Kalesar National Park: Haryana's Sole Natural Sal Forest Protected Landscape in the Shivalik Foothills

Kalesar National Park is best known for being Haryana's only forest with a natural sal tree belt, a remarkable ecological feature in a state predominantly characterized by agricultural land. The park is renowned for its leopard population, with surveys recording approximately 42 Indian leopards, a significant increase from earlier counts. It also supports a population of wild Asiatic elephants and serves as a corridor for elephants moving between Kalesar and adjacent Rajaji National Park. The park is a popular destination for birdwatching and wildlife observation, with visitors able to explore three designated safari tracks through the forested landscape.

The formal protection of Kalesar began with the notification of the Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary on 13 December 1996, followed by the establishment of Kalesar National Park on 8 December 2003. The park is named after the Kalesar Mahadev temple located within its boundaries, an ancient Shiva temple whose name derives from a corrupted form of Kaleshwar, a moniker of Lord Shiva. The area has historical significance dating to the 18th and 19th centuries, when Afghan invader Ahmad Shah Abdali camped at Pinjore Gardens in 1765 and British soldier Rollo Gillespie hunted tigers in these hills in 1807. By the late 19th century, tiger and panther populations had declined significantly due to excessive hunting, prompting the Sirmur State to ban hunting in the area by 1913. The park also contains a colonial-era dak bungalow over 100 years old, situated near the Kalesar Mahadev temple and offering views of the Yamuna River.

Kalesar National Park lies in the Shivalik foothills, a range running parallel to the Himalayan range from Haridwar on the Ganges to the banks of the Beas River. The terrain is characterized by low sandstone and conglomerate hills formed from tertiary deposits of the outer Himalayas. Elevation within the park varies between 2,000 and 3,500 feet. Numerous dry rivulets cross the landscape, coming alive during the monsoon season. The park is bounded by the Yamuna River to the east, with agricultural farms surrounding the protected area to the west and south. The landscape features dense sal forest as its dominant vegetation type, with the forest floor dotted with sculptural anthills and covered in fallen leaves. A network of fire lines crisscrosses the forest to help contain wildfires.

The forest ecosystem at Kalesar represents a rare example of natural sal forest in Haryana. Approximately 53% of the park consists of dense old-growth forest, 38% is open forest, and 9% is scrubland, giving an overall forest cover of about 71%. The sal trees form the dominant canopy, with other tree species including semul (Bombax ceiba), amaltas (Cassia fistula), and bahera (Terminalia bellirica). Additional species include khair, shisham, sain, jhingan, and chhal. A distinctive feature is the small sindoor tree, whose flowers produce pods yielding the vermilion powder used by married women in Hindu traditions. The park also includes the Ch. Devi Lal Herbal Nature Park, a 50-acre area with over 61,000 shrubs of herbs and 6,100 medicinal tree plants located approximately 20 kilometres away on the Chuharpur road.

Kalesar National Park supports a diverse mammalian fauna that includes the Indian leopard, with a 2016 survey recording 42 individuals, up from 19 in 1989. The leopard cat, rusty-spotted cat, jungle cat, Indian jackal, Asiatic elephant, chital, sambar, barking deer, goral, nilgai, Indian crested porcupine, small Indian civet, common palm civet, grey langur, rhesus macaque, Indian grey mongoose, wild boar, and Indian hare have all been documented in the park. The park has a natural population of wild elephants and is home to the Ch. Surinder Singh Elephant Rehabilitation Centre at Ban Santoor, which cares for rescued elephants. Eight watering holes have been dug across the forest to provide wildlife with water and prevent them from straying into human settlements. Camera traps monitoring wildlife were installed at 40 locations in 2014.

Kalesar National Park represents Haryana's primary conservation asset for forest and wildlife protection in the state. The park's designation as an IUCN Category IV protected area reflects its focus on habitat and species management. The presence of 42 leopards and wild elephants demonstrates the park's significance as a wildlife corridor connecting protected areas across state boundaries. However, challenges exist, including insufficient funding from central authorities for conservation activities. The state government has provided forest staff with weapons to combat poaching, and special environmental courts have been established in Kurukshetra and Faridabad to handle wildlife crimes. Proposals for constructing dams within the sanctuary and fencing the area are under consideration.

The Kalesar Mahadev temple provides the park with its name and cultural significance. This ancient temple dedicated to Lord Shiva is located near National Highway 907 on the eastern side of the park, approximately 400 metres north of the Kalesar dak bungalow and 8.5 kilometres north of the Hathni Kund Barrage. A later-era Shiva temple also exists north of the Kalesar Mahadev temple. The area forms part of a broader tourism development plan announced by the Government of Haryana in 2019, which includes development of the temple along with other nearby religious and historical sites. The 100-year-old colonial dak bungalow reflects the area's historical significance during the British Raj period.

Kalesar National Park offers Haryana's only natural sal forest ecosystem, a remarkable feature in the state's predominantly agricultural landscape. The park's leopard population of approximately 42 individuals represents a successful conservation outcome, while wild elephants move through the area connecting to Rajaji National Park. The dense forest, scenic Shivalik foothills setting, and proximity to the Yamuna River create a distinctive protected area in northern India. Wildlife jeep safaris on three designated tracks provide access to the park's natural beauty, while the colonial-era dak bungalow offers historical character. The presence of the Kalesar Mahadev temple adds cultural depth to the natural landscape.

Kalesar National Park is closed during the monsoon season from July to September. During the open months, visiting hours vary by season: in summer, the park is open from 6 am to 10 am and 4 pm to 7 pm, while in winter hours are 7 am to 11 am and 3:30 pm to 6 pm. The winter months generally offer more comfortable conditions for wildlife viewing, while the summer season provides longer daylight hours for exploration. The park's closure during the monsoon protects the ecosystem during the wet season when rivulets become active and the forest is most vulnerable.