Transcript isa project 4 - Schools Online

ISA PROJECT 4
HERITAGE SITES IN THE
SOUTH ASIA
•Sri Lanka
•India
•Nepal
•Pakistan
•Bangladesh
Sri Lanka
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Temple of Tooth Relic
Sigiriya
Anuradhapura
Polonnaruwa
Galle Dutch Fort
Matara Star Fort
Dambedeniya
Yapahuwa
Kurunagala
Golden Temple of Dambulla
Kotte
Introduction
• Eight sites of Sri Lanka have been
named by UNESCO. They are,
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ancient city of Polonnaruwa
Sigiriya
Golden Temple of Dambulla
Galle
Anuradhapura
Kandy
Sinharaja Rain Forest
Central Highlands of Sri Lanka
Temple of Tooth Relic
• The Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth
Relic is a temple in the city of Kandy in Sri Lanka.
• Kandy was the capital of the Sinhalese Kings from 1592 to
1815.
• King Vimaladharmasooriya built the palace to place the tooth
relic of Lord Buddha.
• The city is a world heritage site declared by UNESCO, in part
due to the temple.
• Monks of the two chapters of Malwatte and Asgiriya conduct
daily ritual worship in the inner chamber of the temple, in
annual rotation.
• Every year in August the Esala perahara is held colourfully.
Sigiriya
• It’s considered by some as the eighth wonder of the world.
• Sigiriya consists of an ancient castle used by King Kasyapa
of the 4th century AD.
• The Sigiriya site has the remains of an upper palace sited on
the flat top of the rock.
• A mid-level terrace that includes the Lion Gate and the mirror
wall with its frescoes.
• The lower palace that clings to the slopes below the rock,
and the moats, walls and gardens that extend for some
hundreds of meters out from the base of the rock.
• The site is both a palace and fortress.
Anuradhapura
• Sri Maha Bodiya
• Minneriya Lake
• Ruwanwelisaya
• Isurumuniya Statue
• Anuradhapura is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka.
• It is world famous for its well preserved ruins of the Great Sri
Lankan Civilization.
•
The Civilization which was built upon this city was one of the
greatest civilizations of Asia and in the world.
• It was founded in the 4th century BC and it was the capital of
the Anuradhapura Kingdom till the beginning of the 11th
century AC.
• There are ruins of lakes, dagabs, statues, remples in
Anuradhapura.
• Sri Maha Bodiya, Isurumuniya statue, Mirisiwatiya dagaba,
Minnaeriya lake, Ruwanwalisaya etc are some of the
important places in Anuradhapura.
Sri Maha Bodiya
• Jaya Sri Maha Bodhi is a Sacred fig tree in Anuradhapura,
Sri Lanka.
• It is said to be the southern branch from the historical
Bodhi tree Sri Maha Bodhi at Boddha Gaya in India under
which Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment.
•
It was planted in 288 BC and is the oldest living humanplanted tree in the world with a known planting date.
• Today it is one of the most sacred relics of the Buddhists
in Sri Lanka and respected by Buddhists all over the world.
Ruwanwalisaya
• The Ruwanwelisaya is a stupa in Sri Lanka, considered a
marvel for its architectural qualities and sacred to many
Buddhists all over the world.
• It was built by King Dutugemunu in 140 B.C.
•
It is also known as Mahathupa, Swarnamali Chaitya, and
Rathnamali Dagaba.
• This is one of the Solosmasthana (the 16 places of
veneration) and the Atamasthana (the 8 places of veneration
in the ancient sacred city of Anuradhapura).
• The stupa is one of the world's tallest monuments, standing
at 338 feet (103 m) and with a circumference of 950 ft
(290 m).
Minneriya Wawa
• King Mahasena built a dam across the Minneriya River to
construct Minneriya Wewa. It is considered a historical
event.
• According to the Pujavaliya a chronicle “The service of
yaksha tribe (demons) was obtained to build Mineriya Tank”.
• Catchment 237.05km2
• Length of Dam2320 m
• Height of Dam20.4 m
• Capacity135.8 mcm
Isurumuniya Statue
• It’s a 6th Century Gupta style carving.
