Area
:
800 sq. km ( with a core area of 498 sq km).
Established
: 1958 as a sanctuary, 1979 as a tiger reserve,
1982
as a national park.
Description
:
Sariska National Park lies in the Aravalli hills and is
the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Alwar. Sariska
itself is a wide valley with two large plateaus and is dotted
with places of historical 
and
religious interest, including the ruins of the Kankwari Fort,
the 10th century Neelkanth temples, the Budha Hanumab Temple near
Pandupol, the Bharthari Temple near the park office, and the hot
and cold springs of Taalvriksh. The large Siliserh Lake is at
the north-eastern corner. The forests are dry deciduous, with
trees of Dhak, Acacia, Ber and Salar. The Tigers of Sariska
are largely nocturnal and are not as easily seen as those
of Ranthambhor. The park also has good populations of Nilgai,
Sambar and Chital. In the evenings, Indian Porcupine, Striped
Hyaena, Indian Palm Civet and even Leopard are sometimes seen.
The forests are lush during and immediately following the monsoon,
but during the dry months of February May there is a shortage
of water and in consequence mammals are attracted to water holes.
At this time of year visibility is good because of the sparse
foliage. Sariska is excellent for birdwatching and has an unusually
large population of Indian Peafowl.
Season(Sariska
National Park) :
Open year round, the best period being November-April, especially
March-April.
Access
:
The nearest airport is at Jaipur (115 km 3 hours ) and the
nearest railway station is at Alwar (36 km). The drive from Delhi
takes 5-6 hours.
