Sasan Gir - Forest, National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

The Gir Forest National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (also known as Sasan-Gir,) is a forest and wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat, India. Established in 1965, with a total area of 1412 km² (about 258 km² for the fully protected area (the national park) and 1153 km² for the Sanctuary), the park is located 65 km to the south-east of Junagadh and 60 km to south west of Amreli.

It is the sole home of the pure Asiatic Lions (Panthera leo persica) and is considered to be one of the most important protected areas in Asia due to its supported species. The ecosystem of Gir, with its diverse flora and fauna, is protected as a result of the efforts of the government forest department, wildlife activists and NGOs. The forest area of Gir and its lions were declared as "protected" in the early 1900s by the then Nawab of the princely state of Junagadh. This initiative assisted in the conservation of the lions whose population had plummeted to only 15 through slaughter for trophy hunting.

The April 2010 census recorded the lion-count in Gir at 411, an increase of 52 compared to 2005. The lion breeding programme covering the park and surrounding area has bred about 180 lions in captivity since its inception.

The count of 2,375 distinct fauna species of Gir includes about 38 species of mammals, around 300 species of birds, 37 species of reptiles and more than 2,000 species of insects.

The carnivores group mainly comprises Asiatic lions, Indian Leopards, Sloth bears, Jungle cats, Striped Hyenas, Golden Jackals, Indian Mongoose, Indian Palm Civets, and Ratels. Desert cats and Rusty-spotted cats exist but are rarely seen.

The main herbivores of Gir are Chital, Nilgai (or Bluebull), Sambar, Four-horned Antelope, Chinkara and Wild boar. Blackbucks from the surrounding area are sometimes seen in the sanctuary.

Among the smaller mammals, Porcupine and Hare are common but the Pangolin is rare. The reptiles are represented by the mugger Marsh crocodile (highest population among all protected areas in India), the Indian Star Tortoise and the Monitor Lizard in the water areas of the sanctuary. Snakes are found in the bushes and forest. Pythons are sighted at times along the stream banks. Gir has been used by the Gujarat State Forest Department which adopted the Indian Crocodile Conservation Project in 1977 and released close to 1000 Marsh crocodile reared in Gir rearing centre into the Kamaleshwar lake and other reservoirs and small water bodies in and around Gir.

The plentiful avifauna population has more than 300 species of birds, most of which are resident. The scavenger group of birds has 6 recorded species of Vultures. Some of the typical species of Gir include Crested Serpent Eagle, endangered Bonelli's Eagle, Crested Hawk-eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Great Horned Owl, Bush Quail (or Quailbush), Pygmy Woodpecker, Black-headed Oriole, Crested Treeswift and Indian Pitta. The Indian Grey Hornbill was not found in the last census of 2001.

The Asiatic Lions habitat is dry scrub land and open deciduous forest. These lions were once found across northern Africa, south west Asia and northern Greece. Now there are only around 411 left in the wild and all of them are in or around the Gir Forest National Park.

Even though the Gir Forest is well protected, there are instances of Asiatic Lions being poached. They have also been poisoned for attacking livestock. Some of the other threats include floods, fires and the possibility of epidemics and natural calamities. Gir nonetheless remains the most promising long term preserve for them

Attractions:

• Wildlife: The foremost attraction in the park is the beasts that roam around freely, the most majestic being undoubtedly the lion. It is this majestic beast that attracts the maximum tourists to this park. Of course, you must understand that it would probably take a long time to view lions or lionesses with their cubs, since they don’t emerge too quickly out of their hiding. However, other creatures that inhabit the park and that are equally interesting to look out for are leopards, jungle cat, hyenas, jackals and mongoose.
  
  
  
• Birds: A sure bird-watcher’s paradise, the park has quite a variety of vultures, crested serpent eagle, the endangered bonelli's eagle, crested hawk-eagle and the great horned owl. Occasionally the Indian grey hornbill can also be spotted here.
• Nalsarovar Lake and Bird Sanctuary: This sanctuary comes under the Gir Forest and is home to a large number of birds. It is the largest wetland and bird sanctuary in India.
• Crocodile Breeding Farm: The Crocodile Breeding Farm near Sasan is an interesting place to see, where reptiles are hatched and reared before they are set free into the forest in their natural habitat.
  