•
The woman, seated on the man's lap, lifts a warning finger,
probably as a manifestation of her coyness; but the man
carries on regardless.
• The figures may represent Dutugemunu's son Saliya and the
law caste maiden Asokamala whom he loved.
Polonnaruwa
• Gal Viharaya
• Statue of king Prakaramabahu
• Thuparamaya
Gal Viharaya
• It is a rock temple of the Buddha situated in the ancient city
of Polonnaruwa in the north-central of Sri Lanka.
•
It was constructed in the 12th century by Parakramabahu I.
• The central feature of the shrine are four images of the
Buddha.
•
They have been carved into the face of a large granite rock.
• The images consist of a large seated figure, another smaller
seated figure inside an artificial cavern, and standing figure
and a reclining figure.
Statue of King
Parakramabahu
• The statue near the Potgul Vehera in Polonnaruwa, is
commonly known as the statue of Parakramabahu I.
• The statue was built presumably in the 12th century, The 11foot-2-inch-high.
• It is a stone sculpture dating back to the Polonnaruwa period
of ancient Sri Lanka.
• Its identity is uncertain, although the widely accepted theory
is that it is a statue of Parakramabahu I.
• The statue depicts a majestic figure with a grave expression,
holding a book or yoke in his hands.
• The statue is located to the north of the city of Polonnaruwa,
and close to the eastern bank of the Parakrama Samudra
reservoir, which was built by Parakramabahu I himself.
Thuparamaya
• The whole building has survived over 900 years miraculously.
• The roof is a semi-cylindrical in shape and made by bricks.
• The original name of this image house is not known;
therefore the builder of this is also unknown.
• It is thought that this was built by a minister of King
Parakramabahu (1153-1186) called Mahinda to house the
tooth relic.
•
Another belief is that this was built by king Vijayabahu I
(1070-1110).
Galle Dutch Fort
• Galle Fort, in the Bay of Galle, on the southwest
coast of Sri Lanka.
• It was built first in 1588 by the Portuguese.
• Then extensively fortified by the Dutch during
the 17th century from 1649 onwards.
• It is a historical, archaeological and
architectural heritage monument.
• The Galle Fort, also known as the Dutch Fort or
the "Ramparts of Galle"
Matara Star Fort
• On the other side of the river that flows through the Matara
town is the star fort.
• This little redoubt called Van Eck was built in 1763-1765 by
the Dutch after the Matara rebellion in 1761-1762.
• The Main Dutch Fort was designed in a shape of five-pointed
star to mount 12 large canons & designated to house
ammunition, provisions a small garrison.
• The whole structure is surrounded by a moat in which the
Dutch once kept crocodiles.
• Over the gate of the fort is the Dutch coat of arms. It’s still in
good condition.
• Today this is maintained by the archeological department
and there is a museum which carries different historical
items such as, documents, weapons, jewellery etc.
Dambedeniya
• Dambadeniya, about 30 km south-west of Kurunegala,
became prominent in the mid-13th century.
•
It was selected as the capital of the kingdom of Sri Lanka
by King Vijayabahu III (1232–36).
• On the summit of the Dambadeniya rock he built
fortifications and sturdy walls and gates.
• The city was made secure by a moat, a marsh and ramparts
around the royal palace. During the reign of King
Parakramabahu (1236–70), Dambadeniya reached the zenith
of its glory.
• The tooth relic which was hidden in Kotmalai was brought
to Dambadeniya and housed in a specially constructed three
storied temple.
Yapahuwa
• Yapahuwa served as the capital of Sri Lanka in the latter part
of the 13th century (1273–1284).
•
The fortress followed the style of Sigiriya.
• The palace and fortress were built by King Buvanekabahu I
(1272–1284) in the year 1273.
• On top of the rock are the remains of a stupa, a Bodhi tree
and a rock cave used by Buddhist monks.
• There are several caves at the base of the rock.
•
In one of them there is a shrine with Buddha images.
• One cave has a Brahmi script inscription.
