The Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) National Park

The Guru Ghasidas National Park is a beautiful and protected forest reserve spanning 466.657 square kilometres. It is a popular national park of India located in the Koriya district of Chhattisgarh. Initially, this national park was one portion of the Sanjay National Park in Madhya Pradesh. But after the formation of Chhattisgarh, 60% of this park was designated under the district of Koriya, after which it was renamed Guru Ghasidas National Park.

The Guru Ghasidas (Sanjay) National Park

The Guru Ghasidas National Park was declared a national park in 1981. It is one of the most popular tiger reserves in the Chhattisgarh region and one of India’s most reputed national parks. In June 2011, Jairam Ramesh, the Minister of State for Environment and Forest, sent a proposal to the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh to recognise this park as a tiger reserve. Since then, the Guru Ghasidas Reserve has been known as a famous tiger reserve. The city nearest to this national park is Sidhi. It offers vast greenery and is thus very famous for its wildlife. The varied availability of flora and fauna makes this national park a place of attraction for tourists. One can easily reach this place by air, train or road. Winters are the best time to visit this national park as the weather is pleasant in the winter months.

The Geography of Guru Ghasidas National Park

The Guru Ghasidas National Park is surrounded by water bodies and forests, and it has an undulating topography. The national park falls under the hot climate zone. In the vegetation of this park, there are mainly forests having mixed deciduous with sal, teak, and bamboo trees. In this national park, one can see both plain and hilly areas. Various streams pass deep inside this national park. The water source for wild animals is mainly the two rivers, namely the Banas river and Bijaur Nala. From the western side of this national park, the Banas river flows. On the other hand, Bijaur Nala flows from the north part of this wildlife sanctuary. Water is available in the pools, even on summer days.

This beautiful national park is situated between two significant tiger reserves, namely Palamau in Jharkhand and Bandhavgarh in Madhya Pradesh. This national park’s altitude differs from 327 to 736 metres, and it is above mean sea level. The maximum temperature during the summer days rises to 40°C, and the minimum temperature falls to 11°C. The average rainfall throughout the year is 1500.00 mm.

Popular flora in the Guru Ghasidas National Park

Saja, also known as Terminalia alata; Sal, also known as Shorea robusta; Salai, also known as Boswellia serrata; Bija, also known as Pterocarpus marsupium; Mahua, also known as Madhuca indica; Gurjan, also known as Lannea coromandelica; Semal, also known as Bombax ceiba; Bamboo, also known as Dendrocalamus strictus; Sisham, also known as Dalbergia sissoo; Karialso, known as Cleistanthus collinus; Achar, also known as Buchanania lanzan; Palas, also known as Butea monosperma; Khair, also known as Acacia catechu; and Tendu, also known as Diospyros melanoxylon are some of the most common vegetation found here.

Dominant fauna in the Guru Ghasidas National Park

• Birds: Bulbuls, Parakeets, Munia, Wagtail, Barbet, Kingfishers, Lesser Adjutant, Red-Headed Vulture Golden Hooded Oriole, Rufous-Treepie, Indian Pitta, Racket-Tailed Drongo, Rufous-Treepie, etc.
• Mammals: Leopard, Tiger, Nilgai, Chital, Jackal, Chinkara, Antelope with Four Horns, Porcupine, Sambar, Cat, Barking Deer, Monkey, Striped Hyena, Bison, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, Civet, Spotted Deer, Wild Beer, Wild Boar, etc.
• Reptiles: Monitor lizard, Cobra, Snakes, Python, etc.

Accommodation near the Guru Ghasidas National Park

Rest houses are available for visitors inside Guru Ghasidas National Park. These rest houses must be reserved by the visitors from the Wildlife Warden or the Range Officers.

How to get to the Guru Ghasidas National Park

• By air: The closest airport to reach the Guru Ghasidas National Park is Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh or Ranchi in Jharkhand. The Jabalpur airport is about 220 km away, while the Ranchi airport is about 250 km away from the Guru Ghasidas National Park. Connectivity is good from these two airports by road and rail networks to the Guru Ghasidas National Park.
• By train: Jaora railway station is the closest railway station to this national park. It is around 20 km away.
• By road: The park is connected with the major places and cities by road. Many private and government-operated vehicles go to this national park frequently.

Conclusion

The Guru Ghasidas National Park is one of the must-visit parks of India, located in the Koriya district of Chhattisgarh. It is very popular for its available flora and fauna. Visitors can see birds, mammals, and reptiles in this national park. Initially, the Guru Ghasidas National Park was a part of Sanjay National Park in Madhya Pradesh. But after the formation of Chhattisgarh, 60% of the park came under the district of Koriya, after which it was renamed Guru Ghasidas National Park.