Ranthambore

March 27 & 28, 2018

We arrived at the Ranthambore National Park area Tuesday afternoon. After settling in at the fantastic resort I shared in yesterday’s post, we went to visit the Ranthambore Fort. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fort sits on top of the hill within the park. Built around 1,000 years ago it served as a hunting retreat and defense area for the Maharajah of Jaipur. You have to climb up a series of steps and pass through several gates to reach the top.

The massive doors were set at an angle and had spikes protruding to slow down elephants that enemies would use to enter the fort.

 

One of the Maharajahs had a spy within his court that aided the enemy in gaining entrance. He hosted  a flag that signaled the Maharajah had been killed so the soldiers would abandon the fort. He then opened the gates and let the enemy enter. This is a bust of the traitor. Locals throw rocks at it when entering the fort.

These women were gracious enough to stop for a photo. I love the bright colors worn by the women.

 

You can see the size of the gates are enormous to let the Maharajah enter while riding on an elephant.

A column with decorative carving.

 

There are several temples within the fort for different religions (Muslim, Hindu, and Jain).

As we were leaving the park we came across some men that were making a postration pilgrimage to the temple. They lay on the road, stretch out and place an item (this man was using a coconut) to mark his spot, then move to the new spot and start over. It is a way for them to show their appreciation for blessings and to express their faith.

 

Wednesday morning we climbed aboard the safari truck and headed to the park to look for tigers. The park is the 4th largest in Northern India and was established in 1980 as a preserve for the tigers and other wildlife. Riding the safari truck was very rough and bouncy imitating a roller coaster thrill ride. 

Jungle bobbler  chasing a snake.

Wild boars 

 

Spotted deer 

 Rufous treepie got up close looking for food handouts.

Plovers 

Spotted owl 

Woodpecker 

Peacocks were everywhere 

Stork 

The Maharajah hunting palace located by the lake.

As close as we got to a tiger were these footprints.

Parrot 

A few years ago some crocodiles were confiscated at an airport so rather than euthanize them, the authorities had them released in the park. Their numbers are rapidly increasing as they have no natural predators.

The Flame Tree of India 

The roads in the park were rough and bumpy. 

After the monsoon season the vegetation begins to look more like a desert area. 

Even though we didn’t get to see a tiger the experience was very rewarding.