• At the southern base of the rock there is a fortification with
two moats and ramparts.
•
• In this enclosure there are the remains of a number of
buildings including a Buddhist shrine.
•
There is also a Buddhist temple called Yapawwa
Rajamaha Vihara built during the Kandyan period.
• The Tooth Relic was brought from Dambadeniya and
kept in the Tooth Temple built at the top of the third
staircase.
• In 1272, King Bhuvenakabahu transferred the capital
from Polonnaruwa to Yapahuwa and brought bringing
the Sacred Tooth Relic with him
Kurunagala
• Narammala Temple and Padeniya Temple are the
famous temples of this kingdom.
• Both the temples have the statues of Lord Buddha.
• They are considered as the heritage sites in the
Kurunagala district.
Golden Temple of
Dambulla
• This temple complex dates back to the 1st century BC.
•
It has five caves under a vast overhanging rock which
contain statues and paintings.
• These paintings and statues are related to Lord Buddha
and his life.
•
There are 153 Buddha statues, 3 statues of Sri Lankan
kings and 4 statues of gods and goddesses.
• Later two statues of Hindu gods, the god Vishnu and the
god Ganesh were included.
• Depictions on the walls of the caves include the temptation
by the demon Mara, and Buddha's first sermon.
Kotte
• Karagala Padmawathi Pirivena is one of th famous
pirivenas in the Kotte kingdom.
• Rev. Karagala Wanarathana Sangaraja Thero was
the founder.
• Kalani Temple was built to spread Theravadi
Buddhism in the South Asia.
• There are pictures of Jathaka stories and the Lord
Buddha.
• Padeniya Temple was built by King Keerthi Sri
Rajasinghe.
• There are so many statues of Lord Buddha
India
•
•
•
•
•
Sanchi
Buddha Gaya
Taj Mahal
Ajantha Caves
Ellora Caves
Sanchi
• The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in
India.
• This was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the
Great in the 3rd century BCE.
•
Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built
over the relics of the Buddha.
•
It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure
symbolizing the high rank, which was intended to honour and
shelter the relics.
• The construction work of this stupa was overseen by
Ashoka's wife, Devi herself, who was the daughter of a
merchant of Vidisha.
Buddha Gaya
• Boddha Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage
associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya
district in India.
• This is situated by the bank of river Neranjana the place
was then known as Uruwela.
•
It is famous as the place where Gautama Buddha is said to
have obtained the Enlightenment.
• For Buddhists, Boddha Gaya is the most important of the
main four pilgrimage sites related to the life of Gautama
Buddha.
•
King Ashoka was the first to build a temple here.
• After meditating for six years at Urubela (Buddhagaya) in
Gaya, Siddgartha attained Buddhatva or the enlightenment.
• The place-name, Boddha Gaya, did not come into use until
the 18th century CE.
• Historically, it was known as Uruvela, Sambodhi, Vajrasana
or Mahabodhi
• In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Boddh Gaya, became
a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Taj Mahal
• Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra,
Uttar Pradesh, India.
•
It was built by Mughal emperor Sha Jahan in memory of
his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
•
The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of
Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired
masterpieces of the world's heritage".
• Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of
Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements
from Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural
styles.
• The construction began around 1632 and was
completed around 1653, employing thousands of
artisans and craftsmen.
• In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage
Site.
Ajantha Caves
• The Ajanta Caves are in Aurangabad district of
Maharashtra, India.
•
There are about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments
which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650
CE.
•
The caves include paintings and sculptures which are
masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, with figures of
the Buddha and depictions of the Jataka tales.
• The caves were built in two phases starting around the
2nd century BCE.
• The second group of caves built around 400–650 CE.
• Ajanta caves are cut into the side of a cliff that is on the
south side of a U-shaped gorge on the small river
Waghora.
• They are related to 5th-century paintings at Sigiriya in Sri
Lanka.
• The Ajanta was a kind of Buddhist college monastery,
with a large emphasis on teaching, and was divided into
several different caves for living, education and worship,
under a central direction.
• Since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
Ellora Caves
• Ellora caves are also known as Ellooru.
