Ranthambore National Park is situated in Rajasthan near Sawai Madhopur city with an area of 1,334 km2. It is bounded to the north by the Banas River and to the south by the Chambal River. It is named after the historic Ranthambore Fort, which lies within the park. Ranthambore National Park harbours dry deciduous forests and grassy meadow. The flora of the park includes 539 species of flowering plants. Padam Talao is the largest of the many lakes in the park. A red sandstone Jogi Mahal is at the edge of the lake. A gigantic Banyan tree, considered to be India’s second-largest, is also near the lake. Ranthambore National Park hosts deciduous forests and wildlife such as Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, nilgai, wild boar, sambar, striped hyena, sloth bear, southern plains grey langur, rhesus macaque, mugger crocodile and chital. The sanctuary is home to a wide variety of trees, plants, birds and reptiles, as well as one of the largest banyan trees in India.
History: Sawai Madhopur was built as a planned city by Maharaja Madho Singh I of Jaipur (1751 – 1768) and is named after him. Construction began on 19 January 1763 and Sawai Madhopur celebrates its foundation day annually. Ranthambore National Park was established as Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955, initially covering an area of 282 km2. The Sawai Madhopur Lodge, now a hotel, survives as a relic of the days of tiger hunting. The lodge was built in 1936 by Maharaja Man Singh II (1912 – 1971) and used as a hunting lodge until his death. The two-story building is constructed in a crescent shape with a long verandah. Queen Elizabeth of England visited the lodge in January 1961. It was declared one of the Project Tiger reserves in 1973 and became a national park on 1 November 1980. In 1984, the adjacent forests were declared the Sawai Man Singh Sanctuary and Keladevi Sanctuary. In 1992, the Tiger Reserve was expanded to include the adjoining Keladevi Sanctuary in the north and Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary to the south along with other forests.
*(All the above information are from Wikipedia.)
Transportation:
Airport: Sanganer Airport in Jaipur is the nearest airport and is located at a distance of 185 km from Ranthambore.
Rail: Sawai Madhopur Railway Station is the nearest railway station located at a distance of 11 km and is well connected to many major cities of India.
Road: Ranthambore National Park is well connected to major cities across India by road via Sawai Madhopur. State transport and private operators provide bus services from nearby cities to Sawai Madhopur.
Local: Private vehicles for hire, taxis and auto-rickshaws are available for local transport.
Tourist Interest:
The Ranthambore National Park and the Fort are the main tourist attraction here.