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Valmikinagar is located nearly 100 kms
from Bettiah in the northernmost part of the West Champaran
district, bordering Nepal. It is a small town with scattered
inhabitation, mostly within the forest area and a railroad station
in the district of West Champaran close to the railhead of
Narkatiyaganj.
The overall climate of Valmikinagar is
pleasant. It lies on longitude: 83°- 0' East to 84°- 41’ East and
latitude: 27°- 3’ North to 27°- 10’ North. Its Altitude is about
125m to 88m above Mean Sea Level (M.S.L.). The summer is from March
to June, while the Rainy season is July to September. The pleasant
winter months are November to February. The temperature in
Valmikinagar is Minimum 8° C and Maximum 36° C. The rainfall is
about 1461.2 mm to 2053.3 mm.
After covering 30 kms from Bagaha one
enters Valmiki Tiger reserves forest at Rampur, and confronts the
tack, which is broken and undulating, often showing highly fragile
geological formations. As a result there are step ravines,
knife-edge ridges and precipitous walls formed by landslips and
sol-erosion. The road nearly 30 kms runs through the forest leading
to Gandak barrage.
The great Gandak and Masan rivers
collect all the water from numerous, tortuous tributaries. The hill
system is a continuation of the Shiwalik Range, largely made of
imperfectly compacted and ill formed sandstone dotted with pebbles
and boulders. Valmiki sanctuary covering approximately 800 sq km of
forest and is the 18th Tiger Reserve of the country and ranked
fourth with density of Tiger population. Adjacent to the sanctuary
in the forest in Chitwan National Park of Nepal, lies the historic
Valmiki Ashram and surrounding temples.
The place has the major religious and
historical attraction of the Valmiki Ashram. Although it is located
in Nepal, but one has to travel through the forests of Valmikinagar
to reach the Ashram, and that is through India. Even the Nepalese
have to travel through Valmikinagar, in India to reach the Ashram.
Valmiki Ashram is located at a
distance of about 7 kms from Valmikinagar, the Gandak barrage, in
the deep forest of Chitwan National Park in Nepal. Rishi Valmiki had
written the great epic, “Ramayana”, here. Various points of interest
around the ashram are: Birthplace of Luv & Kush (the two sons of
Lord Ram and his divine wife- Sita); Sita’s ‘Falahar’ eating place;
Meditation place of the great Sage-Valmiki; the place where the
Ashwamedh horse was tied; Amrit Kuan; Vishnu Chakra; Gagristhan and
the Hawan Kund.
Various temples, which are located in
the periphery of 3 - 4 kms around the Valmiki Ashram, are the
Jatashankar Temple, Nardevi Temple and Kaleshwar Temple, surrounded
by green forest in the backdrop of the Himalayan Mountains. Triveni
Temple is located across the Gandak barrage in the Nepal territory
at a motorable distance of 2-3 kms from Gandak barrage.
Apart from the natural beauty, it
offers a lot to the tourists who are basically the adventure seekers
and nature lovers. The peaceful environment of variety of activities
in which the tourists of different age groups having different
tastes can engage themselves.
With Valmikinagar as base, a tourist
can find expression to his nomadic instincts by visiting a number of
places, the grandeur and beauty of which are bound to make one
experience the heights of ecstasy.
Archaeologically rich places in and
around Valmikinagar are Lauriya Nandan Garh and Someshwar Fort.
There is a lion pillar of Ashoka at Lauriya Nandan Garh, which is a
single block of polished sand stone. The pillar is 32’- 9.5” in
height with a diameter of 35.5” at the base and 26.2” at the top.
This pillar is over 2000 year old and in excellent condition.
Nandan Garh is a huge mound composed
of bricks and is about 80 feet high. According to the authoritative
source, it is an Ashoka Stupa, in which ashes of Lord Buddha’s
funeral pyre are enshrined.
Someshwar Fort is situated in
Narkatiyaganj sub-division, near Nepal border, on top of Someshwar
Hill at 2884 ft. above M.S.L. It is in a ruined state but its
remains are well defined.
Close to Valmikinagar is Triveni, which is a holy place for Hindus.
The name is derived from the fact that three river, namely – Naraini,
Sohna and Pachnad- merge here, to form Gandak, soon after they
emerge from the hills. Triveni is also believed to be the site at
which the fight commenced between the Lords of Forest and Water (Gaj
and Grah or the Elephant and the Crocodile). The main fauna of
Valmiki Tiger Reserve consists of Tiger, Leopard, Fishing Cat,
Chital, Sambar, Hog Deer, Black Buck, Gaur, Sloth Bear, Langur and
Rhesus Monkey, while the flora consists of Sal (Shorea robusta),
Asan, Karama, Semal, Khair, Cane (Calamus tenuis), Jamun, Siccharrum,
and Teak etc.
Bhimbandh Sanctuary
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Bhimbandh Wild Life Sanctuary
is located in the south west of Munger District. The forests
cover an area or 681.99 sq.km on the hills and undulating
tract of Kharagpur Hills. It is situated at a distance of 56
km from Munger, 20 km from Jamui Railway Station and 200 km
from Patna Airport.
