Best Things To Do In Sawai Madhopur, India

1. Ranthambore National Park

Ranthambore National Park is situated 11 km (6.8 miles) away from the city and it is the largest and finest national park in India. Located where Vindhya Range and the Aravalli Range, meet, the park is even popular with the locals, who have been extremely influenced by the wildlife, reflected in the lifestyle of the people here. Originally just a wildlife sanctuary, the park later became part of Project Tiger and declared a National Park.

What makes this place so beautiful? Tigers are not kept in any cages or boundaries and find a large area to roam and make them feel free as if in an open forest. For wildlife photographers and animal lovers, this is a true delight and a prime attraction. There are many other pieces of birds and animals found here, such as sloth bears, hyenas, nilgais, chitals and wild boars. Three beautiful lakes encompass the region - namely, Malik Talab, Raj Bagh Talab, and Padam Talab.

Ranthambore National Park

Website: Ranthambore National Park

2. Ranthambore Fort

No one knows exactly when Ranthambore Fort was built but it is the exhalted landmark of Ranthambore National Park. The place has become known for adventure sports and it once is served as a royal hunting spot, surrounded by sprawling forest.

Ranthambore Fort

Website: Ranthambore Fort

3. Ranthambore School of Art

Ranthambore School of Art is a painting school and academy near Ranthambore National Park. The students at this cultural center are extremely talented and some make paintings of tigers to sell and showcase. Understanding the need of conservation in the area, their paintings are not made to only promote wildlife, but to contribute to saving the tigers. The students of this school also travel to nearby villages and make other students aware of the rich heritage of wildlife in the area and the mission to save the tigers.

Ranthambore School of Art

Facebook: Ranthambore School of Art

4. Chamatkar Temple

Chamatkar Temple a famous and important temple for the Jain people of the area. Devotees asked their god to fulfill their wishes and a series of miracles brought this temple into existence. There is another interesting story as to how this temple came to be. A farmer once had a dream in which God asked him to dig into the soil. After he did so, he found an important idol buried in the ground. The next day, God, again came into the farmer’s dream and told him to put the idol in his carriage and see how far his horse will take it. Where the temple is now situated is said to be where the farmer’s horse stopped.

Chamatkar Temple

Website: Chamatkar Temple

5. Trinetra Ganesh Temple

The Trinetra Ganesh Temple is situated inside the Ranthambore Fort itself, making it another attraction of Ranthambore National Park. The idol of Ganeshji has three eyes and so it is named the Trinetra Ganesh Temple and is the oldest temple in all of Rajasthan. The temple is also known as the Pratham Ganesh Temple and was built by King Hammer, who placed the whole family of Ganeshji, here. The secret and magical stories of King Hammer and the building of this temple can also be heard here and this temple attracts a large number of devotees.

Trinetra Ganesh Temple

Website: Trinetra Ganesh Temple

6. Jogi Mahal

Jogi Mahal is situated on one side of Padam Lake and is located in Ranthambore National Park. Jogi Mahal was basically used as a rest house for visitors and tourists. Accommodation in this Mahal is unfortunately now restricted because of some circumstances. Due to its picturesque location, this place has become popular. There is a tall banyan tree near Jogi Mahal which is considered the largest banyan tree in India.

7. Khandar Fort

Khandar Fort is an ancient fort located in Khandar Tehsil, Sawai Madhopur district, 40 km (25 miles) away from the main city of Sawai Madhopur. There are seven different temples within the fort - an old Jain temple displays the amazing work of carved rock idols while the Hanuman temple has an idol of Lord Hanumanji, with the demon under his feet. Other temples are the Gobind Devji temple, the Chaturbhuja temple, the Jayanti Mata temple and the Jagatpalji temple. The place is a must-visit site as it has many different stories and incidents.

Khandar Fort

Website: Khandar Fort

8. Malik Talao

Croc story in Malik talao in Ranthambore zone 3 . "This particular creature also amazes me equally due to its peculiar behaviour .. they have populated this lake in huge numbers now.. thinking about the deers who have no choice but to come here for water and watch their back from the two largest predators - Mighty Cat and Large Reptile" #crocodile #ranthambore #wildlifephotography #ranthamborenationalpark #lakeside #wildlife #tigersanctuary #india #rajasthan #reptile #wildwanderers #photograpghy #capture #travelandliving #outdoorwanderer #delhiblogger #instadaily #instaphoto #magnificient #followforfollow #rollingwithkritz #savethenature

A post shared by kritidipta (@rollingwithkritzz) on Feb 28, 2017 at 10:27am PST

Malik Talao is the smallest lake in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and is best known as a haven for birds. Many species of birds can be spotted at Malik Talao, making this place perfect for birdwatching - birds like egrets, herons, cranes and kingfishers are some of the commonly seen birds, here.

Malik Talao

Website: Malik Talao

9. Padam Talao

Padam Talao is the largest lake in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and is the main source of water for the wild animals in the area. The reason why the lake is called Padam is interesting. The lake looks most pleasant during the water lily blooming season and so the lake was named Padam Lake, because padam means flowers. The best time to visit this place is in the early morning when a large number of animals and birds can be spotted drinking water. Rare Chinkara deer can also be seen here, sometimes.

Padam Lake

Website: Padam Lake

The end of an adventurous trip...

People interested in architecture prefer to visit this place during summer, to see everything at its best otherwise, you can enjoy Sawai Madhopur between the months of October to March, without worrying about the heat.