The former hunting ground of the Maharajas of Jaipur, the Ranthambore National Park is situated in Eastern Rajasthan at the confluence of the Aravali hill ranges and the Vindhyan plateau. Two rivers flow through the Ranthambore National Park - the Chambal River in the South and the Banas River in the North. Six man-made lakes and many perennial streams pass through the entire national park. In 1955, the Ranthambore National Park was declared a game sanctuary; and in 1980, it attained the status of a national park. With the initiation of Project Tiger in 1972, it was declared as a tiger reserve in India. The total area of the Ranthambore National Park is 1,334 sq km along with its adjoining sanctuaries - the Kaila Devi Sanctuary and the Mansingh Sanctuary. The typical feature of the park is that out of the entire park some areas are open for the tourists to wander in and explore the flora and fauna of the park. The Ranthambore National Park is nestled between the Aravali and Vindhya mountain ranges. The rugged terrain and the dense deciduous forests are major features of this national park, which has among the the largest and most diverse collection of wildlife species in India.
