Tourist Places To Visit In National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary

The National Chambal Sanctuary has a heritage that stretches back many centuries and the sanctuary has a lot to offer to its visitors. The sanctuary area is located in parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh and visitors can see a number of species that are endangered. The forests, wetlands and river serve as a natural habitat for a lot of species migrating s well as the local ones. But other than this region, there are many tourist places to visit in National Chambal Sanctuary; there are a number of places in Dholpur like the Chopra Shiv Temple, Fort Ater, and the famous Bateshwar Temple, nearby sanctuaries as well as lakes that can be visited during your trip to the famous National Chambal Sanctuary. Let’s look at some of the places that can be visited in and around the sanctuary.

Fort Ater, also known by the name of Devagiri locally is located in Ater Madhya Pradesh; this fort was constructed in 1644 A.D by the Chief of Bhadoria, Badan Singh Judeo and was later on completed by Mahsingh in the year 1668. Fort Ater is situated in the ravines of Chambal and is located at a distance of 35 km from Bhind city in Rajasthan. Even though the fort is in a dilapidated condition, there are many attractions inside the fort; Rani ka Bangla, Barah Khamba Mahal, Raja ka Bangla, Hathiapor, Khooni Darwaza and many more that are worth seeing when you visit this fort ion Ater.

Other than the birds and animals in the sanctuary, there is a lot more to see in this region. The Bateshwar Temples situated on the banks of Yamuna River is a temple complex that comprises of more than a hundred temples that are dedicated to the one and only Lord Shiva. Bateshwar is also believed to be the birth place of Lord Krishna and has many stories associated to his birth and life. There are high ravines that surround the temple and it is said that Naga Sadhus reside in those ravines in mud houses and caves. Visit this temple complex to go on a holy pilgrimage on your way back from National Chambal Sanctuary.

Located at a distance of 4 km from the town of Dholpur in Rajasthan is the Mackhund Temple which is considered to be an ancient holy place. The temple is named after Raja Muchchhkund, the 24th king of the Suryavanshi dynasty; this king is believed to have reigned on the region for 19 generations before Shree Ram. Legend has it that one time Raja Muchchhkund was sleeping at the very spot where the temple was made later and a demon who was on the hunt for Lord Krishna woke the king up; This demon was burnt to ashes at this very spot because of the blessing on Raja Muchchhkund, after which the temple was established and is a pilgrimage spot for many devotees.

The Ghariyal eco-park at Deori in Madhya Pradesh is a unique place to visit; since Ghariyals are bred in captivity, this place gives visitors a chance to experience and see the lifecycle of these amazing aquatic reptile species. The eco-center isa part of the sanctuary and also is a breeding ground for other species like tortoises and crocodiles. The Ghariyals usually grow for over two to three years and once they are about a meter long, they are left into the main river in the sanctuary The Eco Park helps boost the population of these species as they are on the brink of extinction.

Located in Dholpur Rajasthan is the Chopra Shive Temple, which is one of the oldest Shiv Temples in the region. This temple was built in the 18th century and is a notable pilgrimage place to visit for Shiv devotees. The best time to visit this temple is during the month of March during Maha Shivratri as the place is completely lit up and decorated with lights, diyas and flowers. Also, Mondays are considered Lord Shivji’s day and you will see a lot of visitors on that day. This temple has beautiful architecture as well and can be reached easily from the city of Dholpur.

If you are want to relax beside a lake for sometime, head over to Tab-e-Shahi, which is located at a distance of 27 km from Dholpur and 5 km from the city of Bari. This lake is absolutely picturesque and has a palace beside it that used to be a lodge for shooting back in the day for Prince Shah Jahan. This palace was later on maintained by the successive rulers who ruled the region in the latter years. This is a great place to visit if you like bird watching; during winters you can see a number of migratory birds such as pintail, red crested pochard, tufted duck, garganey teal and many more bird species that you might not see anywhere else.

Van Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary is a very old wildlife reserve that is situated in Dholpur and spreads over the Vindhyan Plateau and inhabits an area of 59.86 sq km. This sanctuary was declared so in the year 1979 and also has the status of a national park and follows guidelines of the Central Zoo Authority. Animals in this sanctuary are kept in their natural habitat and are brought from other zoos or places where they had no protection. This is a very unique sanctuary as visitors can approach the park from the road itself and have to walk through fenced roads where the animals are left alone in their habitat and untouched by humans.

Shergarh Fort is an ancient fort that is located in south of Dholpur Tower and beside the Parbvan River in Rajasthan. This fort was built by Sher Shah Suri and the site that it was built on used to be an earlier site of a Hindu Fortress. This fort is known for its old Brahman and Jain Temples in the vicinity. This fort got its name after the founder of the fort and visitors can see the forts history by looking at the inscriptions from 790 A.D. This is a great place to visit if you want to know more about the fort as well as the history of the region around.

The palace located adjacent to Talab-e-shahi is the Khanpur Mahal, an ancient palace from the Mughal era. It is one of the main attractions in Dholpur and was built in the 17th century. The Khanpur Mahal was a shooting lodge for King Shah Jahan and both the lake and the palace add to the beauty of the place. The area around this palace and lake was used as a hunting ground by the king. Also, the lake next to the palace serves as a breeding ground for several migratory birds coming in from different regions. Visit this place to know more about the beautiful palace and the lake which is home to so many species of birds.

The Ramsagar Wildlife Sanctuary spreads over an area of 34.4 sq km and was established as a sanctuary in the year 1955. The lake beside the sanctuary known as Ramsagar is an important part of the sanctuary. In this reserve, you will find a myriad of species of aquatic creatures both migratory and local, freshwater crocodiles, huge variety of fish and snakes. You can also find water birds like White breasted water hen, jacanas, river tern, sand piper purple and green herons and so many more different species. The best time to visit this sanctuary is during the winter when you can enjoy seeing migratory birds coming in from different parts of the world.