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
class=subheadings>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.
LINKS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
STD /
ISD phone facility is available in Sultanpur. Postal
facilities are available at Gurgaon. Gurgaon has a large
number of establishments giving Internet access to its
customers. Normal charges are anything between Rs 25 per
hour and Rs 60 per hour.
TRAVEL TIPS
Money Exchange
For
money exchange and other banking facilities Delhi and
Gurgaon are the best places. There are branches of
almost all the nationalized as well as foreign and
private banks that accept travelers' cheques and
exchange foreign currency.
|