TOWN

Ranthambhore National Park lies in the Sawai Madhopur district of the North Indian state of Rajasthan. The park is contiguous with the Sawai Madhopur town, and Misradhara gate, from where tourists enter the Park, is about 12 km from the heart of the town. The twin towns of Old City and Man town together constitute Sawai Madhopur. The railway station and the main market - Bajariya - are located in Man town. The older City lies 4 km away in a valley surrounded by cliffs and steep slopes.

The twin towns of "Old City" and "Mantown", together, constitute Sawai Madhopur. The railway station and the main market - Bajariya - are located in Mantown. The older "City" lies 4 kilometers away in a valley surrounded by cliffs and steep slopes.

There is a good road called the Ranthambhore Road from Man town to the Park. Almost all the hotels of Ranthambore are located along this road. There are a few Forest Rest Houses inside the Park, Jogi Mahal being the best known of them, but these are only for the forest officials. There is no hotel nor any other kind of tourist accommodation inside the Ranthambore national park.

By Indian standards, Sawai Madhopur is a small rural town with a population of around 100,000. The town serves as a market for the rural hinterland and Sawai Madhopur is known for its winter guavas, red chilis and mustard. Besides this, tourism and transportation industries are the mainstays of the local economy.

The local urban population, a mix of Hindus, Muslims and Jains, speak Hindi, however, most of the local urban people can understand a bit of English. People are generally warm, friendly and helpful. The rural population predominantly consists of the Meena and Gujjar caste groups.