What does the term 'Gurgaon' bring to your mind immediately? Tall shinning office buildings? metro? traffic jams? Yes, this is Gurgaon that everyone knows about. What most people do not much know about is that, just a few kilometers away from this hustle and bustle one can find a peaceful sanctuary of birds- a place where cacophony is caused not by the honking of cars but by the chirping of several species birds. If you are tired of spending your weekends in cafes and shopping malls , then visiting this sanctuary would definitely help you to feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Sultanpur National Park:
Sultanpur national Park , formerly known as the Sultanpur bird sanctuary, covers an area of about 142 hectares. This sanctuary is designated as a Ramsar site under the 'Ramsar Convention'(The convention on Wetlands) and it is a wetland site of international importance. This park supports almost 250 species of local , migratory and resident birds. Although, this is primarily a bird sanctuary , animals like striped hyena , nilgai, antelopes, porcupines etc. are also reported to have been spotted here.
How To Go ?
Sultanpur National Park is about 20km from the heart of Gurgaon and about 40km from Delhi. The best way to reach the park is by either your own vehicle or you can hire a cab from OLA or UBER.
Timing :
Although, on checking up at internet you would that the timings are mentioned as from 7am to 5pm , on my recent visit to the National Park I found out that visitors are allowed to enter the premises from 12pm. It would take around two to three hours to walk across the entire sanctuary. The park remains closed on Tuesday.
Best Time to visit:
Winter is the best time to visit as during this time many species of migratory birds visit this area.
Things To Carry :
The most essential items to carry are your cameras and a pair of binoculars. You can hire binoculars from the ticket counter subject to availability. This is one thing I regretted the most as all the binoculars were already rented out before we could hire one. Carrying a bottle of water is a must as there is going to be a lot of walking around.
Things to Do:
(1) Have your DDLJ moment at the mustard fields opposite to the Sultanpur National park entrance: Yes , you can run across mustard and marigold fields in Gurgaon. Exactly on the opposite side of the national park entrance , there are rolling fields of yellow, green and gold. Walking along the mud trails with these colourful fields accompanying you on both sides would definitely fill you with pure bliss.
(2) Have some sandwiches and enjoy a picnic environment at the National Park Premises : Right near the entrance of the national park , there is a refreshment area. Visitors can spread out a picnic mat ,enjoy a quick picnic, play badminton, feel refreshed and then move on to the main area to explore the world of birds.
(3) Explore the world of birds : As you enter the main area , you would be greeted by a nature trail with trees along the trail and a green canopy overhead. You may spot a pair of parrots or a squeaking squirrel on the branches. Silence prevails everywhere. No honking of cars , no hubbub of crowds , no blaring of music systems - but a distant cacophony of chirping of many kinds of birds.
As you continue to walk , the chirping of birds gradually grow louder. You can now spot the wetland- the heart of the National Park. All along the way , you can spot numerous boards with pictures of the birds that you can spot here. The lake would be filled with swimming birds, colourful storks and the trees around crowded with huge sized birds. Here a pair of binoculars is the most essential item that would help you to distinguish and identify the various kinds of birds.
To facilitate bird watching , there are watch towers in the Park at various locations. You can climb up the tower to get a better view of the Sultanpur 'Jheel'.
The experience would be really enriching. This wetland area is the heartland of this park. The birds near the lake are mostly migratory birds arriving from Europe, Siberia and central Asia during the winter season. This park is reported to have around two hundred and fifty species of birds!!!! You can get the list of birds from this following link:
https://haryanaforest.gov.in/centers/sultanpur-national-park-district-gurgaon/
There are other stretches of trail in the Sultanpur national park where resident birds can be spotted. A walk along these trails would transport you to a different world altogether- a world where only nature exists.
A visit to the Sultanpur National Park is definitely a very enriching experience. so, everyone out there who wants to spend some time among birds and nature must add Sultanpur National Park to your bucket List.
