Excursions  Sawai Madhopur Town: Famous for folk arts. Bhairon Temple: The Bhairon Temple is located atop the hill close to the main entry point of Sawai Madhopur.   Ranthmbhore Fort: (12 kms. from the Resort) Perhaps the only one fort, which is not visible from a long distance. The Fort is a massive enclave and quite high. Mughal Emperor Shah Alam gifted it to Sawai Madho Singh I of Jaipur in 1754 AD and since then it was maintained as the private hunting preserve. Much later, Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh were part of the Royal Hunting, who stayed here too. It’s a unique Rajput Fort.   Archeological Department took it in 1964. It is 1578 ft from the sea level and 750ft from ground. Total area of the fort is about 7 miles. There is no drive way up to the fort, just the stairs. There are three big artificial lakes up in the Fort. The Ganesh Temple: Located almost centrally in the sprawling fort, the Ganesh temple is still thronged by countless devotees, particularly during the Ganesh Chaturthi fair. An interesting aspect is the arrival of Lord Ganesha's mail from his devotees, which is a daily feature and requires the services of a postman who brings up sacks full of it to the temple.  Amareshwar Mahadev Temple: Nestled amongst the sylvan surroundings of the hills around Ranthambhor Park is the Amareshwar Mahadev Temple . A waterfall and the verdant grove also make the trip to the temple ideal for a picnic. Jain Temple: At a distance of 3 km from Sawai Madhopur railway station is the Chamatkar Temple dedicated to the Join Tirthankar, Rishabh Deo.  Balas at Sawai Mansingh Sanctuary: Approx. 10 kms from Sawai Madhopur City, lies this haven for wildlife in the scenic area of the Aravalli Hills. An ideal additional trip or alternative to the safari in RANTHAMBHORE National Park, this sanctuary offers rugged hillsides, beautiful scenery, wildlife and birds. It is one of the best habitats in the area for the Leopard, the Honey Buzzard, the Indian Coarser and many more! Click on the link for more information Devpura: 14 km from Sawai Madhopur Where black buck abound, is not far from Surwal villages. Interestingly, black buck are almost never seen inside the RANTHAMBHORE Tiger reserve due to their preference for open spaces to jungles along with this trip you can get closer meet with the villages cultural. Rameshwarghat: Situated about 60 km from Sawai Madhopur, at the confluence of the Banas and Chambal rivers, is Rameshwaram,the site of a stately Shiva Temple . The festivities on Shivratri are colourful.  Gilai Sagar and Mansarovar: GILAI SAGAR and MANSAROVAR are two major water bodies outside the reserve that attract thousands of migratory birds during the winter. Ideal for bird watchers.  Fort of Khandar: The fort of KHANDAR is on the far side of the reserve and well worth a visit.These forts command stunning views of the area. It is also intersting to visit the resettled complexes of Kailashpuri and Gopalpura if you are interested in the story of how communties left the park to give way to the tigers thereby allowing them to flourish. Best Places to Visit in the Park Bakaula: The bakaula area is an area dotted with little water holes and thick foliage. Even in peak summers it feels like an air-conditioned room. The density of wildlife present in the area is also excellent. One feels it is possible to come across a tiger around every bend, even though it might be easier to actually do so near the edges of the lakes. This area is also a favourite with tigresses with cubs as it provides them with ample water and food supply along with excellent cover. Kachida Valley: This valley, which consists of many rocky outcrops and low hills, is located close to the outskirts of the park. A jeep would be the ideal mode of transport when trying to visit this area. This area contains a majority of the Panther population of the park. The panthers avoid venturing into the main jungle to avoid conflicts with tigers, who are known to kill them. This area also has a good population of beers.  Lakarda and Anantpura: These areas located in the North-Western and Northern regions of the park are ideal locations to visit if looking for Sloth Bears. These areas have a lot of ant hills, which are a favourite of the beers. Although very rarely seen themselves, the pugmarks of the Indian striped Hyenas are often seen here. Their numbers are not very large in the park.  Raj Bagh Ruins: These ruins are located between the Padam Talao (lake) and the Raj Bagh Talao. These ancient stone structures like arches, palace outhouses, domes and steps give the area an aura that is not possible to find anywhere else in the world. Especially if you include the jungle surroundings and are one of the lucky few who come across one of the resident tigers. These ruins are what give the Ranthambore National Park such a unique mixture of a wildlife reserve and a reminder of the past, which together make it one of the most picturesque parks in the entire world.  Padam Talao: This is the largest of the lakes present in the park. The famous and beautiful Jogi Mahal is located at the very edge of this lake. When in season, the water lilies that give the lake it's name, can be seen in plenty. In the early hours of the morning and just before sunset, animals can be seen in large numbers on the lake side. It is in the shallow waters of this lake that the famous "lake hunters" of Ranthambore operate, the most legendary of which was the tiger, Genghis. It is also along this lake's edges that the rare sighting of the chinkara is most probable.  Ranthambore Fort: This fort stands majestically atop a hill overlooking the entire park. The walk up, one of the only places this mode of transport is possible, is a very refreshing and exciting one as even the big cats have been spotted up there! The view of the surrounding keeps getting better and better as you go up but the view from the fort itself can only be described as breathtaking. It is advisable to take along a good pair of binoculars and if possible a camera with a very powerful lens when visiting the fort.  The soaring Serpent eagles, vultures and other birds can be seen at eye level. Many animals can also be seen along the edges of all the water bodies, which are all visible from here. The fort itself also offers many interesting architectural and historical sights worth viewing and photographing. A trip to the fort is a must if you are a first time visitor to the park. A guide with a good knowledge of the fort's history would always be a good idea. Rajbagh Talao: This is probably the most picturesque of the three lakes. This mostly due to the ruins that can be seen along it's edges. Yet, it owes some of it's beauty to the animals that seem to always flock to it's waters. It always has a large population of animals and birds feeding in it. The sambhar deer at Ranthambore have adapted to eating plants from the lake floor and nowhere is it more evident than at the Rajbagh Talao. Many birds, like egrets, can be seen riding on these deer while they feed. The areas around the Rajbagh Talao are also prime tiger spotting areas due to the kind of forest and it's accessibility to water sources.  Malik Talao: This is the smallest of the three lakes in Ranthambore National Park. But, as they say, all the best things come in small packages. This definitely holds true for Malik Talao. It is an area full of concentrated action all the time. It always seems to have a healthy population of birds of all kinds. Also seen at the lake very clearly and from a reasonably close distance and handsome specimens of the Indian Marsh Crocodiles. It is quite common here to be able to watch a kingfisher on a hunt for small fish.  Other areas that are worth visiting are Nalghati, Lahpur, Dhok Avenue, and Jhalra.