Manas National Park & Manas Wildlife Sanctuary

By George On

Manas National Park, or Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in Assam, India. This Wildlife Sanctuary is also a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve, and a biosphere reserve.

Manas National Park
Beautiful Hills inside Manas National Park.

This National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is spread over 39,100 hectares (approximately 950 square kilometers) and is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park of Bhutan. Manas Tiger Reserve is situated in the Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Wildlife Sanctuary is rich in flora and fauna. It has many endangered species, including 22 of India’s most threatened species, such as the Bengal tiger, Bengal florican, clouded leopard, Indian elephant, Indian one-horned Rhino, Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur, pygmy hog, etc. Bird watching is at its best here, as there are around 500 species of birds inside the National Park, which lies along the Manus riverbed. Five smaller rivers flow through the park.

This National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas and is blessed with a natural landscape known for its exceptional scenery.

How Do I Go to Manas National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary?

‘Barpeta Road’ in the Barpeta district of western Assam is the nearest town to the National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. Guwahati, the capital of Assam state, is at around 135 kilometers distance. Barpeta City, the district’s headquarters, is 21 kilometers from Barpeta Road town. National highway No31 passes through Barpeta.

Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Guwahati is the nearest airport to the National Park. Guwahati is well connected to other parts of India by train and bus. There are direct train services from Guwahati to almost all major cities of India.

Are there any Manas resorts near the Wildlife Park?

There are forest department lodges at Mathanguri, around 40 kilometers distance from Barpeta Road town.

Do I need to get any entry permits to enter the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary or National Park?

Yes, the Field Director of Tiger Reserve at ‘Barpeta Road’ town, issues permits to tourists interested in entering into the National Park & Wildlife Sanctuary.