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
  
  
  
  
  
  

Sikkim - Godly Region

Sikkim i.e. the "Goodly Region", or "one of the fortified place" is alandlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. The state borders Nepal to the west, Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China to the north and east, and Bhutan to the southeast. The state of West Bengal borders Sikkim to its south.[4]

With around 600,000 permanent residents, Sikkim is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest state after Goa in total area, covering approximately 7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi).[5] Sikkim is nonetheless geographically diverse due to its location in the Himalayas. The climate ranges from subtropical to high alpine. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is located on Sikkim's border with Nepal.[6] Sikkim is a popular tourist destination, owing to its culture, scenery andbiodiversity. It also has the only open border between India and China.

Legend has it that the Buddhist saint Guru Rinpoche visited Sikkim in the 9th century, introduced Buddhism and foretold the era of the monarchy. Indeed, the Namgyal dynasty was established in 1642. Over the next 150 years, the kingdom witnessed frequent raids and territorial losses to Nepalese invaders. It allied itself with the British rulers of India, but was soon annexed by them. Later, Sikkim became a British protectorate, before merging with India following a referendum in 1975.

Sikkim has 11 official languages: Nepali (which is its lingua franca), Bhutia, Lepcha (since 1977), Limbu (since 1981), Newari, Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Sherpa, Tamang (since 1995) and Sunwar (since 1996).[7] English is taught in schools and used in government documents. Sikkim is the only state in India with an ethnic Nepalese majority.[8] The predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Gangtok is the capital and largest city. Sikkim's economy is largely dependent on agriculture and tourism, and the state has the fourth-smallest GDP among Indian states,[9] although it is also among the fastest-growing.[10]

Geography

Nestling as it does in the Himalayan mountains, the state of Sikkim is characterized by wholly mountainous terrain. Almost the entire state is hilly, with an elevation ranging from 280 metres (920 ft) to 8,585 metres (28,000 ft). The summit of theKangchenjunga is the highest point which falls on the border between Sikkim and Nepal.[6] For the most part, the land is unfit for agriculture because of the precipitous and rocky slopes. However, certain hill slopes have been converted into farm lands using terrace farming techniques. Numerous snow-fed streams in Sikkim have carved out river valleys in the west and south of the state. These streams combine into the Teesta and its tributary, the Rangeet. The Teesta, described as the "lifeline of Sikkim", flows through the state from north to south.[citation needed] About a third of the land is heavily forested.

The Himalayan ranges surround the northern, eastern and western borders of Sikkim in a crescent. The Lower Himalayas in the southern reaches of the state are the most densely populated. The state has 28 mountain peaks, more than 80 glaciers,[29] 227 high-altitude lakes including the Tsongmo Lake, Gurudongmar and Khecheopalri Lake, 5 hot springs, and more than 100 rivers and streams. Eight mountain passes connect the state to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.[30]

Sikkim's hot springs are known for medicinal and therapeutic values. The most important hot springs are at Phurchachu (Reshi), Yumthang, Borang, Ralang, Taram-chu and Yumey Samdong. They have high sulphur content and are located near river banks. Some also emit hydrogen.[31] The average temperature of the water in these hot springs is 50 °C (122 °F).[32]

Transport

Air

The Teesta River is considered as the "lifeline of Sikkim."

Sikkim currently does not have any airports or railheads because of its rough terrain. However, the state's first airport is expected to be ready by 2011 in Pakyong, 30 km (19 mi) away from Gangtok. The airport will be capable of operating ATR aircraft.[58] Currently, the closest operational airport to Sikkim is Bagdogra Airport, near the town of Siliguri in West Bengal. The airport is about 124 km away from Gangtok. A regular helicopter service run by the Sikkim Helicopter Service connects Gangtok to Bagdogra; the flight is thirty minutes long, operates only once a day, and can carry 4 people.[59] The Gangtok helipad is the only civilian helipad in the state.

