National Chambal Sanctuary

Uttar Pradesh

As you glide quietly down the powering Chambal River, you are mesmerised by the deep ravines that envelope you on both sides, formed by continuous soil erosion of monsoonal floods over countless millennia. They form a maze of entwining cliffs of ancient mud and dry scrub forest – home to various species of mammals, reptiles and birds. National Chambal Sanctuary is named after the river, one of India’s cleanest and longest rivers and covers an area of 1,235 square kilometres. It was declared a Protected Area in 1979 in an effort to protect the forest and river ecosystem, as well as the largest wild population of the endangered gharial crocodile. The Sanctuary is also listed as an important birding area and is a proposed Ramsar Site. Ancient Indian texts refer to the Chambal as the Charmanyavati - originating from the blood of thousands of cows sacrificed by the Aryan King Rantideva. The river is a lifeline for both the people and the forests that border it. Its waters origi...nate from the Singur Chouri peak in the Vindhya range in Madhya Pradesh and meander their way through Rajasthan, entering Uttar Pradesh and finally draining into the Yamuna to become part of the Gangetic plains. The Sanctuary is home to the critically endangered gharial crocodile, the red-crowned roof turtle and the very endangered Ganges river dolphin. There are public vehicle entry points to Chambal Sanctuary at Pinahat, Nandagon Ghat, Sahson and Bhareh Read more