• It is an archaeological site which is situated in
Maharashtra.
•
It is well known for its monumental caves.
•
Ellora is a World Heritage Site.
•
Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut
architecture.
• The 34 "caves" – actually structures excavated out of the
vertical face of the Charanandri hills.
•
Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock-cut temples and viharas and
mathas were built between the 5th century and 10th
century.
• The 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and
5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves, were built in proximity.
• The cave demonstrates the religious harmony prevalent
during this period of Indian history.
• Most famous of the Buddhist caves is cave 10, a chaitya
hall or 'Vishvakarma cave', popularly known as the
'Carpenter's Cave'.
• At the heart of this cave is a 15-foot statue of Buddha
seated in a preaching pose.
• All the Hindu caves were constructed during the
Kalachuri period.
• Jain caves reveal specific dimensions of Jain philosophy and
tradition.
• They are not relatively large as compared to others, but they
present exceptionally detailed art works.
Nepal
•
•
•
•
Lumbini
Kathmadu Valley
Boudhanath
Chitwan National Park
Lumbini
• Lumbinī is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi
district of Nepal.
• It is largely regarded as the place where Queen Mayadevi
gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama, although the exact
birthplace is disputed.
• Lumbini was where the Buddha lived until the age of 29.
•
•
Lumbini has a number of temples, including the Mayadevi
temple, and others under construction.
A pillar now marks the spot of Asoka's visit to Lumbiní.
• According to an inscription on the pillar, it was placed there
by the people then in charge of the park to commemorate
Asoka's visit and gifts.
• Lumbini, as of 1997, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
specifically nominated for the international World Heritage
program.
Kathmandu Valley
• The Kathmandu Valley located in Nepal, lies at the
crossroads of ancient civilizations of Asia.
• It has at least 130 important monuments, including several
pilgrimage sites for Hindus and Buddhists.
• The Kathmandu Valley may have been inhabited as early as
300 BCE.
• Historically, only the Kathmandu Valley was referred to as
"Nepal" by people who lived outside the valley.
• After the annexation of the valley by the Gorkha kingdom,
and subsequent conversion of the valley as the capital of
their empire, this designation of "Nepal" was extended to
every land they conquered.
• The Kathmandu valley has many nicknames like " K-Town",
"City Of Event", "Cherry On The Cake".
•
It is the most developed and populated place in Nepal.
• It is popular with tourists for its unique, rich, culture and
architecture; including the highest number of jatras in Nepal.
• The valley itself was referred to as "Nepal Proper" by British
historians.
• As with the tales of the Buddha's visit, there is no evidence
supporting Ashok's visit, but the stupas probably do date to
that century.
• There are seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites within this
valley.
Budhnatha
• Boudhanath is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu
Nepal.
• The stupa's massive mandala makes it one of the largest
spherical stupas in Nepal.
• The Buddhist stupa of Boudhanath dominates the skyline.
• The ancient Stupa is one of the largest in the world.
• The influx of large populations of refugees from Tibet has
seen the construction of over 50.
• The Stupa is on the ancient trade route from Tibet which
enters the Kathmandu Valley by the village of Sankhu in the
northeast corner, passes by Boudnath Stupa to the ancient
and smaller stupa.
• Tibetan merchants have rested and offered prayers here for
many centuries.
• When refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many
decided to live around Bouddhanath.
•
The Stupa is said to entomb the remains of Kassapa Buddha.
• It is said that Boudhhanath was founded by the Nepalese
Licchavi king Śivadeva in 590-604 CE.
• As of 1979, Boudhanath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chitwan National Park
• Chitwan National Park is the first national park in Nepal.
• Formerly called Royal Chitwan National Park it was
established in 1973 and granted the status of a World
Heritage Site in 1984.
•
Since the end of the 19th century Chitwan - Heart of the
Jungle – used to be a favorite hunting ground for Nepal’s
ruling class during the winter seasons.
• In 1950, Chitwan’s forest and grasslands extended over more
than 2,600 km2 and was home to about 800 rhinos.
