 |
Welcome to the land of Rhinoceros Unicornis. The great Indian
one-horned rhino, more than two tons of frightening muscle and tank-like belligerence.
With its armour-plating hide and its 24” long horn- which really isn’t a horn,
but compressed hair- the Indian rhino once ruled the roost in the wetlands of north-east
India. Hunted mercilessly, it was on the brink of extinction when conservationists awoke
to its plight. The result, and a successful one at that, is Kaziranga National Park, in
Assam. Stretching over an area of 430sq km on the south bank of the
Brahmaputra river, Kaziranga is one of the last refuges of the |
Indian rhino. A
vast stretch of coarse, tall elephant grass, marshland and dense tropical forests, it has
managed to survive the onslaught of poachers, urbanization and burgeoning human
populations. Plans are already afoot to extend the park’s boundaries to include the
Brahmaputra river to the north and a part of the Mikir hill ranges to the south.
Fairly early on- in 1908, in fact- Kaziranga was declared a reserve
forest and was officially closed for shooting; at the time it could boast of only a few
dozen rhinos. By 1950 the area was a wildlife sanctuary, and in 1974 it was designated a
national park. Bounded by the misty blue hills of Barail and Karbi Anglong to the south,
the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. Today it’s one
of the few places in India where it’s possible to see the rhino out in the open- an
awesome sight indeed. And, what’s better still, the rhino population of Kaziranga now
numbers more than a thousand of the creatures. Endangered, no doubt, but protected too.
Kaziranga is home
also to elephants, sloth bears, tigers, leopard cats, jungle cats, hog badgers, capped
langurs, hoolock gibbons, pigs, jackals, porcupines, pythons, wild buffaloes, Indian
bison, swamp deer, sambhars and hog deer. Besides these, the park has a respectable avian
population, which increases considerably in the winter, when migrating birds visit the
park.
Entry Requirements
Visitors to the Kaziranga National Park are required to register at
the Tourist Centre in the Bonani Tourist Lodge while entering the park. The entry fee for
foreigners is about Rs 200; for Indians it’s Rs 10. Charges for cameras and vehicles
are additional (even if you bring your own vehicle, you’ll pay a fee for it). Rented
vehicles and elephant rides cost between Rs 750 to 800 for a ride of about an hour and a
half. The fees for Indian visitors are appreciably less- generally between Rs 50 for an
elephant ride and Rs 150 for a hired jeep.
Access
The two most convenient bases for getting to Kaziranga are Jorhat
and Guwahati. Jorhat, 96 km from the sanctuary, is the nearest airport, but
Guwahati’s Borjhar Airport, 239 km from Kaziranga, is connected by more flights. Cars
are available on rent at both airports.
There are also
direct train services to Guwahati from Calcutta, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore,
Cochin and Trivandrum.
In addition, both Jorhat and Guwahati are accessible by road from all the
neighbouring states- West Bengal, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal
Pradesh.
From Jorhat and Guwahati, taxis and buses are available to get to
Kaziranga.
Once within the park, wildlife-watching trips can be taken at dawn
on elephants that wade through the tall elephant-grass and give you a vantage view of
animals waking up to the day. Elephant trips cover Baguri, Hole Path, Mihimukh,
Kohora-Central Path and Arimarah. On an elephant ride, do wear trousers that fully cover
your legs to avoid abrasions from the coarse elephant-grass.
Best time to visit
The best season to visit Kaziranga is the winter-
approximately November to April. The weather’s hot and humid through much of the rest
of the year. During the monsoons (June to September), when there’s heavy rainfall and
the park is closed.
Accommodation
There is a wide range of accommodation available at the park ranging
from luxury resorts to rest houses, tourist lodges and dormitories. Most are maintained by
the ITDC or the Forest Department, and there are some privately owned properties too.
Accommodation at
state-run forest lodges must be booked in advance at the park headquarters, and tariffs
range between Rs 450- 750 for a room; dorm beds come for about Rs 150 a night. For
reservations contact the Joint Director of Tourism, Kaziranga, P.O. Kaziranga National
Park, Dist. Jorhat, Assam, India: 037626 52444
Private accommodation is also available, in the form of a luxury
resort where rooms can be booked for Rs 1100 a night.
Additional information on Kaziranga can be obtained from the Director, Kaziranga
National Park, PO Bokakhat, Distt. Golaghat, Assam (Tel: 3776-68095) or from the offices
of Assam Tourism in other Indian cities
|