  
  
• Tulsi Shyam Temple: A temple dedicated to Lord Krishna is present in the area belonging to the Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary. Hot springs nearby are also a major attraction. The strong smell of sulphur here makes the area easily recognizable.
  
  
  How To Reach Sasan Gir
  From Rajkot: Get down at Rajkot Railway Station / Airport and take a Auto / Taxi to Limda chowk. From here a number of private buses will go to Junagadh at Regular intervals. Junagarh is 105 Kms from Rajkot and the bus Journey takes around two and a half hours.
  Once you reach Junagad, take a auto to the local bus stand. From here you have two options. You can either go by bus from gate no 10/11 to Sasan Gir which costs Rs 38/- or either take a Taxi which is available from opposite the bus stand directly to your hotel in Sasan Gir. This journey of 55 kms takes around an hour and a half. The taxi will charge around Rs 550/- to Rs 650/- depending on your bargaining skill for the drop to Sasan Gir.       
  From Diu: As soon as you get down at Diu airport, take a taxi which is available outside and tell them that you want to go to Sasan Gir. Sasan gir is about 110 kms from Diu airport. If your flight comes to Diu after lunch, then it is better to halt at Diu [Radhika Resort-3 star] for the night or alternatively one can drive down to Somnath temple and halt there for the night at Safari hotel and resort [Very good value for money hotel]. The distance from Diu to Somnath is 75 kms and the road is good except in some patches. It takes around an hour to reach Somnath from Diu. Sasan Gir is around 45 kms from Somnath and takes around an hour and the road here is also good.
  From Keshod: Keshod is only 40 kms from Sasan
  
  
  Climate                                            Max                                     Min
  Summer                                            43 C                                     33 C
  Winter                                              15 C                                      7 C
  
  
  Distances from Sasan
  By Road from:
  Ahmedabad ...  408 Kms [7 hour drive]
  Rajkot ....             160 Kms [3 hour drive]
  Junagadh ....          55 Kms
  Veraval ....            40 Kms
  Diu   ....                110 Kms
  

  
  
  Nearest railway Station .... Sasan - 0 kms  / Rajkot  160 Kms
  
  
  Nearest Airport .... Rajkot ... 160 Kms
                                   Diu ....... 110 Kms
                                   Keshod ....  40 Kms [Deccan airways to start flight here soon]
  
  
  Visiting season
  The sanctuary is open for Tourists from 16th October to 15th June each year
  
  
  
  
  
  

Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park (बांधवगढ राष्ट्रीय उद्दान) is one of the popular national parks in India located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, a state in central part of india. Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968 with an area of 105 km². The buffer is spread over the forest divisions of Umaria and Katni and totals 437 km². The park derives its name from the most prominent hillock of the area, which is said to be given by Hindu Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana to keep a watch on Lanka (Ceylon). Hence the name Bandhavgarh (Sanskrit: Brother's Fort).

This park has a large biodiversity. Bandhavgarh has the highest density of Bengal tigers known in the world, and is home to some famous named individual tigers. Charger, an animal so named because of his habit of charging at elephants and tourists (whom he nonetheless did not harm), was the first healthy male known to be living in Bandhavgarh since the 1990s. A female known as Sita, who once appeared on the cover of National Geographic and is considered the most photographed tiger in the world was also to be found in Bandhavgarh for many years. Most of the tigers of Bandhavgarh today are descendants of Sita and Charger.

With the tiger at the apex of the food chain, it contains 37 species of mammals, more than 250 species of birds, about 80 species of butterflies, a number of reptiles. The richness and tranquility of grasslands invites pairs of Sarus Cranes and other migratory birds which   breed in the rainy season. (June-September)

The 105 km² of park area open to tourists was reported to have 22 tigers, a density of one tiger for every 4.77 km². (Population estimation exercise 2001). There is a saying about the Park that goes: "In any other Park, You are lucky if you see a tiger. In Bandhavgarh, you are unlucky if you don't see (at least) one." Well, Such sayings are common for all parks.

Bandhavgarh tiger reserve is densely populated with other species: the gaur, or Indian bison are now extinct or have migrated elsewhere; sambar and barking deer are a common sight, and nilgai or blue bulll to be seen in the open areas of the park. There have been reports of the Indian Wolf (canis lupus indica), hyena and the caracal the latter being an open country dweller. The tiger reserve abounds with cheetal or the spotted deer which is the main prey animal of the tiger and the leopard (Panthera pardus).

