Gir national park

Gir National Park: The Majestic Home of the Royal King:

Besides Africa, Gir National Park in Gujarat is the only place in the world where you can spot lions roaming free in the wild. The real discovery channel of India is situated approximately 65 Kms South East of Junagarh District. The Government notified the large geographical extent of Sasan Gir as wildlife sanctuary on 18th September, 1965 in order to conserve the Asiatic Lion. It covers total area of 1412 square kilometers of which 258 Km forms the core area of the National Park. Indiscriminate hunting by the people of Junagarh led to their decrease in population drastically, while they were completely wiped out from the other parts of Asia. It was the kind effort of Nawabs of Junagarh who protected the queen royalty in his own private hunting grounds. Later in due course of time Department of Forest Officials came forward to protect the world’s most threatened species. From a population of approximately 20 lions in 1913, they have risen to a comfortable 523 according to 2015 census. There are 106 male, 201 female and 213 sub-adult lions in the wilderness of these four districts.

Subtle Glimpses of Major Attractions at Sasan Gir:

Animals:The entire forest area of the Gir National Park is dry and deciduous which provides best habitat for Asiatic Lions. As per the new statics of 2015, the entire Saurashtra Region is inhabited by 523 Lions and more than 300 Leopards. Apart from these two animals the park is a home to two different species of Deer. The Sambar is counted largest Indian Deer. The Gir forest is also known for the Chowsingha – the world’s only four horned antelope. The Jackal, striped Hyena and India Fox are some of the smaller carnivores found in Gir Forest.

Birds: The exotic flora of Gir National Park gives shelter to more than 200 species of birds and moreover the sanctuary has been declared an important bird area by the Indian Bird Conservation Network. Gir is also habitat of raptors like critically endangered white-backed and long-billed vultures.

Reptiles: Gir is blessed with more than 40 species of reptiles and amphibians. Kamleshwar – a large reservoir in the sanctuary is the best spot where Marsh Crocodile can be seen in large numbers. Park has even many species of snake including King Kobra, the Russell’s viper, Saw-scaled viper and the Krait.

Gir Interpretation Zone, Devaliya: Devaliya Safari Park is enclosed area of the Sanctuary that offers a good opportunity for visitors to experience a rustic beauty and wilderness of the area. The safari tour is conducted in a mini bus that takes visitors to another cross section of the Gir. Travelers can watch here a good variety of wildlife in just 20 to 30 minutes tour including Asiatic Lion.

How to Reach Gir National Park Gir: National Park attracts large number of tourists to witness the Asiatic lion, as this is the sole place all across the world where these creatures are presently found. Once extinct, numbers have been recovered owing to the conservation efforts. The Sanctuary is open for tourism from 16th October to 15th June every year.

Junagadh is perhaps the best approach to the park. The railway station in Junagadh receives trains from different cities like Ahmedabad and Rajkot and other major cities. Then, from here it takes approximately one and half hour to reach Gir National Park. 

From Rajkot-On reaching Rajkot Railway Station or Airport you can take a cab or bus and to reach a Limda chowk. There are a number of privately operated that go to Junagadh at frequent intervals. Junagadh is nearly 105 Kms from the city Rajkot and it takes nearly 2 and a half to 3 hours to cover the distance.From this point you have two options. First one is either you take a bus from gate number 11or 12 to Sasan Gir or travel by taxi that is accessible bang opposite the taxi stand. The taxi will take nearly one and half an hour and will charge reasonably and will drop you to Sasan Gir.

From Somnath to Gir Nation

History of diu

The town and district were historically part of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat and an important port on trade routes of Arabian seaof Indian Ocean.

Due to its strategic importance, there was aBattle of Diu in 1509 between Portugal and a combined force of Turkey, Egypt, Venice, theRepublic of Ragusa (now known asDubrovnik) and the Sultan of Gujarat, Mahmud Begada. In 1513, the Portuguese tried to establish an outpost there, but negotiations were unsuccessful. There were failed attempts by Diogo Lopes de Sequeira in 1521, Nuno da Cunha in 1523. In 1531 the conquest attempted by D. Nuno da Cunha was also not successful.

