it while packing the luggage and this way you do not miss out any of the necessary things. Strike off the item from the list once included in the luggage. Do not forget to pack important documents like identity proof, hotel and travel reservation documents, etc. in the checklist.
Pack only necessary things: It is important to take only the things that are really needed during the trip. Carry an extra set of clothes but avoid overpacking with unnecessary things.
Save some packing space: A trip to Rajasthan is incomplete without shopping. Every person who visits this beautiful land does some shopping. There’s a lot to shop from the Rajasthani markets which include clothes, artifacts or souvenirs. Anything that you purchase will be a part of the luggage. If you are traveling by air route, the luggage limit can be a problem. Hence, it is better to save some space while packing for accommodating the shopping items on the return journey.
Cash: As Rajasthan is a part of the golden triangle, many shops here accept the card for the payment purpose. But it is also necessary to carry some cash during the travel. Some small shops or exhibitions may not have the facility for card payment. At such places, the cash may become useful. Take precaution while handling cash. Do not keep all the money at single place. This will help to ensure that some money is safe even in case of theft or robbery.
Accommodation: Rajasthan is a major tourist center, it has many hotels and lodges to accommodate many crowds. But it will be better to do the prior booking. This will help to select the hotel as well as the type of room as per your needs and wish. The advance booking also helps to get the rooms at an economic rate as the last-minute bookings become more expensive.
Separate packing: Keep the toiletries and makeup material separately. If you are on medication, then pack of medicines and keep them handy so that the medication box is easily accessible in case of emergency. If you are on specific medication, carry those in sufficient amount. Being a tourist place, you will find a chemist shop but not necessarily all the medicines are available. Thus, it is necessary to carry all the important medicines along with the proper prescription.
First-Aid box: The first-aid comes handy if anyone gets hurt during the trip. Due to the change in the climate, you may suffer from cold or dehydration. The box should contain the disinfectant, bandages and common medicines for a cough, cold, etc.
Safety and Precautions: Rajasthan has hot and dry climate and thus, it is necessary that the visitors should carry proper protective gears like a cap, goggles, scarf, jacket, etc. Wear sunscreen lotion to protect them from the scorching heat.