Tourism in Kaziranga National Park

Last updated April 06, 2024

Map of Kaziranga National Park. River courses and lake areas vary annually. River courses are not drawn completely outside park boundaries Kaziranga-National-Park-map-en-mod.svg — Map of Kaziranga National Park. River courses and lake areas vary annually. River courses are not drawn completely outside park boundaries

Kaziranga National Park is an Indian national park and an UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the Golaghat and Nagaon district of Assam, India. It is a tourist destination and conservation area particularly notable as a refuge for the endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), hosting the largest population of wild Indian one-horned Rhinoceros in the world. The park contains significant stock of three other large herbivores — the Asian elephant, the Asiatic water buffalo and the eastern subspecies of the swamp deer. Kaziranga also has the highest density of tiger in the world and is declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for conservation of avifaunal species.

Tourist activities

The means of travel inside the park is on the back of trained elephants with mahout guides, or in Jeep or 4WD vehicles. Most rides are booked in advance and depart from the Park Administrative Centre in Kohora. The Park has three tourist routes under the jurisdiction of three Ranges — Kohora, Bagori and Agaratoli. These roads are open to light vehicles from November to mid May. The park remains closed from mid-April to mid-October due to monsoon. Visitors willing to view wild life by motorcars are guided through these roads by the staff of this department. The visitors are allowed to take in their own vehicles, however no visitor is allowed to enter the park without an accompanying representative of the forest department. Observation towers are situated at Sohola, Mihimukh, Kathpara, Foliamari and Harmoti for spotting wildlife. Wildlife watching, including birding is the main activity inside the park. Viewing the scenic landscape of the park with different vegetation types interspersed with numerous beels and the snow-covered mountains of Himalayas at a distance constitute other attractions. Hiking in the park is not allowed taking into consideration the large number of potentially dangerous wild animals. An interpretation centre is being set up at the Bagori range of Kaziranga, to help the visitors know everything about the park.^[1]

Lodging

The park has a wide range of accommodation including rest houses, dormitory and lodges maintained by the Department of Environment and Forests, Government of Assam and the India Tourism Development Corporation. At present there are four Government tourist lodges of different categories at Kohora and three tourist lodges inside the park. Numerous private hotels are also available outside the borders of the park.^[2]

List Of Hotels at Kaziranga National Park -

Iora Resort
Bonhabi Resort
Green Reed Resort
Wild Grass Lodge
Camp Rhino Resort
Dhanshree Resort
Arranya Resort
Bonani Lodge
Sneha Bhawan
United 21 Grassland Resort
Borgos Resort
Landmark Woods
Diphlu River Lodge
Sarmah Lodge
Deuta's Cottage
Infinity Kaziranga Wilderness
Agoratoli Resort
Arimora Guest House
T G Resort
Joonaki Kareng
Prayag Emarald

Transportation

The main gate for Kaziranga, at Kohora is on the National Highway 37 (NH 37). Assam State Transport Corporation and private buses stop here on their way to and from Guwahati, Tezpur and Upper Assam. Taxi Services also available from Guwahati to Kaziranga National Park and other places in Assam. The park is a 4-hour drive from Guwahati (217 kilometres (135 mi)) on the NH-37 and 1.5 hrs from Nagaon (97 kilometres (60 mi)). Both these cities are well connected to the park by buses and taxies. Furkating (75 kilometres (47 mi) away) is the nearest railway station, other important stations are Nagaon, Jorhat and Guwahati (GHY) stations. The nearest airports are Jorhat Airport (97 kilometres (60 mi) away), Tezpur Airport at Salonibari (approx 100 kilometres (62 mi) away) and Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati (approx. 217 kilometres (135 mi) away). The nearest town from the park is Bokakhat (23 kilometres (14 mi) away) and the nearest cities are Nagaon, Tezpur and Guwahati.

