Sariska
formerly served as the hunting grounds for the Maharaja of Alwar. It is
a very small town, covering an area of 866 sq km, and falls in the Alwar
district of Rajasthan. This small town is much renowned for its tiger
reserve named after it. Sariska has several archaeological sites, such
as Garh Rajor Temples, Neelkanth Temple and Kankwadi Fort. In fact, it
was the historic Kankwadi fort only where Aurangzeb imprisoned his elder
brother Dara Shikoh, during the much famous battle of succession for the
Mughal throne. The landscape of Sariska is bewitching to a nature lover and includes hills and narrow valleys of the Aravalli ranges. The scrub-thorn arid forest and the dry deciduous forest of the place make it a perfect haven for tigers and several other animals. Sariska Tiger Reserve was declared a sanctuary in 1955 and a National Park in 1979. The wildlife here has wonderfully adapted to the ecology of the terrain, as the climate here is varied and erratic. The reserve is open throughout the year, but the best time to travel here and view the game around the water bodies is between the months of October and April.
As the name suggests, the sanctuary is majorly a tiger reserve. However, it is a haven to various other wildlife species as well. Leopard, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Civets Hyena, Jackal are the carnivores in Sariska, which feed on species such as Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Chausingha, Wild Boar and Langur. The wildlife park is also well known for its large population of Rhesus Monkeys, which are found around Talvriksh. The avian population of the reserve includes Great Indian Horned Owl, Sand Grouse, Bush Quail, Grey Partridge, Peafowl, Crested Serpent Eagle, Golden Backed Wood Pecker and Tree-pie.
One can get a taste of architectural splendor here, by visiting the 17th century Kankwadi fort. Sariska is also known for the ancient Neelkanth temples, dating back to 6th to 13th centuries. Sariska palace, built by Maharaja Jai Singh of Alwar, still stands at the place and has now been converted into a heritage hotel. At Sariska palace, one can find a number of photographs of the hunting expeditions undertaken by Maharaja and the British in the 1920s. The palace has beautiful well-manicured lawns and even houses some antique furniture. Sariska thus provides visitors with both a cultural and an adventurous extravaganza.