RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK WAS ESTABLISHED AS THE SAWAI MADHOPUR GAME SANCTUARY IN 1955, INITIALLY COVERING AN AREA OF 282 KM². IT WAS DECLARED ONE OF THE PROJECT TIGER RESERVES IN 1973. LATER IT IS NAMED ON THE NAME OF HISTORIC RANTHAMBORE FORT, WHICH LIES WITHIN THE PARK. RANTHAMBORE FORT WAS BUILT IN THE 10TH CENTURY BY CHAUHAN RULERS AT 700 FT ABOVE THE SURROUNDING PLAIN. INSIDE THE FORT ARE THREE RED STONE TEMPLES DEVOTED TO GANESH, SHIVA AND RAMLALAJI. THERE IS A DIGAMBER JAIN TEMPLE OF SUMATINATHA AND SAMBHAVANATHA. THE TEMPLES WERE CONSTRUCTED IN THE 12TH AND 13TH CENTURIES. PADAM TALAO IS THE LARGEST OF THE MANY LAKES IN THE PARK. A RED SANDSTONE JOGI MAHAL IS AT THE EDGE OF THE LAKE.

THE PARK IS BOUNDED TO THE NORTH BY THE BANAS RIVER AND TO THE SOUTH BY THE CHAMBAL RIVER. RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK COVERS A TOTAL AREA OF 392 KM²  IS A LARGE NATIONAL PARK IN THE INDIAN STATE OF RAJASTHAN. IT HARBOURS DRY DECIDUOUS FORESTS AND OPEN GRASSY MEADOW. THE CORE AREA IS ABOUT 275 KM². RANTHAMBORE TIGER RESERVE SPREADS OVER AN AREA OF 1,334 KM² AT AN ELEVATION RANGE OF ABOUT 705–1,657 FT.

RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK HOSTS OVER 270 SPECIES OF BIRDS, INCLUDING CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE, PAINTED FRANCOLIN, AND INDIAN PARADISE FLYCATCHER.  IT IS KNOWN FOR ITS BENGAL TIGER POPULATION. THE NUMBER OF TIGERS WAS 25 IN 2005 AND 48 IN 2013. AS OF 2022, THERE WERE 80 TIGERS IN THE PARK. THERE ARE OVER 300 SPECIES OF TREES, INCLUDING OVER 100 OF MEDICINAL IMPORTANCE. THE LAND FEATURES DENSE TROPICAL DRY FOREST, OPEN BUSHLAND AND ROCKY TERRAIN HILLOCKS INTERSPERSED WITH LAKES AND STREAMS. THE ECOREGION INCLUDES KHATHIAR-GIR DRY DECIDUOUS FORESTS.

ATTRACTIONS

• FIRST, ONE ON THE LIST OF PLACES TO SEE IN RANTHAMBORE IS THE RANTHAMBORE TIGER RESERVE. IT IS A MAJOR HAUNT FOR MANY WILDLIFE LOVERS AND THRILL-SEEKERS. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST NATIONAL PARKS IN-COUNTRY FOR TIGER SIGHTINGS. THE TIGER RESERVE IS A PERFECT PLACE FOR JUNGLE SAFARIS, BIRD WATCHING, NATURE WALKS, AND MANY OTHER EXCITING THINGS TO DO. SAFARI ZONES 3 AND 4 ARE THE BEST FOR NATURE AND WILDLIFE LOVERS BECAUSE OF THEIR LAKES AND GREEN LANDSCAPES. RANTHAMBORE IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD FOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY.
• RANTHAMBORE FORT BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN BUILT BY THE CHAUHAN RULERS IN THE 8TH CENTURY WHICH IS WHY IT IS ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PLACES TO VISIT IN RANTHAMBORE. AROUND THE FORT, THERE ARE LAKES, A VARIETY OF FLORA AND FAUNA, PICNIC SPOTS, AND A LOT OF HISTORY TO EXPLORE. YOU CAN VISIT THIS PLACE WITH YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY. 10TH-CENTURY RANTHAMBORE FORT IS LOCATED ON A HILLTOP WITHIN THE PARK AND IS SURROUNDED BY STONE WALLS, TURRETS, AND BASTIONS.
• THE TRINETRA GANESH TEMPLE IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AND MOST RENOWNED TEMPLES IN RAJASTHAN. IT IS LOCATED INSIDE THE RANTHAMBORE FORT AND IS AMONG THE MAJOR TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT IN RANTHAMBORE. IF YOU ARE PLANNING A VACATION TO THIS PLACE WITH YOUR FAMILY THEN MAKE SURE THAT YOU VISIT TRINETRA GANESH TEMPLE.

DASTKAR RANTHAMBORE IS AN INTERESTING SPOT FOR THOSE IN LOVE WITH RAJASTHANI ART. IT WAS AN INITIATIVE THAT STARTED TO RESETTLE COMMUNITIES IN THE SAWAI MADHOPUR AREA AND TO BRING ABOUT THE REVIVAL OF LOCAL CRAFTS LIKE TIE-DYE, BLOCK-PRINTING, PATCHWORK, ETC. IT IS ONE OF THE PERFECT RANTHAMBORE SIGHTSEEING PLACES THAT NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO MISS.