India is a country where national parks are situated almost every region of the country. Also, almost 90% of the national parks which are spread in the nation are well maintained. Some of them are quite famous as well and people from around the world come to visit these places. One such National Park that has been attracting tourists since 1986 is the Betla National Park which was declared as one in the above mentioned year.
Betla National Park is a national park located in the Chota Nagpur Plateau of the Latehar district of the Indian state of Jharkhand, in India. The park boasts a wide variety of wild life. “Betla” is an acronym of the following words: bison, elephant, tiger, leopard, axis-axis(Chital). Netarhat is a town in Latehar district in the Indian state of Jharkhand. Referred to as the “Queen of Chotanagpur”, it is a popular hill station. Tourists from all over India and abroad visit Netarhat, whose name means Nature’s Heart.
Betla National Park
Betla National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in India as it oozes the natural beauty of Mother Nature. The park is located in the Chota Nagpur Plateau of the Latehar District of the state of Jharkhand which covers a total area of 226.33 Km2. The park is the home of a plethora of plants and animal species which enhances the beauty of the place.
The Vegetation of the Betla National Park mainly consists of tropical wet evergreen forests, mixed deciduous forest and temperate alpine forests. When it comes to wildlife species, the park is the home for animals like Panther, Elephant, Gaur, Tiger, Wild Boar, Mouse Deer, Small Indian Civet, Chital, Sloth Bear, Jackals, Mongoose, Sambar and so on. Plus, there are two historical forts which are present inside the national park. Betla is an acronym for Bison, Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, and Axis-axis.
How to Reach Betla National Park?
One can visit Betla national park by air, road, and train. If you are availing flight, the nearest airport will be the Ranchi airport which is 140 Km from the Betla National Park. If you choose to travel by train there are quite a few number of nearby railway stations. The nearest railway stations to the national park are Daltonganj, Gaya, Barwadih and Ranchi railway station. You can also reach the place by road as the park is well connected to the major cities and places. The regular buses that are run by the Government are also connected to the park.
Flora and Fauna at Betla National Park
Dominant Flora: The forest inside the park is rich in terms of flora and fauna. When it comes to the vegetation of the forest, the forest consists of tropical wet evergreen forests in the lower reaches, temperate alpine forests in the upper reaches and mixed deciduous forests in the middle. The forest also includes plants like Sal and bamboo which act as the major component along with a gamut of medicinal plants which is a source of attraction for the visitors.
The wildlife attraction
As we have mentioned earlier, the forest is the home of a gamut of animals across all the species. Some of the main forms of animals that are found here are:
Mammals– Elephant, Bison, Tiger, Wild Boar, Four-horned Antelope, Sambar, Nilgai, Barking Deer, Panther, Jackals, Hyenas, and Eating pangolin to name a few.
Birds: Birds: The crested serpent eagle, Forest Owls, Cotton Teal, Common whistling, Comb duck, Snipe, Peafowl, Red Jungle Fowl, White necked stork, Swamp gray, Quail, pied born bill, Wagtails, Geese and so on.
Betla National Park Tourism Attractions
Historical forts, Jeep safari, Elephant safari, Waterfalls, Hot Springs, Kechki River, Watch towers.
Special Feature
Betla is considered as one of the most important tourist spots of Jharkhand which is filled with lush Sal and diverse trees. It also has bamboo forests. The forest stretches from Kechki and extends up to Netarhat.
The park is also blessed with a waving terrain which is marked with important hills like Huluk, Gulgul, Murhu, and Netarhat which adds to the beauty of the park. The gorgeous Sal covers the valleys and the hills of the park.
The park also has some attractive waterfalls like Mirchaiya Waterfall and the Lodh Waterfall. It also has a hot water spring as well, like the Tataha Pani which marks the green landscape
