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Sariska is a storehouse of wild flora and fauna.
It houses some of the famous species of deciduous plants and
wild animals. It also cradles some of the rare species of birds,
both native and migratory. Moreover, the Kankawati Fort
is one of the wonders of Sariska that stands alone and neglected.
As if aware of the fact that the fort is abandoned, the jungle
beasts, especially the leopards, come here for some outdoor
hunting spree.
Flora :
 The geography of the area is
mainly hilly, with two big plateaus, Kankwari and Kiraska.
Sariska itself is a wide valley which starts from the Baran
Tal Gate and ends before Thana Gazi. The hills are typical
of the Aravallis, hogback ridges with a striking homogeneity.
In winter, with the blooming of the flame of the forest, the
landscape metamorphoses into a mosaic of grey and red. With
water being scarce, Sariska is characterised by scrub-thorn
arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and scanty grasses
spread over the hills and narrow valleys of the Aravali hill
range. The major plants of Sariska includes, dhok, khair,
tendu, and ber.
Fauna :
The dry, rocky terrain of Sariska is ideal country for leopards,
and sightings of these beautiful animals are quite common.
During the day, partly because of its superb camouflage, the
leopards are rarely seen but as dusk descends on the valley,
they are picked up by the powerful beams thrown out by spotlights
which are mounted on jeeps. Smaller than the tiger, it coexists
with its large cousin bringing down smaller game like the
chital and catching peacocks. Widely distributed throughout
the Indian subcontinent, it is quite amazing to see it equally
at home in dense rain forests found elsewhere or in the rocky
outcrops of the Aravallis.
The easiest way to see animals is to drive along the road from
Sariska to Pandupole. In the evening, as dusk creeps in, large
herds of sambhar move down from the hills to drink. Though the
Aravalli hills are not quite part of the Thar Desert, the dependence
of wildlife on the few waterholes in the vast area helps bunch
them up in a narrow valley through which the road runs. Besides
the deer, there are a few antelope, of which the nilgai is the
predominant species. Sariska is perhaps the only place in the
country from where the sighting of albino nilgai has been reported.
More rare, but occasionally seen are the chowsingha (four-horned
antelope). This petite creature is the only antelope in the
world which carries two separate sets of horns; and unlike the
larger Nilgai, it is only found singly or in pairs.
 Among the lesser cats found
in the subcontinent, the lithe, graceful and handsome caracal
is perhaps rarely ever seen. The few sightings in the wild have
mostly been in Sariska, but to see one of these reddish brown
cats, one has to be quite lucky. The caracal is agile beyond
belief and is known to knock down several birds from a flock
before they can take wing. The jungle cat on the other hand
is fairly common and they often come to Kalighati to drink.
They are, in fact, the most common of all wild cats and are
different from the usual domestic cat only by their slightly
longer legs. It lives off small animals and birds, but its numbers
have been reduced by indiscriminate trapping for its grey-brown
fur.
On an evening drive, one is almost certain of running into the
Indian porcupine. The villain of many man-eating stories-their
quills, once embedded in the flesh tend to travel into the wounded
animal and many crippled tigers in the past were thought to
have become man eaters after an encounter with a porcupine-this
nocturnal inhabitant of the forest is actually a rodent. Along
with the wild boar, they dig up large areas as they forage for
food, and in turn play the role of the gardener by helping seeds
germinate.
In addition, Sariska is excellent bird country. At the waterholes,
peacocks are definite visitors. Flycatchers, drongos, lapwings,
shrikes and treepies add colour to the beautiful landscape
and, if one ever stops for a meal at Kalighati, babblers along
with treepies boldly snatch food from people's hands!
Kankawadi Fort :
The Kankawadi fort is an important tourist attraction of Sariska.
Though not maintained properly, it is the only historic monument
showing the Mughal connection with Sariska. According to the
records of history, Aurangzeb had imprisoned the eldest son
of Shah Jahan here. Located on a hill, the fort overlooks
the Kankawadi plateau and the few Gujjar villages around it.
Leopards from the park occasionally visit this fort in search
of food and solitude.
Weekend Trips/Excursions :
As if the flora and fauna along with the historical grandeur
were not enough, Sariska also has a number of excursion destinations
to visit around. The Siliserh lake and the palace which also
make an ideal picnic point, the Hides that provide real life
opportunity to play hide and seek with the wild. Alwar is
considered as the gateway to Rajasthan while Deeg is known
for wonderful palaces and gardens. Moreover, all these excursion
itineraries provide you with good eating and accommodation
options to spend a day or two.
Siliserh Lake :
 Located near the
Sariska tiger reserve, just off the Alwar-Sariska road is
the wonderfully picturesque Siliserh lake. The lake overlooks
a marvellous palace built by Maharaja Vinay Singh in AD 1845
for his queen Shila. The lake makes an interesting picnic
spot and also offers you options of boating and sailing. The
palace here has been converted into a tourist resort for the
convenience of the visitors. The crocodiles are the major
inhabitants of the lake.
The Hides :
The many Hides in and out of the park are the must visits while
being in Sariska. These hides are specially made to observe
the wild in their natural way. If you book a hide, which is
highly advised, you may end up spotting the wild inhabitants
on the many water holes of the park. Excellent for some patience
studded wild photography, these hides are worth a look even
if not booked.
Alwar :
Located at a distance of about 36 kilometres from Sariska, Alwar
is a must visit excursion from Sariska. Alwar is known as a
city with history. This fact is revealed in the many notable
historical monuments, the hilltop fort, many temples and the
10 tanks. Moreover, the local museum here preserves more than
7,000 manuscripts that says many things about Alwar's past.
Built to function as his capital city, Rao Pratap Singhji of
Macheri founded Alwar in 1771. You can also visit many other
nearby sites from here.
Deeg :
 Located at a distance
of few kilometres from Sariska, Deeg is a famous place especially
known for its wonderful palaces and gardens. Built in the 18th
century by Suraj Mal, Deeg also gets mentioned for the famous
battle between Maharaja and combined army of Marathas and the
Mughals. Consequently the latter took over the place. Most of
the palaces contain the proof of Mughal influence on this place.
Deeg is presently known as an agricultural town which used to
be a second capital of Bharatpur state. Deeg was also functioning
as the summer resort of the Bharatpur rulers. A must visit for
you from Sariska.
Events and Festivals :
Sariska National Park is home to many temples of Hindus as well
as Jains. Many of them have their own fairs and festivals. One
of the major festivals is celebrated in the Pandupole Hanuman
Temple and thousands of pilgrims visit this place every year
from July to September.
Bhartrihari Temple is the place where a fair is celebrated every
year in the September/October. Many cultural programmes including
dance dramas are organized during the festival.
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