Desert National Park – Magnificent Rajasthan Attractions

National Parks and Wildlife Reserves are a common feature in Indian flora. This is a natural occurrence in India, and the vast expanse of wildlife sanctuaries have been a result of years of existence.

Rajasthan, the desert king of India is one such place where amidst the beautiful sands, you also would find these special patches of green which lend beauty to the eye. This ecosystem of the Thar Desert with its rich fauna and flora is what has given rise to the Desert National Park. The Park has around 20% of sand dunes besides some rocky landscape and an amazing atmosphere.

So come to the Desert National Park in Rajasthan and enjoy the wildlife here just as I did some days back. We set out to see this verdant beauty in this state and looked forward to an exciting time ahead. We reached the city of Jaisalmer and booked a hotel there. Then we drove down to the park and met the guide who was to take us around. As we entered the park, the

guide was detailing us about how the park came into existence and what kind of plants and animals live here etc.

He said that the national park predominantly has the wolf, chinkara, blackbuck, desert fox, Indian fox, desert cat and the hare. We reached the park at sunrise so we saw flights of sandfrouse coming here. They are normally seen at this time. Then  there was a sound. The guide said that it was the grey partridge calling. With the lovely ambience and the serene charm, this certainly was the best place we could go to,  in this part of the world. It is a bird lover’s paradise and a photographer’s pleasure. There are many birds in the park. The blue tailed and green bee eaters, the common bush quail, the drongos, and the Indian rollers are commonly found here. They normally dominate the waterholes. Besides this, the Great Indian Bustard is found here. It is in danger of being extinct.

The

sheer expanse of the land was so overwhelming that we were not surprised when the guide told us that the Desert National Park was the largest in the Rajasthan state. It is also amongst the largest in the country. The park has catchment areas of around 3100 sq km. The climatic conditions of the desert do not permit life to survive yet this place is an area where the flora and fauna are able to thrive well and how! The animals and the birds here have naturally adjusted to the surroundings and

their requirements are also in line with the climate and the geographical conditions of the place. This park is also home to many migratory birds which visit here in the season. This could also be due to the fact that the park is very near Bharatpur. For example we have the Great Indian Bustard which is seen in great numbers here. This is a bird which migrates locally in all seasons. There are many birds which live in the desert and you would find them in plenty here. Eagles, Falcons, Harriers, Vultures and Kestrel are some of the birds found here. Then you also have the spotted eagles, tawny eagles, short toed eagles, and the Laager Falcons which are very commonly found in Desert National Park.

The major part of the park has a unique landscape. This has a great many salt lakes with the vegetation predominantly being thorny scrubs. I wondered how in this hot conditions, there are living beings here and surviving comfortably too. As we went around, I also saw that the whole area was made up of only sand dunes. Our jeep safari was really worth it and I enjoyed it thoroughly. I was glad I had taken my binoculars and also my SLR zoom camera.

One has to be well equipped with all this here to get the best out of the trip. The photos that one gets here are beyond description and are something that would be a masterpiece forever.

So all this while, the impression I had about deserts not being good vegetative land was erased and I began to realize that even desert lands could have a plethora of flora and fauna. The national park spans an area of around 3150square km and has many xerophytic trees which render beauty to the place. Small grasses and some leaf cover besides of course the thorny bushes make up the vegetation of the land.

Then we went to the Sudarshi which is a forest post here. Apparently this is the place where we could get a good sight of the wildlife. So I could take a lot of photos from where I stood. There is a water hole here in Sudarshi, and as I explored the area to take photos, my friends saw some bustards on the water hole.

As we made our way back to Jaisalmer, I made a mental note I should write about this and here I am sharing my wildest experiences with you.