Photos of Ranthambore National Park encompasses nearly 400 sq km of dry deciduous forest. The park’s name derives from the fortress of Ranthambhore (built in 944 AD), which sits on a rocky outcrop in the forest. The forests around the fort were once the private hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur. In 1957 Ranthambhore was declared a wildlife sanctuary; in 1974 it came under the protective umbrella of Project Tiger and in 1981 became a National Park. Today it has some of the finest habitats in the world and is rich with diverse flora and fauna.