UtripIndia

Rajaji National Park - Elephants You will Never Forget

(A Weekend Destination for Delhites)

State : Uttarakhand

Distance from Delhi : 208 Km

Journey Time : By Road : 6 Hrs, By Rail : 7.5 Hrs + 0.5 Hrs by road

Route : NH 58 to Haridwar via Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Roorkee, state road to chilla, the main entrance of Rajaji.

 

The park has been created in 1983 by amalgamation of three sanctuaries- Rajaji sanctuary, Motichur sanctuary and Chilla sanctuary after the name of renowned statesman and freedom fighter Sri C. Rajgopalachariya - The first and last Governor General of independent India popularly known as "Rajaji". The park is spread over an area of 820.42 sq. km. in three Districts- Dehradun, Haridwar & Pauri Garhwal of Uttaranchal State, India.

The area is covered with diverse forest types ranging from semi-evergreen to deciduous and from mixed broad-leaved to terai grassland and has been classified as Indus-Ganges Monsoon Forest type. Lofty strands of sal dominate in many parts.

Rajaji is home to avian species which are found in forested foothills and in open grassland. It's location in a transition zone between temperate western Himalaya and central Himalaya enhances the species diversity and consequently the viewing prospects. Rajaji's checklist has 324 species and includes good birds like Greater Scaup, White-naped Woodpecker, Great Hornbill, Black-bellied Tern, Pallas's Fish Eagle, Northern Goshawk, Black-necked Stork, Yellow-billed Blue Magpie, Scaly Thrush, Snowy-browed Flycatcher, Rusty-flanked Treecreeper, Pale-footed Bush Warbler, Tytler's Leaf Warbler, Green Avadavat and Reed Bunting.

 

The park is home to the Tiger, Leopard, Himalayan Bear, Cheetal, hog deer, barking deer, Sambar deer, wild boar, antelopes such as the Nilgai, Goral , Jackal, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Leopard Cat, Civets, Himalayan Yellow-Throated Marten, Sloth Bears, Pythons, King Cobra, Common Krait, Indian Cobra and the Monitor Lizard and above All the Asian Elephant.