Around Kota

Wildlife Sanctuaries:
Darrah Wildlife Sanctuary (50 km):
For wildlife lovers, there are explorable options present around Kota. One of such options is the dense forest of Darrah, situated to the south of Kota. These forests were once the hunting grounds for the rulers of Kota. At that time, the area was highly populated with varied species of wildlife including Tigers, Leopards Deers and Rhinos. Though the number of wildlife species in this 250 sq km sanctuary has dwindled, it is still home to many sloth bears, antelopes, nilgais, leopards and wolves.

There are many hunting lodges within the sanctuary that were built for the comforts of the royals. The sanctuary is opened throughout the year, barring the monsoon months of July to mid-September. You need to have a permission from the District Forest Office to enter the wildlife sanctuary.

National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary (50 km):
Another place for a wildlife safari is the nearby National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary, that stretches to parts of Madhya Pradesh too. This sanctuary is famous for conserving Ghariyals that are commonly found near the Chambal River, apart from other animals like Wolves, Blackbucks and Chinkaras.

Sorsan Grasslands (45 km):
To the east of Kota lies another worth visiting site called Sorsan. The grasslands of Sorsan span in an area of 35 sq km and have a rich variety of avi fauna including migratory birds that visit this place often. It is a bird watcher's paradise since it has a guest list including the names of Great Indian Bustard, Mynahs, Starlings, Fly Catchers, Larks, Rosy Pastors, Partridges, etc.

Baroli (45 km):
Baroli can be called 'the temple town of Rajasthan', since it once used to have a collection of more than hundred temples. Even now you can see ancient temples that were built between 7th and 12th century. These temples are small in size and are made of stone.

The best of these temples is the Ghateshvara Temple, whcih is ornamented with carved temple pillars and exquisite sculptures including those of Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. The temple is named after one of the five Shivalingams of the temple, that is in the form of an inverted pot or ghata. Other set of temples include the famous Trimurti temples and the Kansuan Temples.

Buses for Baroli are easily available from the Kota bus stand, at hourly basis.

Bhainsrodgarh (50 km):
Bhainsrodgarh is known for its 14th century fort that surmounts a rocky hill facing river Chambal. It is a live fort as it still houses descendants of the feudal families. Although the fort is closed for tourists and visitors, you can still relish the picturesque surroundings and the whole set up of this medieval fort. This place is close to Baroli and can easily be accessed by auto rickshaws from Baroli.