Among important carnivorous found in the park are Leopards, Caracals, Indian Wild dogs or Dholes, Jungle Cats, Jackals, striped Hyenas, Small Indian Civets, Ratels (honey badger) and the Flying Foxes. The herbivores population in the park includes Gaurs (world's largest oxen), Sloth Bears, Rhesus Macaques, Sambar, Chital, Indian Muntjac, Chausingha (4-horned antelope), Nilgai (blue bull), Chinkara, Barking Deer, Wild boar, Langurs, Black-napped Hare and Indian Mongoose among many others. The important reptiles found in Bandhavgarh Sanctuary are the Rock Python, Spectacled Cobra, Common Krait and the Rat Snake to name a few.

Bandhavgarh National Park also supports a sizable population of birds. The year round flowering and fruiting of trees attracts thousands of birds to the park. So far, around 250 species of birds, comprising of both resident and migratory birds, have been identified and listed in the park. The most commonly seen birds in Bandhavgarh National Park are the Bee-eaters, Blossom-Headed Parakeets, Drongos, Common Teal, Crested Serpent Eagle, Grey Hornbill, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Little Grebes, Lesser Adjutants, Lesser Whistling Teal, Minivets, Pied Hornbill, Paradise Flycatchers, Peafowl, Red Jungle Fowl, Red Wattled Lapwing, Steppe Eagle, Tickell's Flycatcher, White-eyed Buzzard, White-breasted Kingfisher, White-browed Fantail Flycatcher, Wood shrikes and Warblers among many more.

It is the abundance of water and prey here that makes a lot of Tigers comfortable in the Tala Range for sure, not that the neighbouring ranges like Magdhi and Khitauli do not have prey and water they have but something special about Tala Range. 

The Bandhavgarh Fort which stands tall, the beautiful meadows of Chakradhara, Raj Bhera and Sehra, besides some unimaginably beautiful spots like the Climbers point, Rampur Pahari, Sita Mandap which are the key for captivating tourists. 

Safaris in Bandhavgarh!

There are 3 ways you can do a safari inside Bandhavgarh National Park
The first is your own transport, preferably a 4-wheel drive. (It is however necessary to take along an authorized guide.) But take my advise and do not do this mistake as the road are quite bumpy, and you can have a very uncomfortable ride in your vehicle, also with windows panes rolled up you cannot hear any alarm calls, the forest guide with you cannot see any pugmarks, so your chances of wasting petrol, as diesel vehicles are not allowed inside the park, are very high.
The second option are the numerous authorized 4-wheel drives run by the locals, which are available from the hotels and rest houses you would be staying at. This is the best option available and a very exciting one at that, as most visitors prefer an open a safari into the jungle and being accompanied by a professional naturalist who will guide them through the forest.

The third is an elephant ride. This happens are booked the same day depending upon the availability. Commonly known as Tiger show, it normally happens when the Tiger has been tracked by the forest department inside bush.
Elephant Safaris

All the national parks in the country differ in the activities and the facilities that they offer to their visitors. Like wise Bandhavgarh too has certain unique selling point. There is a controversial method which is called "Tiger Shows". For these shows, the mahouts head out in the wee hours of the morning and track down a tiger. Once the tiger settles down in a spot, the word is spread and all visitors are taken for short rides from the nearest point on a jungle track.

This, although it ensures that almost all visitors to the park go back with happy memories of a "sighting", is never as exciting as chance sightings from the tracks. Not knowing what one has in store sometimes is no doubt more challenging than knowing the whereabouts of the animals. 