• By the end of the 1960s, 70% of Chitwan’s jungles were
cleared and only 95 rhinos remained.
•
In 1977, the park was enlarged to its present area of 932 km2
In 1997, a bufferzone of 766.
• 1 km2 Chitwan has a tropical monsoon climate with high
humidity all through the year.
• The area is located in the central climatic zone of the
Himalayas
Pakistan
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Archaeological Ruins at Moenjodaro
Harappa
Taxila
Buddhist Ruins at Takht-i-Bahi and at
Sahr-i-Bahlol
Fort and Shalamar Gardens - Lahore
Jahangir’s Tomb - Lahore
Rohtas Fort
Kitas Valley
Butkara Stupa Swat
Archaeological Ruins at
Moenjodaro
• Moenjodaro is an archaeological site located on the right
bank of Indus River of Sindh.
•
Dating back to the beginning of 3rd BC, the 5000 year old
city was one of the largest and earliest urbanized
settlements in South Asia.
• The ruins were first discovered in 1922 and major
excavations were carried out in 1930's.
•
However after 1965 further excavations were banned due to
weathering and disintegration.
• Only one-third of the site has been revealed so far and site
conservation works have been on-going since then.
Harappa
Location
Intro to Harappan Civilization
• Like the Nile and
Tigris/Euphrates river valleys,
the Indus Valley deposited
alluvial soil across its flood
plain, allowing early farmers to
establish agriculture.
• Indus river people
domesticated poultry,
elephants, sheep, and goats.
• This civilization was the 1st to
cultivate cotton by ~5000
B.C.E., for the production of
cloth. (Predates Egyptian
production)
Harappan Civilization
• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were
the major cities (pop. 35-40,000) and
regional centers.
• There were about 300 smaller
settlements along the Indus River.
• City of Mohenjo-Daro emerged with
Harappa in 2600 BC.
• This civilization with writing system,
was re-discovered in 1920.
• The people used copper and bronze
knives, spheres, and arrowheads.
• There were centralized
administrative buildings for each city
and controlled management of their
geologic area.
Taxila
• Taxila is a town and an important archaeological site in the
Punjab province in Pakistan.
• In 1980, Taxila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site
with multiple locations.
• By some accounts, Taxila was considered to be amongst
the earliest universities in the world.
• Others do not consider it a university in the modern sense,
in that the teachers living there may not have had official
membership of particular colleges, and there did not seem
to have existed purpose-built lecture halls and residential
quarters in Takshashila,in contrast to the later Nalanda
University.
Buddhist Ruins at Takht-iBahi and at Sahr-i-Bahlol
• Takht-i-Bahi, meaning spring throne, is a Buddhist monastic
complex dating to the 1st century BC located on top of a
152 m high hill.
• Sahr-i-Bahlol is a small fortified city, dating from the same
era, located near Takht-i-Bahi.
• The historical complex is a complete Buddhist monastery
consisting of four main groups;
• the Court of Stupas,
• a monastic complex, a temple complex,
• a tantric monastic complex.
Fort and Shalamar
Gardens in Lahore
• The Fort and Shalamar Gardens in Lahore are masterpieces
from the time of the Mughal civilization.
• Lahore Fort is a trapezoidal composition spread over 20
hectares.
• Origins of the fort go as far back as antiquity, however, the
existing base structure was built during the reign of Mughal
emperor Akbar.
• Among the 21 monumentals sites inside the fort are:
- Sheesh Mahal, a white marble pavillion (Palace of
Mirrors)
- Alamgiri Gate, the monumental gateway to the fort
- Naulakha pavilion, a white marble personal chamber
with curvilinear roof
- Moti Masjid, small mosque made of white marble.
• The Shalamar Gardens were built by the Mughal emperor
Shah Jahan.
• Construction of the
Persian-style garden
began in 1641 A.D. and
was completed the
following year.
• The Gardens have been
laid out from south to
north in three
descending terraces.
• To irrigate the Gardens,
a canal named Shah
Nahar (Royal canal)
was constructed. It
also feeds the 410
fountains.
