Rajaji National Park
Introduction Accommodation Access
Famous Species  Best time to visit  Bus service
Entry Requirements

Spotted Deer

 Introduction

Lying in a 820 sq km swathe across the Shivaliks, at the foot of the Himalayas, the Rajaji National Park spreads across three districts of Uttarakhand- Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal. In 1983, the three wildlife sanctuaries of Rajaji, Motichur and Chilla were amalgamated into a single contiguous park consisting of several distinct vegetation zones. These include broadleaved deciduous forests, riverine vegetation, grasslands, and pine forests in the upper reaches.

Inhabiting these dense green jungles are an impressive array of creatures- furred and feathered, docile and dangerous. 23 species of mammals- including tigers, leopards, elephants, deer, jungle cat, wild boar and sloth bear- and 315 species of birds are found in Rajaji. The most prominent avian species include pea fowl, woodpeckers, pheasants, kingfishers and barbets, supplemented by a number of migratory species during the winter months. Besides that, the rivers which flow through the park harbour fish such as trout and mahseer.

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Rajaji’s history of conservation has been rather rocky in the recent past. The park’s been besieged by a host of problems, ranging from soil erosion to poaching. Despite all these issues, Rajaji continues to be one of northern India’s major wildlife reserves- and one of the best places to see the fauna and flora of the terai.

I stood there totally frozen as the leopard suddenly discovered my presence there! We had already taken our early morning round of the Chilla range in the Rajaji National Park. As we stopped for a pre-cycling break besides a canal, for some packed breakfast, I had heard a sambar deer give an alarm call around 500 meters away. Not really expecting to see anything, but just for the thrill of it, I had walked stealthily down the narrow track winding its way through the undergrowth. Although the track ran along a raised stretch of land, visibility was no more than a few yards on either side due to the dense concentration of trees and bushes. It was when I had stopped, behind a small bush on the track itself, and was silently waiting for any further calls that the leopard suddenly made its appearance. It was no more than eight meters in front of me. A handsome and large specimen that too! As I slowly turned my face to look in its direction, this slight movement caught its attention and the next moment it sprung into the bushes across the track and was gone. I stood there for a few moments, my heart thumping in my chest, before returning to tell the others what a New Year eve's gift they had missed!

Our main plan was to spend 2 nights at Shivpuri on the river Ganges, at our favorite rafting camp, to celebrate the arrival of the New Year 2002. It was when the camp owner, a close friend of mine, told me that they had opened a new property bordering the Rajaji National Park, that we decided we had to spend some time there too. We knew we would however only be able to cover one of the eight ranges of the park, which covers a total area of 820.42 sq km in the Shivalik hill range. The ranges besides the one we covered are Chillawali, Dholkhand, Haridwar, Ghori, Motichur, Kansrao and Ramgarh. Two rivers mainly drain the park. These are the River Song and the mighty and Holy River Ganges.

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Bird in Rajaji ParkThe Rajaji National Park, named after the famous freedom fighter C. Rajgopalachari, was formed by the combination of three sanctuaries in 1983. These three sanctuaries were Rajaji, Motichur and Chilla. This area is extremely rich in animal and plant life. The terrain, although it consists of some large plains, is mainly made up of hilly landscapes. The park is popular with visitors as it boasts of a decent infrastructure. Another factor that makes it a highly visited park is its accessibility. It is located approximately 230 km from the country's capital, New Delhi. The nearest railway connections are possible at Haridwar and Dehradun, the latter also having flight connections to important cities in North India. The park's entrances are located near the state capital of Dehradun and another near the famous holy city of Haridwar.

Winter is an excellent time for visits but true wildlife enthusiasts prefer to put up with the intense heat of summer, as animal sightings are a lot more plentiful then. The temperature here varies between 2 degrees centigrade in the winters to 45degrees in the summers. The altitude varies between 300 to 1000 meters above mean sea level. The park remains open from 15th November to 15th June. Accommodation facilities, provided by the park authorities near the entrances, give visitors an excellent jungle experience. Numerous hotels and resorts are also located in the neighbouring towns. The forest rest houses are extremely basic and one should not go there expecting lavish facilities. Some of them do not have facilities for electricity.