Places to See in Bandhavgarh National Park
1.Sidhababa - The Holy Meadow : The marshy is the abode of Sidhababa
2. Chakradhara - The Sprawling Meadow : Surrounded by the hillocks, this marshy meadow is rich in both flora and fauna.
3. Gopalpur - A Place for Bird Watching : Approach with a slow drive may give you moments of memorable sighting of wild fauna.
4. Shesh Shaiya - Origin of River Charanganga : This statue of lord Vishnu reclining on the seven hooded scrpent is the classic example of the architechtural treasure of the past.
5. Bari Gufa - Ancient Monument of Past : This is the biggest man made cave of the reserve dating back to tenth century.
6. Ketkiha - Pendanus Point : This wet patch of aromatic plant Kewra in the shadow of lofty jammu and arjun trees is the real treasure of floristic wealth of the Rreserve.
7. Bhitari Bah - Tranquility in Wilderness : Blissful drive along the meadow will induce thrills of jungle and feeling of lingering relaxation.Look for the important medicinal .
8. Three Cave Point - The Archaeological Remains of past : These caves visible from ganesh hillock road are the mute testimony of rich historical past.
9. Rajbahera - The Bandhaini Hillock View : This marshy meadow is the origin of river Dammer.Look for the storks, vultures and herds of chital, samber and wild pigs.View of Bandhaini Hillock is an additional attraction.
10. Climber's Point - Nature's Beauty : Woody climbers of butea superba and Bauhinia wahlii amidst the giant sal trees offer spectacular view for the tourist.
11. Sehra - The Fort View : This is the biggest meadow of the Reserve.Look for the breeding pair of saras crane in the month of june.It harbours the insectivorous plant drosera.
12. Mahaman Pond - Place to Quench the Thirst : This water hole surrounded by bamboo clumps is an ideal place to watch variety of hervivores and carnivores.

Bandhavgarh Fort : The oldest fort in India, considered to be more than 2500 years. One-hour trek upto the fort is worth the effort. The charm of this trek lies in discovering these monuments in the jungle, unspoiled and unexplored. Some of the statues lie off the main path and so it is best to take a guide. Apart from the avatars, well worth seeing are three small temples of around the 12th century. These temples are deserted but the fort is still used as a place of worship. Kabir Das, the celebrated 16th century saint, once lived and preached here. The natural ramparts of the fort give breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. Vultures wheel around the precipice which also attracts blue rock thrushes and crag martins.The fort still belongs to the Maharaja of Rewa and permission is required to visit it. However permission is available locally and no trip to Bandhavgarh is complete without making an effort to climb up the fort. The staff of the resort carries your lunch while you are busy negotiating the trek upto the fort.

Places to See Around the Park 

Village Tala : To view a day in the life of an Indian village, where the pace of life is still measured by the rhythm of the seasons. The humble dwellings, the mud clustered houses, the elders smoking hookahs sitting on a cot, are some of the common scenes which signify that the time stands still in certain areas of the world even today.

Baghel Museum : Located only 100 metres from the resort, it houses certain precious belongings of the Maharaja of Rewa who maintained Bandhavgarh as his Shikargah, or a game preserve, a stuffed white Tiger still stands in the museum amidst certain personal belongings of the Maharaja.

Bhamera Dam : 20kms from the resort, huge water bank in the neighboring Panpatha Sanctuary, good place for water birds.

Gharpuri Dam : 10 kms from the resort, adjoining on the outskirts of Bandhavgarh National Park Good Place for Water birds.

Chenchpur Waterfall : 44 kms from the resort. 

Best Time to visit Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh defies all logic, most of Wildlifers think that hotter it gets better the Tiger and other game sightings near the water hole. For Bandhavgarh, it is applicable but only partially, the Tiger sightings are great from October till June. Sloth Bear sightings are good March till May, as they come out to eat a local flower called “Mahua”, the locals collect this flower to make a local alcohol as well. For Birds Bandhavgarh is good from November till March. 

Banghavgarh Travel Information

Bandhavgarh national park is well connected with all the major cities and station in india

Umaria : 35 km/ 45 min

Khajuraho : 270 km/ 6 hrs.

Jabalpur : 190 km/ 4 hrs.
Satna : 120 km
Delhi : 978 km
Gwalior : 565 km
Katni : 102 km

How To Reach There :

By Air:
Fly from Delhi, Agra or Varanasi to Khajuraho and drive (7-8 hours) to Tala park entrance at Bandhavgarh. Nearest airport from the park is Khajuraho.

By Rail:
Nearest railway station is Umaria after Katani railway station, from there it is about 40 minutes drive to Nature Heritage. Alternatively, take the overnight train from Delhi to Umaria and drive (30 minutes) to the park. Only jeeps are available for transfers. Khajuraho / Bandhavgarh distance is 250 Kms, (8 hrs drive).