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Tal Chhapar

Explore the erstwhile hunting ground of the Maharaja of Bikaner, now a thriving ecological hotspot

Anuroop Krishnan

Blackbucks (Antilope cervicapra) sprint and spring across the open grasslands of Tal Chhapar, Rajasthan. All photographs by Radha Rangarajan

Tal Chhapar

Chhapar is a small village in Churu district, Rajasthan. This quaint and unassuming village - known for its distinct lack of rainfall - has a protected grassland in its midst. Since a flatland in the local Rajasthani dialect is called a 'Tal', the protected area is called Tal Chhapar. 

This grassland, home to an array of wildlife ranging from large antelopes to small burrowing rodents, was once the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Bikaner. The palace, which was used back then for hunting, currently serves as a school.

Plan Your Trip

Getting there

Air

Jaipur (230km away)

Rail

The village of Chhapar has a railway station, and one train from/ to Delhi daily. However, the frequency of trains from Delhi is greater at Sujangarh and Ratangarh, the other railway stations close by. 

Road

It is a four-hour drive from Jaipur and an eight-hour drive from Gurugram (374km away), but the roads are not good. 

best time to visit

The climate is quite extreme. From November to February, temperatures drop as low as 5 degree Celsius. From mid-December to mid-January, the fog clears only post 9am and sets back around 4pm. 

There is always something to see all year around. It rains at the end of July, and the park is full of young Blackbuck fawns. The rain also brings a number of grasshoppers and locusts, which in turn bring predators like the White-eyed Buzzards and Shikras. That is also a good time for the Singing Bushlark and from August to April, a number of migratory birds visit the area. Summer, if you can withstand the heat, is a great time to see mammals. Cats and foxes den towards the end of March and the beginning of April, and you can spot young pups and kittens at play. May and June are extremely hot and the most quiet in terms of activity for wildlife.

Stay

The Forest Department has a guest house just outside the park. While it is comfortable, it has only six rooms and is hardly ever available in the winter. Jeeps can be rented from here. Room rents at the guest house are ₹2,200 per day for a non-AC room and ₹2,900 per day for an AC room. Food costs approximately ₹800 per day per person. 

A vehicle with high ground clearance to drive around the park is necessary. The park has paths on which only driving is permitted. The rest of the park, barring some water bodies, is accessible by foot. However, that isn’t advisable because the wildlife is more tolerant of a vehicle.


The nearest town is Sujangarh, which has a few hotels that cost between ₹1,200 and ₹2,000 per room per night. Hiring vehicles from Sujangarh isn’t recommended, especially for a first-time visitor, since a lot of these drivers don’t know their way around Chhapar or of interesting things to do nearby. 

Gallery

See | Do | Shop

  • There is abundant wildlife even outside the park. Post 9am, a trip to Gaushala (a community grazing ground outside the village) is a must. This area has a large population of Spiny-tailed Lizards that attracts a number of raptors, foxes, cats and other reptiles. 
  • Chadwaas, the neighbouring village, has several water bodies that are visited by a large number of waders. 
  • Birds also visit the salt pans outside the park. 

Good to know

  • Chhapar has one petrol pump and two ATMs.
  • Most parts of the protected area have strong network connectivity (Airtel, Vodafone and BSNL). Data connectivity is poor, and none of the hotels in Sujangarh or any of the other nearest towns have a dependable WiFi connection. Photon works in Chhapar, but with very limited speeds. 
  • The protected area has a forest guest house that has bathrooms. 
  • There is a government hospital at Chhapar and a few medical stores, but they stock only basic medicines. Carry first-aid and prescription medication with you.

What to pack

  • It gets cold in winter, so warm clothing is suggested. Gloves are also a good option for early morning drives. Closed shoes are a must. For the rest of the year, pale, dull clothes, preferably green or khaki would do.
  • A hat/ protection for your head is a must, since temperatures rise to almost 50 degree Celsius in peak summer. A lot of water and glucose packs are recommended. As are sunscreen and shoes. 

For photographers

  • I shot most images with a 100-400mm lens. A focal length of 400-500mm would be ideal. 
  • Do carry a wide angle lens, for the park offers opportunities to shoot a lot of scapes.

In between safaris

  • If you have a few hours to spare, drive to the nearby Gopalpura hill, which also hosts a number of species of birds.
  • Tal Chhapar is a three-hour drive from Bikaner, so you can club two destinations — stay in Bikaner and drive down to Chhapar for the day (it is a three-hour drive); or drive from Bikaner to Chhapar early in the morning on day one, book a room for one night, spend two days on the field and drive back to Bikaner at the end of day two. Another option would be to drive down from Delhi or Jaipur (it is a four-and-a-half-hour drive) directly — however, this way you’d lose out on the local guidance of the drivers of the guest house. 
  • Other places you could visit nearby include Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary (≈ 200km away from Tal Chhapar) and Khichan (≈ 260km away from Tal Chhapar).

Budget per person

Jeep (four people can share) = ₹3,500 per day  (per person per day = ₹875).

Food per person per day = ₹200 (breakfast) + ₹225 (lunch) + ₹225 (dinner) = ₹650 (approximately). 

Room, which ideally two people can share = ₹2,900 per day (per person per day = ₹1,450). 

Other costs per person per day = ₹200 (water bottles, entry into the park, chai, etc). 

Total cost per person per day = ₹3,145.

Anuroop Krishnan - Nature Photographer

Anuroop Krishnan

Nature Photographer

Anuroop Krishnan is a marketing professional who enjoys traveling to wildlife destinations when he gets time off work. He tweets as @anuroof.

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