Jahangir’s Tomb - Lahore
•
The mausoleum of the Mughal Emperor
Jahangir who ruled India from 1605 to
1627 is a great historical site in Lahore
•
Jahangir’s son Shah Jahan built the
mausoleum 10 years after his father's
death. He also built Taj Mahal
•
The structure is a quadrangle with
enormous gardens. In the center lies the
rectangular tomb with four minarets on
four corners .
•
Interior is decorated with beautiful
paintings and patterns.
• The sepulcher is decorated with
precious gem stones
•
Structure has a typical Mughal stamp
with water courses, gardens, all in
perfect symmetry
Rohtas Fort
• Rohtas Fort is a historical garrison fort
built by king Farid Khan.
• It is located near the city of Jhelum in
Pakistan.
•
This fort is about 4 km in
circumference.
• The Rohtas fort was built to crush the
local tribes who were fiercely
independent and loyal to Emperor
Humayun which.
• It took 8 years to built the Rohtas fort
but ironically the Rohtas fort was
recaptured by local tribes and it
became the capital of Ghakkars.
• Ironically the very people it was
designed to crush were actually
became the sole owners of Rohtas fort
and Afghans were not only defeated
but they were forced to flee after
accepting heavy defeat.
Kitas—The sacred
place for Hinduism
• Kitas is situated in the centre of the Salt Range,
opposite Pind Dadan Khan
• It lies between low stony hills
• It is remarkable chiefly for its sacred pool visited every year
by thousands of pilgrims who come to bathe in its holy
waters.
•
“The Sat-Ghara or ‘seven temples’ are attributed to the
Pandus, who are said to have lived at Kitas during a portion
of their twelve years’ wanderings.
• They belong to the later style of Kashmirian architecture
which prevailed under the Karkota and Varmma dynasties,
from A.D. 625 to 939; and as the Salt Range belonged to the
kingdom of Kashmir during the greater part of this time.
Butkara Stupa –
Swat Valley
• Swat is another area in Pakistan which is commonly
regarded as an important Buddhist Stupa holding place in the
region
• It is said that the Mauryan emperor probably had built this
Stupa whose name was Ashoka.
•
But some other historians link it to slightly later dates of the
second century BCE.
• he following centuries enlarged this Butkara Stupa on five
different occasions and every time the developer built it from
the start by demolishing the previous structure.
Bangaladesh
• Historic Mosque City of
Bagerhat.
• Ruins of the Buddhist Vihara at
Paharpur.
• The Sundarbans.
Historic Mosque City of
Bagerhat.
• The Mosque City of Bagerhat is a formerly lost city.
• It is located in the suburbs of Bagerhat city in Bagerhat
District, of Bangladesh.
• The city was founded in the 15th century by the warrior
saint Turkish general Ulugh Khan Jahan.
• The site has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site in 1983.
• The Sixty Pillar Mosque and 77 domes, is the most well
known.
Ruins of the Buddhist
Vihara at Paharpur
• The Paharpur Vihara, known as Somapura Mahavira
• It was built by the Pala Emperor Dharmapala (AD 770-810).
• The monastery is quadrangular in form, with a colossal
temple of a cross-shaped floor plan in the centre of the
courtyard and with an elaborate gateway complex on the
north.
• There are 45 cells on the north and 44 in each of the other
three side, making a total number of 177 monastic cells along
the enclosure walls on the four sides.
• This layout, and the decoration of carved stones and
terracotta plaques, reflect the building's religious function,
which is greatly influenced by Buddhist architecture from
Cambodia and Java (Indonesia).
• This 7th-century archaeological find covers an area of about
11 ha. The entire
The Sundarbans
• The Sundarbans National Park is a National Park.
• It is a Tiger Reserve, and a Biosphere Reserve in India.
• But it is part of the Sundarbans on the Ganges Delta of India
and Bangladesh.
• The delta is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one
of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger.
•
It is also home to a variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate
species, including the salt-water crocodile.
• The present Sundarbans National Park was declared as the
core area of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife
sanctuary in 1977.
• On May 4, 1984 it was declared a National Park.
The End