Employment

Tourism benefits the people living in the fringe of the park and helps in empowering the local people. About 35 hotels or lodges of various kinds located just outside the park, out of these, four are run by the government.^[3] A total of 299 local people are actively employed in these hotels. But, a very few hotels/lodges are owned by the local people. However, some families are offering home stay facilities just outside the park, so that the tourist may get a taste of the local life. People from the adjoining areas own 70 vehicles, which are allowed to be taken into the park, and most of them act as the driver cum guide.^[3] On the highway 37, which cuts across the park, 12 local community members own and run public phone booths. There are also 26 shops selling souvenirs etc. that are owned and/or managed by local community members.^[3] Many local women also regularly perform traditional dances at some of the larger hotels. Many sell locally handmade woven cloth to the tourist, which act as a money churner. There is tremendous scope for the sale of handicrafts in and around the park. Existing Self Help Groups (SHG) could very well provide a platform for such mechanisms. The Ministry of Tourism, Government of India along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are jointly supporting rural tourism in village of Durgapur, which falls in the periphery of the Kohora range of Kaziranga along with other initiatives at 31 sites across India.^[3]

Local people do get some amount of employment from the park in the form of labour and allied activities. Labour requirements for the park include, labour for anti poaching activities and construction of bridges, culverts, etc. Approximately 100 to 200 people are hired per range for removal of Mimosa, a weed which is harmful for the herbivores.^[3] The park authorities have also hired 15 local people as security guard to protect the tourist jeeps inside the park. The park has developed a very good network of intelligence throughout the villages surrounding the park. There are key informants in every village, which reports about the movement of poachers and are monetarily compensated for information they provide to the park authorities.^[3]

Related Research Articles

Assam is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of 78,438 km² (30,285 sq mi). It is the second largest state in northeastern India by area and the largest in terms of population. The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur to the east; Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and Bangladesh to the south; and West Bengal to the west via the Siliguri Corridor, a 22-kilometre-wide (14 mi) strip of land that connects the state to the rest of India. Assamese and Boro are the official languages of Assam. Meitei (Manipuri) is the official language of Hojai district and the entirety of the Barak Valley districts, while Bengali is an official language in the three districts of Barak Valley.

Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. The park, which hosts two-thirds of the world's Indian rhinoceroses, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to the census held in March 2018 which was jointly conducted by the Forest Department of the Government of Assam and some recognized wildlife NGOs, the rhino population in Kaziranga National Park is 2,613. It comprises 1,641 adult rhinos ; 387 sub-adults ; and 385 calves.

Nagaon is the second largest city of Assam, India and the largest district of Assam. Nagaon is the headquarters of central Assam division. It is situated 120 km east of state's capital Dispur, Guwahati and 55 km west of Kaziranga National Park.

Bokakhat is a town in Assam and a Municipality Board in Golaghat district in the state of Assam, India. It is about 23 km away from the world heritage site Kaziranga National Park. Bokakhat town is situated almost in the middle of Assam. It is the headquarters of Bokakhat subdivision. The town is base to many nearby tourist places and is well connected to other cities and towns by road. The Kaipho Langso waterfall, an important picnic spot surrounded with magnificent views, lies in Karbi Anglong 13 km away from Bokakhat. Other nearby attractions include the ruins of the ancient Numaligarh and the Deoparbat, the tea gardens of Hatikhuli, Methoni, Diffloo Behora and Borsapori and also the coffee and rubber plantations. The nearest airports are at Jorhat and Guwahati. The nearest railway stations are Badulipar and Furkating.

The Brahmaputra Valley is a region situated between hill ranges of the eastern and northeastern Himalayan range in Eastern India.

The history of Kaziranga National Park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India, can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century, in 1904. It now is a World Heritage Site and hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses, tigers, and many other endangered animals.

Kohora is a small town situated in the Golaghat district of Assam. It is the main entrance of the world-famous Kaziranga National Park. It lies on the National Highway 37(Asean Highway 1). Kohora Lies Between Nagaon And Golaghat.

Assam State Transport Corporation or ASTC is a state government owned road transport corporation of Assam, India which provides bus services within Assam and adjoining states. Assam State Transport was started as a state government department with only two buses to run between Guwahati and Nagaon. Gradually the transport network of the department expanded throughout the state of Assam. Currently ASTC has 10 divisions, 135 bus stations and 3 Inter State Bus Terminals across the state.

Kaziranga National Park is an Indian national park and an UNESCO World Heritage Site situated in the Golaghat and Nagaon district of Assam, India. It is a tourist destination and conservation area particularly notable as a refuge for the endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros, hosting the largest population of wild Indian one-horned Rhinoceros in the world. The park contains significant stock of three other large herbivores — the Asian elephant, the Asiatic water buffalo and the eastern subspecies of the swamp deer. Kaziranga also has the highest density of tiger in the world and is declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for conservation of avifaunal species.