This forest are located in
the famous Kharagpur hill range, south of river Ganga and is
surrounded on all sides by non-forestry areas inhabited by
dense population. The vegetation of these forests is very
rich where Sal, Kend, Semal and other trees grow side by
side the hilly terrain, protecting from the suns rays the
forms and humble creepers which grow below.
A host of animals such as Tiger, Leopards, Sloth Bear,
Nilgai, Sambhar, Barking deer, Wild Beer, four horned
Antelope use to abide by in these forests. In the valley
portions and at the foothills are several hot springs of
which the finest are at Bhimbandh, Sita Kund and Rishi Kund.
All the hot springs maintain nearly same temperature round
the year, and seasonal fluctuation of discharge is also
nominal. Among them the Bhimbandh group of springs have the
maximum temperature (52° C to 65° C) and discharge
(0.84-1.12 cum/sec) and constitute the best area for the
exploration of geothermal energy potential.
All the thermal springs of sanctuary have a common
geological frame. The spouts issue from the contact of
massive guartzites (jointed and crushed) with states and
phyllites (Kharagpur Group).
All the springs are situated at topographic lows within the
guartziter. The aqueducts formed due to fracturing are long
and narrow zones of fissures and broken rocks.
There are
number of places of tourist interest nearby the Sanctuary
like, Rishikund, Ha-Ha Punch Kumari, Rameshwar Kund,
Kharagpur Lake, Sringrishi etc. There are Tourist lodge and
Forest Rest House that offer accommodation facilities to
tourists in the mid of the forest.
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Rajgir
Sanctuary
The Rajgir Sanctuary is located at 2 km from Rajgir
Railway Station and 105 km from Patna Airport. The
Sanctuary is stretched in an area of 35.84 sq.km.
The Sanctuary area is full of small hills an
undulating land. There are number of hot water
springs in the area. Sulphur content in hot water is
quite high.
Among the wildlife found in the Sanctuary the
notable ones are Leopard, Hyena, Barking Deer, and
Nilgai etc. The birds, which have been identified,
are peafowl, jungle fowl, partridge, black and grey
quails, hornbill, parrot, dove, myna etc. Wild bear
is very common to this area.
In
addition to the Sanctuary there is a Bamboo Park (Venuvana).
This was originally a park of King Bimbisara. The
Forest Department constructed beautiful Deer Park
with Cheetals, Nilgais and Sambhars. To add to all
other beautiful places of historical importance
there is an Arial Ropeway that provides the link
with a hilltop Buddhist Stupa built by the Japanese.
The Sanctuary offers very good facilities for
boarding and lodging provided by the State
Government's Tourism, Forest and Public Works
Departments.
Kaimur
Sanctuary
The Kaimur Wild Life Sanctuary is located in the
District of Kaimur under DFO Shahabad Division. Area
of the sanctuary is 1342 sq.km, which is mainly
confined to hills and undulating ground. Black
bucks, Nilgai, Chinkara, Tiger, Leopard, Hyena, Wild
boar, sloth bear etc are the common species found in
these forests. The Sanctuary is well connected by
rail and road. Nearest railway stations are Sasaram,
Dehri-on-Son, and Bhabhua. Other important tourist
places in the adjacent area are Mausoleum of Sher
Shah at Sasaram Dhuan Kund (a natural water fall),
Karkat Gadh etc.
Gautam
Buddha Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is located at a distance of 20 km from
Gaya and 60 km from Bodh Gaya. The area of the
Sanctuary is 259 sq.km situated on either side off
the NH2. The forest of the sanctuary are located on
the hill and undulating tracts lying north of the
hilly terrain which is an extension of Chhotanagpur
plateau. Among the wild Life found here are Tigers,
Leopards, Hyenas, Sloth Bear, Wolf, Wild Dog, Wild
Boar, Sambhar, Spotted Deer and Nilgai etc.
Udayapur Sanctuary
Udaipur Wild Life Sanctuary is located in the
district of West Champaran about 15 km from Bettiah.
It covers an area of 8.87 sq.km. Spotted Deer,
Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Nilgai, Wolf, Jungle Cat
etc are found in the forest.
Kabar
Jheel Bird Sanctuary
The Kabar Jheel (Lake) Bird Sanctuary is located 22
km north west of Begusarai. Area of the sanctuary is
63.11 sq.km. This Lake is formed through the meander
of River Burhi Gandak that supports about 59 types
of migratory birds and 106 residential species as
well as 31 species of fishes.
Gogabil Bird Sanctuary
This Sanctuary is situated at a distance of 26 km
from Katihar and is spread over on an area of about
217.99 km. By virtue of its global, national and
regional significance the State Government has
declared Gogabil Bird Sanctuary as a closed area.
This wetland is rich in aquatic flora and fauna and
is a fascinating wintering ground for the migratory
birds.
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