Palamau
Palamau is situated within the lndo-Malayan realm and is rich in
flora and fauna, though the area is prone to severe droughts. There
are 107 villages in the buffer area and three in the core with a
human population of 65,000 and a livestock population of 45,000.
The core is distributed into two parts, the actual core and the
recently inducted 'satellite core'. The park was brought under Project
Tiger in 1973 and is among the first nine Tiger Reserves of the
country. The core area was declared a National Park in September
1989.
Location
The Palamau National Park is located in the eastern Indian state
of Bihar and is in the western part of the Chotanagpur plateau.
The region extends from the latitude 23°25'-23°55' in the
North to the longitude 83°50'-84°25' in the East.
Excursion
The world. s first tiger-census, based on pugmark count, was done
in the Palamau forests in 1932. One can drive through patches of
dense sal and bamboo forests in the park. Tiger, panther, slothbear,
gaur, Indian porcupine, wolf, wild boar, dhole (wild dogs), chinkara,
sambar, mouse deer and pangolin find refuge in these forests. Elephants
appear during the monsoon with the availability of water. During
the rest of the months, the water sources dry up and the park faces
acute water-scarcity. The park is spread over a core area of 250
square kilometers and is also known as the Betla National Park.
Peafowl, red jungle fowl, and partridges are the common birds here.
A ride into the Tiger Reserve is quite exciting, if not always
rewarding. One can hire a guide and a jeep from the forest department.
The core of the forest is not open to tourists. Watch towers and
ground hides have been created to see the wildlife in relative stillness
and safety.
There are two large forts looming in lonely isolation deep in the
forests. These forts are said to have been built by the Adivasi
kings of the Chero dynasty. Raja Medhni Raj, the ruler of Chotanagpur
began the construction and the task of completing the forts was
left to his son Pratap Raj while the father battled with invaders.
The main sentinel of the old fort is visible high up on the hill.
It has defences in three directions, and three main gates, the largest
named Singh Dwar (Lion Gate). The Nagpuri Gate has two inscriptions
in Sanskrit and Persian. On the imposing main gate of the lower
fort, some embellishments in blue tile are still intact. The architecture
is very Islamic which speaks of Daud Khan. s conquest. During the
British times a sum was paid regularly for the upkeep of the forests
and a lot of excavation and restoration was carried out.
Places Nearby
In the surrounding areas of the Palamau Wildlife Sanctuary is Ranchi
around 140 km away. The city was, during the British Raj, the summer
capital of Bihar state and is now all set to become the capital
of the newly proposed Jharkhand state.
The Hazaribagh National Park close by has an ecosystem and inhabitants
similar to that of Palamau, but is smaller in size.
Netarhat, the Queen
of Chotanagpur. is situated at an elevation of 3,700 feet above
sea level. Here, one is exposed to abundant lush greenery and great
landscape.
Flora
The vegetation in this region comprises moist deciduous and dry
deciduous forests and includes sal and bamboo as the major components.
The western part of the Reserve is composed of dry deciduous forests
and the other part shows characters of moist mixed deciduous nature.
The entire area has a good distribution of bamboo breaks. The herbarium
recently prepared by the Tiger Reserve authorities records a good
number of medicinal plants.
Fauna
At the last count, there were around 44 tigers in the park.
Other important inhabitants of the sanctuary are wolves, hares,
chital, nilgai, monkey, common langur, gaur, leopard, and sambar.
Elephants are also seen in large numbers in the park.
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Getting There
By Air
Ranchi, situated around 140 km away, is the nearest airport with
regular air connections to Delhi, Calcutta, Patna and Lucknow.
By Rail
The nearest important railway station is Daltongunj, connected to
many places in the region with regular trains. Ranchi and Gaya are
also convenient railway stations for the tourists coming from Delhi
and Calcutta respectively.
BY Road
The sanctuary is well connected to other cities in the region by
regular buses run by the state transport corporation and private
companies.
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Weather
Temperature
Maximum 45°C
Minimum 3°C
The monsoon months are from July to mid September.
Best Time To Visit Palamau National Park
The climate of this region is extreme with the maximum temperature
going well over 40°C in summers. In total contrast to this,
winters are quite cold with the minimum temperature dipping to 3°C.
The monsoon months are from July to mid September.
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General Information & Accomdation info on Palamau city of Jharkhand - India
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