Sawai Madhopur

To hear the tiger roar, come to Ranthambhor National Park. Sawai Madhopur is the gateway to this tiger territory just 12 kms away on the Delhi-Mumbai railway line. But before the tigers made it their natural habitat, Ranthambhor was a part of Rajasthans history. It was a witness to raging battles, the rise and fall of many a ruler.

In the 13th century A.D., Govinda, the randson of Prithviraj Chauhan took over the reign of the land. Later his son, Vagbhatta beautified the city and the Ganesha temple.

In the middle of the 15th century A.D. Rana Kumbha captured the fort and gifted it to his son. Still later, the fort was occupied by the Hada Rajputs of Bundi and the Mughal Emperors Akbar and Aurangzeb. The Mughal Emperor Shah Alam gifted Ronthambhor ta Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh I of Jaipur in 1754. And since then, it was maintained as a hunting reserve. Two of the most famous dignitaries were part of hunting parties who stayed here were none other than Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh. Today, the Ranthambhor fort is under the mantle of the Archaeological Survey of India.