The topography of Sariska supports scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and grasses. This area was a hunting preserve of the erstwhile Alwar state and it was declared a wildlife reserve in 1955. In 1978, it was given the status of a tiger reserve making it a part of India'sProject Tiger scheme. The present area of the park is 866 km². The park is situated 107 km from Jaipur and 2
00 km from Delhi. The area of Sariska, being a part of the Aravalli Range, is rich in mineral resources, such as copper. In spite of the Supreme Court's 1991 ban on mining in the area, marble mining continues to threaten the environment. The best and the most attractive feature of the Sariska Tiger Reserve has always
been its Bengal Tigers. This is the first ever Tiger Reserve in the world where the relocation of tigers has been done successfully, makes it one of a kind. The best part of the relocation is that these tigers adapted the place very quickly which is resulting in the growth of their population. Apart from the Bengali Tiger, Sariska Tiger Reserve includes many wild-lives likeleopard, jungle cat, caracal, striped hyena, golden jackal, chital, sambhar, nilgai,chinkara, four-horned antelope 'chousingha' (extinct), wild boar, hare, hanuman langur, Rhesus monkeys, and plenty of bird species and reptiles. Birds include peafowl, grey partridge, bush quail, sand grouse, tree pie, golden-backed woodpecker, crested serpent eagle and the Great Indian Horned Owl. The dominant tree in the forests is dhok (Anogeissus pendula). Other trees include the salar (Boswellia serrata), kadaya (Sterculia urens), dhak (Butea monosperma), gol (Lannea coromandelica), ber (Ziziphus mauritiana) and khair (Acacia catechu). Bargad (Ficus benghalensis), arjun (Terminalia arjuna), gugal (Commiphora wightii) or bamboo can also be met at some places. Shubs are numerous, such as kair (Capparis decidua), adusta (Adhatoda vesica) and jhar
Historical places
The reserve is also the location of several sites of historical importance such as the 16th-century Kankwadi fort, originally built by Jai Singh II, is located near the centre of the park. The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb briefly imprisoned there his brother Dara Shikoh in the struggle for succession of the throne. Pandupol in the hills in the centre of the reserve is believed to be one of the retreats of Pandava. Hanuman temple in Pandupol is a favourite pilgrimage site which is the source of problems to wildlife especially due to heavy traffic.Nilkanth temples were built by Bargujars. Neelkanth or Rajor Garh was the capital of Bargujars. Tal Briksh to the north is specials by its warm water spring. Bhartrihari, not far from the Sariska village, is crowded by pilgrims