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Famous Species

The Rajaji National Park is famous for its populations of Tigers, Elephants and Leopards. Besides these it also harbours decent populations of Jungle Cats, Sambhar Deer, Spotted Deer, Martens, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear, Monitor Lizard, Langoor, Rhesus Macaques, Ghorals, Civet Cats, Python and King Cobras among approximately 23 different species. The park also plays host to over 315 species of winged wonders. Some of these include various Fowls, Pheasants, Hornbills, Eagles, Raptors, Woodpeckers, Barbets, Thrushes, Finches, Parakeets, Babblers, Warblers, Kingfishers, Rollers, Orioles, etc.The rivers Ganges and Song have abundant fish life that includes Mahaseer, the huge Goonch, Chilwa, Trout and Kalabanse. We also the biggest group of Black Stork I have ever seen in a single spot and some vultures, which are rapidly becoming some of the rarest birds to find.

Snake

Although my trip to the park was restricted to only one of the ranges during this visit, it has given me sufficient indications of it being an extremely promising wildlife reserve. It goes without saying that I will be soon making a trip to cover as many of the other ranges as well and you will definitely then get all the exciting feedback. For now, it's going to be another park in the north.

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Brown bear

Brown bear the Rajaji National Park was founded in 1966 and spreads over an area of about 820 sq. kms. Nestling amidst a lush valley of the Shivalik ranges, Dehradun is an ideal holiday resort with its many picnic spots and excursion sites.

The park offers wonderful opportunities for viewing the wild in their natural habitat. The wildlife here includes elephant, tiger, panther, bear, chital, sambar, wild boar, kakar, python, monitor lizard and a wide variety of avian fauna

Entry Requirements(as per information of  year2003)
All visitors to Rajaji National Park need entry permits in order to be allowed into the park. Permits are available at each of the gates to the park, and cost Rs 30 for Indians and Rs 350 for foreigners. These permits are valid for three days; if you wish to stay longer, you’ll have to pay Rs 20 a day (if you’re Indian), Rs 175 per day if you’re not. Additional charges are levied for cameras and vehicles. Still cameras are free for Indians and Rs 50 for foreigners; vehicles are Rs 500 for both Indians and foreigners.

Access
One of the reasons for Rajaji’s  popularity is that it’s conveniently situated for anybody coming from Delhi. The national capital is only 231 km from the park, and there are  convenient overnight trains from Delhi to Haridwar and Dehradun, from where there are connecting buses to Rajaji. Similarly, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, is linked by bus to Haridwar and Dehradun. From Rajaji, the nearest airport is Jolly Grant, at Dehradun, while the most convenient railheads are Haridwar and Dehradun. Both have railway connections to the rest of the country.

Rajaji is accessible through different gates; the Ramgarh Gate and Mohand Gate are within 25 km of Dehradun, while the Motichur, Ranipur and Chilla Gates are just about 9 km from Haridwar. Kunao Gate is 6 km from Rishikesh, and Laldhang gate is 25 km from Kotdwar.

Within the park, the only way of getting around, if you haven’t got your own vehicle, is by elephant. Elephant rides of about 2½ hours each are organized by the park authorities and cost between Rs 50 and 100 per person.

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Best time to visit
Rajaji National Park is open to visitors between November and June. The months from December to March are usually the best time to visit, as the weather’s at its best. Beyond April, things start hooting up, though it never gets unbearably hot.

Accommodation
Within the Rajaji National Park are ten forest rest houses, at Beribara, Chilla, Ranipur, Dholkhand, Kunnao, Motichur, Kansrao, Satyanarain, Phandowala and Kasarodi. Chilla has in addition a tourist complex operated by the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam.

The accommodation provided is fairly basic, and there are no catering facilities. You’ll have to bring your own food along, and do your own cooking- utensils and crockery are provided.

Staying outside the park, at hotels and tourist complexes in Haridwar, Rishikesh or Dehradun, is a good idea if you’d rather not rough it out. All three cities have a wide range of accommodation options, ranging from budget to mid-range and even luxury; and considering the close proximity of these towns to the park, it’s not too difficult getting to Rajaji for the day’s wildlife-watching.

Further information is available from the Rajaji National Park office at 5/1 Ansari Marg, Dehradun (Tel: (0135)2621669 / 2744225). Alternatively, you can contact any of the offices of the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN).

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Bus service  Bus Service for the visitors of  Rajaji National Park has been recently launched on 12th Dec 2003 by Hon' able Chief Minister Shri N.D. Tiwari with the help of Forest Department Uttarakhand.

From where we can get the ticket-Chilla gate of Rajaji National Park

Ticket Price- For General Public-Rs. 150/-

                       For Students-Rs. 100/-  

Whom to contact for ticket-- Ranger (Chilla Range)--9837211740