Rail

The closest railway stations are Siliguri and New Jalpaiguri.[60]

The New Sikkim Railway Project has been launched to connect the town of Rangpo in Sikkim with Sevoke. The project is expected to be complete by 2015.[61][62]

In addition, the Ministry of Railways has recently proposed plans for railway lines linking Mirik to Ranipool.[63]

Roads

National Highway 31A and National Highway 31 link Siliguri to Gangtok.[64] Sikkim National Transport runs bus and truck services. Privately-run bus, tourist taxi and jeep services operate throughout Sikkim, and also connect it to Siliguri. A branch of the highway from Melli connects western Sikkim. Towns in southern and western Sikkim are connected to the hill stations of Kalimpong and Darjeeling in northern West Bengal.[65] The state is furthermore connected to China by Nathu La.

See

• Rumtek Monastery [1] – 24 km from Gangtok in East Sikkim – the main seat of the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism in Sikkim. Originally built by the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje in 1740, but fell into disrepair. The current structure dates from 1959.
  
  

• Tsongmo Lake [2] – 40 km from Gangtok in East Sikkim on Nathula route – Tsongmo Lake (also called Changu Lake or Tsomgo Lake) is a large lake in the East Sikkim district of India. It is oval-shaped, with a length of about one kilometre and has an average depth of fifteen metres.It is also a home of Brahminy Ducks besides being a stopover for various migratory birds. Etymologically "Tso" means lake and "Mgo" means head, thus literally meaning "source of the lake" in the Bhutia language. Tsongmo lake is declared a sacred lake by the local Buddhist and Hindu population. The lake remains hidden in the rich forest cover. It is believed that the birds do not permit even a single leaf to float on the lake surface. There is a motorable road from Pemayangtse right up to the lake area. It falls in the restricted area and hence an inner line permit is required by Indians to visit this place. Foreign nationals are not permitted to visit this lake without special permission. A little distance from the lake is a beautiful natural three storied cave, the Tseten Tashi Cave is a worth to visit.

• Nathu la pass - The Nathu la pass lies on the Indo-Chinese border and is only open for Indian tourists. People who wish to visit Nathu la should get special permission one day in advance. Please note, however, that the pass is not open on Mondays & Tuesdays every week.It closes in the winter and opens in May.
• Baba mandir - Eight kilometers from Nathu la pass is the original Harbajan Singh Baba Temple from which the Indo-Bhutan border is approximately 6 km and the India-China border is around 5 km. A must visit place for all those who like to explore places!

• Kabi Lungstok - Kabi Lungtsok is a historic place, located on North Sikkim Highway, 17 kms away from Gangtok. This is the same place where the historic treaty between Lepcha Chief Te-Kung-Tek and the Bhutia Chief Khey-Bum-Sar was signed ritually.

• Chungthang - Chungthang is located in the northern part of Sikkim. It is located at the confluence of Lachen and Lachung Chu and is the starting point of the river teesta. It is believed that Chungthang is blessed by a guru Rimpoche.

• Gurudongmar Lake - Gurudongmar lake is at an altitude of 5150 meters ft. The lake is both sacred and pristine. It has crystal clear waters and and the way leading to it is a cold desert. The lake remains completely frozen during the Winters, except for a small part which is considered to be touched by Guru Padmasambhava. Visits to the lake are allowed after obtaining a permit from the Government. Foreign nationals are not allowed to go there. The whole area is controlled by Army, due to it's proximity to China. . The air pressure is only 55 % compared to sea level , making altitude sickness a certain outcome for any longer stay without lengthy acclimatization. For day trip visitors a night halt at Lachen is advised for minimal altitude acclimatization . It is advisable to not to run or speak loudly. Just sit by the lake enjoying it's beauty and the surrounding mountains. Tourists are generally asked to leave the place by 1 - 2 PM, after which the wind speeds picks up and is enough to carry small stones with it!

• Dzongri trek: Dzongri trek is possible in the west part of the Sikkim. This trek is suitable for those trekkers who wish to go for a short and easy trek. This trek provides beautiful view of unique landscape, which permanently gets printed on the trekkers mind.