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Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary
 Location :
21 km from Alwar, Rajasthan.
Area :
765.80 sq.km.
Specialty :
Tiger, Spotted Deer and Wild Boar
Notified In :
1955
Once the hunting reserve of the maharajas of Alwar, in whose jurisdiction it fell, Sariska's forest's are typical of the Aravallis with their undulating terrain of low hills, teep escarpments, wide valleys & hill plateaus.
A natural habitat for the tiger, it ould have held a commendable population of these tigers had the forests around the park not been vandalished in the recent decades. Today, the region is a ajor milk pocket, & cattle have eroded the forestlands & pastures around the park, so that the population of wildlife has shrunk to the limits of the park alone.
Human Population & the resence of religious spots around & inside the park have further led to the deterioration of the environment.
For all that, Sariska is a heavily forested reserve, & a drive through the park shows up a large number of deer species as well as langurs that inhabit the tree cover. Also residents of the reserve, though almost as elusive as the tiger on account of the cover of vegetation, are leopard, jungle cat, jackal, hyena & wild dog.
Observers often gather at hides close to waterholes to view & photographs wildlife though of course, they cannot stay beyond evening light. When deer come to feed at these waterholes, they attract the presence of leopards, tigers & wild dogs, especially in summer when all other sources of water shrink & vapourise.
Like all parks, there is also a variety of birdlife in Sariska that includes the gray partridge, white breasted kingfisher, golden backed woodpecker, serpent eage,great Indian horned owl, & others.
Viewing The Wild
 The best way to visit the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary is by jeep and these can be arranged at the Forest Reception Office on Jaipur Road.
Booking a `hide', overlooking one of the waterholes, can provide an excellent opportunity for viewing and photographing wildlife. So, pick up your sleeping bag and some food and settle down to watch.
Prime Sites
Within the park are the ruins of many temples.
The Kankwari Forts
The Sariska Park has historic overtones. Here, Emperor Aurangzeb once imprisoned his brother, Dara Shikoh.
The Ancient Shiva Temples, in the precincts of the park, Neelkanth temples (6th-13th century AD), which are now in ruins, afford a wonderful sight to the visitors.
The Place,
at Sariska was once the royal reserve of the rulers of Alwar. This palace built by the Maharajas of Alwar, has now been converted into a hotel.
Major Tourist Attractions in Sariska
The Vegetation
The park consist many undulating hills of all sizes. The forest cover is mostly of the dry deciduous type with Dhok, Khair, Tendu, Ber, Surwal and Goria making up a majority of the vegetation.
The Animals
 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 Tigers of Sariska are largely nocturnal and are not as easily seen as those of Ranthambhore.
The Birds
The avian population in the park is also very large. Some of the bird species visible in the park are Peafowl, Red Jungle Fowl, Spur Fowls, White Breasted Kingfishers, Golden Backed Woodpeckers, Great Indian Horned Owls, Quails, Partridges, Sangrouse, Tree Pies, Crested Serpent Eagles, Parakeets, Drongos, Sunbirds and Vultures.
The Kankwari Fort
Among the historic landmarks located within the Sariska national park, includes the Kankwari For, where, Emperor Aurangzeb once imprisoned his brother, Dara Shikoh.
The Ancient Shiva Temples
Within the area of the Sariska tiger sanctuary, Neelkanth temples, that dates back to the 6th-13th century AD, now in ruins, afford a wonderful sight to the visitors.
HOW TO GET THERE
ROAD: Sariska is situated off the Delhi-Alwar-Jaipur Road. The nearest town is Alwar (21 km). Jaipur is located at a distance of 110 km and Delhi at 200Kms. There are direct buses to Alwar from Delhi and Jaipur. Frequent buses travel between Alwar and Sariska.
RAIL: The nearest raiway station is Alwar (21 km).
AIR: Jaipur is the nearest airport.
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