WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

WITH BOUTIQUE LODGES AND ΝΟ CROWDS, THE MORE EXCLUSIVE TEHLA ZONE OF SARISKA NATIONAL PARK IS EMERGING AS THE DESTINATION OF CHOICE FOR WILDLIFE ENTHUSIASTS 

- Amit Dixit

THE BITING cold of a mist-laden morning, the forest is quiet, in no rush to give up its secrets. There’s mystery in the air, a sense that anything is possible. We’re in a jeep. On a safari. In a wildlife park in India. This has to be one of the undiluted joys of life.

Once the hunting reserve of the royals of Alwar, Sariska is one of the largest national parks in India. Its mention usually induces yawns among the uninitiated, overshadowed as it is by its more glamorous cousin in Ranthambhore. In 2005, the reaction would have been more of alarm. That’s when every one of Sariska’s tigers had been wiped out by poachers. Cut to the present and Sariska is a success story of an ambitious tiger relocation and reintroduction programme. Currently, around 25 of the felines call it home. The park has bounced back from ignominy and the tourists have followed.

Back to the safari. We are in the park’s Tehla zone, a sleepy hollow on its south side where the crowds don’t come — at least for now. A majestic blue bull emerges on the dirt track in front of us. We trail it for a while. A wild boar, out rooting, crosses our path and scurries into the undergrowth. There are peacocks everywhere — Sariska seems to enjoy a surfeit of them.

BEYOND WILDLIFE

SARISKA OFFERS A FEW EXPERIENCES BEYOND NATURE AND WILDERNESS

Stargazing: With some of the clearest night skies in India, many resorts in Sariska offer specialised stargazing experiences

Bhangarh: This 16th-century fort’s reputation for being haunted has made it a popular destination