There is a lot to do in Ranthambore National Park and one can be very creative while planning a trip to Ranthambore. Although safaris are the main attraction for people visiting Ranthambore national park but Ranthambore is much more than just safaris. With a massive history attached to the place and natural beauty all around, there are many places where you can visit, while in Ranthambore national park. Below mentioned are few of them
1) Ranthambore Fort and Ganesh Temple
Ranthambore fort lies in the heart of Ranthambore national park and holds historical importance for the place. Ranthambore fort was built by Rajputs who ruled the area long back and since then, the Forth was concurred by many emperors and lot of wars have taken place in the battle ground of Ranthambore. While on safari, one can see glimpse of the fort in terms of entry gate or watch towers built on all directions of the fort. But as soon as one starts the uphill walk towards the fort, one can see the remains of the fort which ones was the lavish stay for the king of the area. The view from the fort is nothing less than spectacular and overlooks padam talav from a height.
There is also a Ganesh Temple nearby fort and the local people in the area have huge belief for the temple. It is believed that lord Ganesha is the protector of the forest and have saved the forest from getting destroyed. Once in a year, the locals visit the temple on foot passing through the forests of Ranthambore national park and it is nothing less than magical that no man animal conflict has taken place on that day with the pilgrims, despite of the fact that this ritual has been happening since ages.
Ranthambore fort is also a great place for bird watching specially if we wish to see birds of prey. One can see them take flight from the top of trees and watch the forest from the top.
2) Chambal River valley and crocodile spotting tours
Chambal river flows on the border of Rajasthan and Madhya pradesh and offers amazing views to the visitors. There are good number of crocodiles and Gharials which live in this river. Gharials belong to crocodile family but differ from them in terms of appearance and size. Very few individuals of this species survive in the wild and in Chambal river chances of spotting the Gharials are pretty Good. You can also go for a boat ride in chambal river, which also provides you the opportunity to spot gharials and crocodiles from close quaters. Overall this trip is one of the most popular amongst the tourists visiting Ranthambore national park.
3) Ranthambore School of Arts
If you admire different forms of art, then Ranthambore school of arts might interest you. Here you can see various forms of paintings, mostly wildlife and tiger paintings. The place is majorly a conservation effort as it engages the artists from nearby villages creating employment for them. You may buy some paintings from here, helping in the cause. The paintings are places at a very reasonable price. The school of Arts also teaches painting in case any villager wishes to learn paintings and take it as livelyhood. While in ranthambore, it is a must visit place, especially if you admire art.
4) Jogi Mahal
Located on the bank of padam talav, the jogi mahal is a beautiful structure which had served as hunting facility for the royal family since ages. Located right on the bank of the lake, it used to be a perfect place to hunt animals who would come to the lake to quench their thrust. Now the Jogi mahal is open for tourists with limited access. Earlier with permissions from forest department, you could also stay in the Jogi mahal and observe the night activities in the forest. Painted in red, it looks beautiful with lush green forest background in the heart of Ranthambore national park.
5) Rajiv Gandhi museum of natural history
If you are looking forward to know about the rich culture and history of the country and awareness about nature and biodiversity, it is one of the best things to do, when in Ranthambore national park. It is one of the four museums in the country setup to display the natural history and richness in our beautiful conutry. The museum is located in Ramsinghpura village near Ranthambore national park and remains open from 10 am to 05 pm on all days except Mondays.