Kaziranga National Park is an Indian national park and a World Heritage Site in Golaghat and Nagaon districts of Assam, India. It is refuge for the world's largest population of Great One-horned Rhinoceros. The park has many elephant, water buffalo and swamp deer. It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International for conservation of avifaunal species. The park has achieved notable progress in wildlife conservation despite several constraints.

Assam is the main and oldest state in the North-East Region of India and as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. The land of red river and blue hills, Assam comprises three main geographical areas: the Brahmaputra Valley which stretching along the length of the Brahmaputra river, the Barak Valley extending like a tail, and the intervening Karbi Plateau and North Cachar Hills. Assam shares its border with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal; and there are National Highways leading to their capital cities. It also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh and is very close to Myanmar. In ancient times Assam was known as Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotishpura, and Kamarupa.

Garampani Wildlife Sanctuary is a 6.05-square-kilometre (2.34 sq mi) wildlife sanctuary located in Karbi Anglong district, Assam, India. It was notified as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1952 vide notification No, FR.199/52 dated 10/07/52.

Silghat is a town located on the southern banks of the Brahmaputra, in Nagaon district in the Indian state of Assam. It is 48 km northeast of Nagaon. With a river and hills, the scenery of Silghat attracts local and visitors throughout the year. Silghat is home to Kamakhya Temple, Trishuldhari, Samantagiri, Simala Garh, Manuh Kata Tumoni, heritage British era bungalows, Gandhi Asthidham, and Sudhakantha Sammanoi Khetra. Every year in March or April (Chot/Bohag), Ashokastami mela is held at Slighat's holy river bank. The Assam Cooperative Jute Mill Ltd. operates in Silghat.

Northeast India consists of the eight states Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Tourism in this area is based around the unique Himalayan landscape and culture distinct from the rest of India.

Assam – 16th largest, 15th most populous and 26th most literate state of the 28 states of the democratic Republic of India. Assam is at 14th position in life expectancy and 8th in female-to-male sex ratio. Assam is the 21st most media exposed states in India. The Economy of Assam is largely agriculture based with 69% of the population engaged in it. Growth rate of Assam's income has not kept pace with that of India's during the Post-British Era; differences increased rapidly since the 1970s. While the Indian economy grew at 6 percent per annum over the period of 1981 to 2000, the same of Assam's grew only by 3.3 percent.

Assam Tourism Development Corporation or ATDC is a state owned corporation of Assam, India. It deals with tourism services and development as a part of the Assam Tourism Department along with the Directorate of Tourism. The State Govt. of Assam set up the corporation on 9 June 1988. The ATDC is headquartered at Guwahati and has district offices across Assam. Its official slogan is "Awesome Assam."

The Brahmaputra floods refers to a catastrophic flood event that occurred in 2012 along the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries, as well as in subsequent years.

Manoj Gogoi is an Indian wildlife conservationist and wildlife rehabilitationist from Assam. He has rescued over 5000 Animals in Kaziranga National Park, a national park in the Golaghat, Karbi Anglong and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. He is widely known for saving desperate animals from the annual Assam floods.

References

↑ "Information Safari". The Telegraph . 31 March 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2007.
↑ "Section II: Periodic Report on the State of Conservation of Kaziranga National Park, India" (PDF). UNESCO. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 28 February 2007.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Mathur, V.B.; Sinha, P.R.; Mishra, Manoj. "UNESCO EoH Project_South Asia Technical Report No. -7 -Kaziranga National Park" (PDF). UNESCO. pp. 16–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2007.

List of Hotels -

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[1] "Information Safari". The Telegraph . 31 March 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 10 April 2007.

[unescoreport-2] "Section II: Periodic Report on the State of Conservation of Kaziranga National Park, India" (PDF). UNESCO. 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 December 2006. Retrieved 28 February 2007.

[un7-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Mathur, V.B.; Sinha, P.R.; Mishra, Manoj. "UNESCO EoH Project_South Asia Technical Report No. -7 -Kaziranga National Park" (PDF). UNESCO. pp. 16–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 28 February 2007.

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