In 1535 Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, concluded a defensive alliance with thePortuguese against the Mughal emperorHumayun, and allowed the Portuguese to construct the Diu Fort and maintain a garrison on the island.

The alliance quickly unraveled, and attempts by the Sultans to oust the Portuguese from Diu between 1537 and 1546 failed. Having repented of his generosity, Bahadur Shah sought to recover Diu, but was defeated and killed by the Portuguese, followed by a period of war between them and the people of Gujarat. In 1538, Coja Sofar, lord of Cambay, together with the Turkish Suleiman Pasha ofOttoman Empire, came to lay siege to Diu, and were defeated by Portuguese resistance led by Anthony Silveira. A second siege was imposed by the same Coja Sofar, in 1546, and repelled by the Portuguese conquerors, led on land by D. John Mascarenhas, and at sea, by D. João de Castro. Coja Sofar and D. Fernando de Castro, son of the Portuguese viceroy, perished in the struggle. The fortress, completed by Dom João de Castro after the siege of 1545, still stands.

After this second siege, Diu was so fortified that it could withstand later attacks of the Arabs of Muscat and the Dutch in the late 17th century. From the 18th century, Diu declined in strategic importance, due to development of Bombay and came to be reduced to a museum or historical landmark as commercial and strategic bulwark in the struggle between the forces of the Islamic East and Christian West.

Diu remained in the possession of the Portuguese from 1535 until 1961, when it fell in the possession of the troops of the Indian Union, which invaded all of former Portuguese India under Operation Vijay. The island was occupied by the Indian military on 19 December 1961. The Battle of Diu involved overwhelming land, sea and air strikes on the enclave for 48 hours until the Portuguese garrison there surrendered. It was declaredunion territory of India, Goa, Daman, and Diu. Goa separated as a state in 1987, thus the remainder became union territory of Daman and Diu.

Lion of the gir

The Gir is known all over the world as the last home of the Asiatic lion. The lion was once widely distributed in Asia Minor and Arabia through Persia to India.

In the Indian sub-continent, its range extended over northern India, as far as east up to Bihar, with the Narmada river marking the southern limit. Before the close of the last century, the Asiatic lion had become extinct from its range except Gir. The probable years of its extermination region-wise were Bihar 1840, Delhi 1834, Bhavalpur 1842, Eastern Vindhyas & Bundelkhand 1865, Central India & Rajasthan 1870 and Western Aravallis 1880. The last animal surviving in the wild outside Saurashtra was reported in 1884.

By the end of the last century, the then Nawab of Junagadh indicated the number of lion to be a dozen in the Gir. Lions struggled to survive during one of the most severe famines between the years 1901 to 1905 as they killed many human beings and domestic cattle. The Nawab of Junagadh provided adequate protection to the animals and population of lion increased between the years 1904 to 1911. After the death of the Nawab, about 12 to 13 lions used to be shot annually. From the year 1911 onwards, shooting was rigidly controlled by the British Administration and during the year 1913, the Chief Forest Officer of Junagadh reported that there were not more than 20 animals in the Gir Forests.

Population estimates of lion given before 1936 were only estimations based on personal knowledge and the first organized census was conducted in 1936 which showed a population of 287 lions. The results of estimate of lions in the Gir Forests during the previous censuses are as follows:

The onslaught of human pressure resulted into shrinkage of the Lion’s habitat and now what remains with us is the Gir as the last refuge of the endangered mammal.

Wildlife conservation programme for the Asiatic Lion was started by the forest Department from September 1965 with the declaration of 1265.01 sq. km area as sanctuary which was expanded up to 1412.1 sq. km till date. With implementation of wildlife management and Gir Development Scheme, population of lions increased gradually from 177 in 1968 to 359 in 2005. Similarly, herbivore population of major animals (Cheetal, Sambar, Nilgai, Wild boar, Four horned Antelope, Chinkara etc.) has also increased from abut 38221 in 1995 to 49965 in 2005.