INTRODUCTION
If one is an avid wildlife enthusiast
and happens to be in Delhi, the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary could be
the ideal destination. The sanctuary, located at a distance of 45 km
on the National Highway No 8, is a birdwatcher's paradise with a
sizable population of resident and migratory birds. Once a dry belt
with a shallow water body that attracted birds during the monsoon,
Sultanpur was transformed by the ornithologist Peter Jackson
who got the area landscaped and suitable vegetation planted. One can
spend endless hours watching the antics of the birds-from spoonbills
wading in the water to ducks foraging at the water's edge.
LOCATION
The Sultanpur National Park is located in the
Indian state of Haryana at a distance of 45 km from Delhi,
the national capital. The park extends from latitude 28°37' in the
North to longitude 77°04' in the east. It is well connected by roads
with Delhi and Gurgaon, the district headquarters.
CLIMATE
The climate of this region is tropical with very
hot summers and chilly winters. Monsoon approaches this place in the
month of July and continues till mid-September. The best season to
visit this park is winter as the chances of seeing the exclusive
wildlife of this park is more in these months.
ATTRACTIONS
Flora
The vegetation of this park is tropical and dry
deciduous and the flora include grasses, dhok, khair, tendu, ber,
jamun, acacia, and banyan tree.
Fauna
The park is home to a large range of birds, both
resident and migratory. Migratory geese and Siberian cranes spend
the winter in Sultanpur and there are also the demoiselle cranes,
ruddy shelducks, pelicans, flamingoes, bar-headed geese, grey lags,
gadwalls, mallards, pochards, shovellers and teals. Local species
include plovers, red-wattled lapwings, herons, cormorants, white
ibises, spoonbills and painted storks.
Other wildlife in the park include blackbuck,
nilgai, hog deer, sambar, wild dog or dhole, caracal, wild cat,
hedgehog, mongoose, striped hyena, Indian porcupine, rattle/honey
badger, leopard, wild pig, and four horned antelope.
Other Attractions
Sultanpur Lake is the point around which the
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary has been developed. The lake is a picnic
spot for the residents of Delhi and boating facilities are also
available here. The lake has a good number of reptiles and it
attracts a lot of migratory birds during winters.
PLACES NEARBY
Delhi
Delhi, at a distance of around 45 km from
Sultanpur, is the capital of India and the seat of power since
ancient times. Major tourist attractions here are the Red Fort,
Chandni Chowk, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Qutub Minar, Bahai Temple,
Rajghat, India Gate, and Jantar Mantar apart from numerous others.
There are also many museums, libraries, art galleries, theaters, and
educational institutions that can be visited.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
A museum and a small library have been
established at Sultanpur to inform the visitors about the sanctuary
there. Delhi based non-governmental organizations like Kalpavriksh
and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) bring students to Sultanpur for
bird watching and on nature walks regularly. WWF-India and the
Centre for Environmental Education have jointly prepared a Visitor
Interpretation Programme with a view to enhance public consciousness
about wetlands.
REACHING THERE
By
Air
Airport - Indira Gandhi International Airport,
Delhi (35 km) Palam Domestic Airport, Delhi (35 km)
The nearest airport from Sultanpur is the Indira
Gandhi International Airport and Palam Domestic Airport in Delhi at
a distance of just 35 km. Indira Gandhi airport is connected with
most of the important international destinations by regular flights
of the major airlines. Palam Domestic Airport is connected to almost
all the major cities in India by regular flights of the Indian
Airlines, Jet Airways, and Sahara Airlines apart from the other
small domestic airlines.
By
Rail
Railway Station - Gurgaon Railway Station (15 km)
Gurgaon is the nearest railway station connected
to Delhi and many places in Haryana and Rajasthan by regular trains.
New Delhi, Nizamuddin, and Old Delhi railway stations are important
railway links from where one can get trains to almost all parts of
the country.
By
Road
Bus Stand - Gurgaon Bus Stand (15 km) Dhaula Kuan
Bus Stop (40 km)
From Gurgaon there are regular buses to the
Sultanpur National Park run by Haryana State Roadways. Gurgaon is
connected to Delhi by buses leaving Dhaula Kuan in Delhi every five
minutes. Taxis and tourist cars are also available on hire from
Delhi and Gurgaon to visit Sultanpur.
STAYING THERE
Inside the park, the Haryana Tourism Development
Corporation runs a tourist lodge that has air-conditioned as well as
general rooms. The facilities there include a bar, restaurant, and
cottages for the guests. One can also stay in any of the large
number of hotels at Delhi or Gurgaon and go to Sultanpur for a
weakened or day trip. |
