Ranthambore-following the tiger’s trail

Tripoto
2nd May 2015
Photo of Ranthambore-following the tiger’s trail by Mridusmita Goswami

Ranthambore National Park is one the most renowned national parks in Northern India. Located in the SawaiMadhopur district in the south eastern part of Rajasthan, it is around 130 kms from Jaipur. The Ranthambore National Park used to serve as hunting grounds for Maharajas in olden days. It was owned by Maharaja of Jaipur and was managed by their hunting department. But with the passage of time, as the natural resources started depleting, conservation measure came into play and in the year 1982, it was declared as a National Park. Ranthambore National Park is one of the popular destinations to see the Bengal tigers in its natural habitat. It is estimated that India is home to nearly 3000 tigers as per tiger census in 2018.

SawaiMadhopur can be easily reached from Delhi in half a day’s journey.The Park remains open from the month of October-June. Though the winter months are considered better for visiting, April-May is also considered good for tiger viewing. There are plenty of comfortable stay options in the area. We planned a trip to SawaiMadhopur a few years back with some of our friends. We had a guest house booked for ourselves with elegant rooms and a lush garden. As afternoon arrived, it was time for the jeep safari to the national park. As one enters the national park, one can feel the thrill and excitement in the faces of the people around them. The ride lasted for around 3 hours and we were able to spot animals like Nilgai, Chital, Indian Sambar, Langurs. The open grassland, the canopy of the treesprovides the perfect scenery for an open ride, some breath-taking views and clicks. Though we didn’t get to see a tiger on that day, yet we were in good spirits with the hope that the following day will give us an enthralling experience. The rest of the evening was spent enjoying gorgeous sunset, playing games, sharing stories and enjoying local delicacies in the guest house.

The next day we were all woken up to a spectacular sunrise. With not much time to lose, we were ready for our morning jungle safari. The cool breeze of the morning, the chirping of birds, the sun rays playing hide and seek with trees, the experience was refreshing and breath-taking. We were taken deep inside the National Park to experience the majestic wildlife that this place is home to. The flora and fauna that one gets to witness enables one to appreciate the wilderness, the beauty it beholds and gives one a unique experience.The majestic sight of an owl in its nest, a beautiful peacock spreading its feathers in all its beauty, woodpeckers, kingfishers perched on branches together with the chatter of monkeys brings the entire place alive and vibrant. We passed by many herds of deer grazing peacefully, few of them butting heads with one another. There was one sight which I remember is of a monkey and a deer standing close and drinking from a water hole. This sight emphasizes the fact that animal world lives in total harmony with one another, sharing nature’s bounty and watching out for one another.Since ages humans have exploited the resources of nature for their own benefits without much concern about the other species. The jungle gives one a sense regarding human connections, their contribution to world around them and the essence of living in harmony with other living beings.

As we were enjoying the different sights that the National Park has to offer, we all lost count of time. We had given up hopes of sighting a tiger as we were on our way back from the interiors of the jungle. Nonetheless we were all thankful for the wonderful experience that it bestowed upon us. But as miracles do happen sometimes, we caught sight of a tigress resting under a tree on a higher ground. The adrenaline rush that one experiences on getting a sight of a wild animal is beyond imagination. We tried calming our breaths as we were over whelmed by the sight of it; it is such a majestic animal and an out of the world experience. As the people around were trying to focus on their binoculars to get a closer view, she slowly descended and we could see a line of jeeps and canters have gathered to witness the sight. We got a closer view of her and couldn’t be more scared and excited at the same time. She then gave us all a treat to behold and a memory to relive as she was on a hunt. She chased down a herd of deer and we all tried to keep up with her pace. This went on for some time and finally she disappeared into the thick grassland. We were overjoyed and thanked our luck to get a sight of the majestic wild animal. Though tiger sightings are better in Ranthambore, still there is no guarantee in sighting one.

The afternoon was spent by a visit to the Ranthambore fort. The ruins of old palaces, temples could be seen as one enters the fort. The gates of the fort still stand strong and tall reminding us of the power and the charisma of the fort during its reigning times.Though much of the inside seems to be in ruins, it still paints a great picture of times of the Maharajas. The view from the top is mesmerizing; one could see the beautiful Rajbagh Lake with few animals grazing nearby.

Photo of Ranthambore-following the tiger’s trail 1/2 by Mridusmita Goswami
View from Ranthambore fort

As the sky turned brilliantly red and orange, we headed back to our guest house and retired for the night. The day was a long one and was filled with new experiences. The trip to Ranthambore was definitely a memorable one. The jungle safaris, the enigmatic flora and fauna and the ancient relics of the fort all are experiences to cherish and appreciate. The harmony and resonance of the jungle takes away the noise of city life that sometimes tends to get on one’s nerves. It lets one to appreciate the beauty of the majestic lives of the jungle; big or small. It enables us to appreciate the essence of the animal and plant world and to respect and acknowledge the living entities. It brings realisation that no matter how advanced and technocrat we are, we are still pretty helpless and at their mercy in front of the magnificent animals.

Photo of Ranthambore-following the tiger’s trail 2/2 by Mridusmita Goswami
The flora and fauna of the National Park