Tucked away in the Indian state of Assam, the Bengal tiger is making what could be its last stand in Kaziranga National Park.  Scientists studying the tigers there have shown that Kaziranga has the highest density of wild tigers in the world: 32.64 per 100 square kilometers (h/t Gadling).   There are only about 1,300 and 1,500 Bengal tigers left in the wild, and according to Wikipedia, over the past 100 years their population has declined by 90%.

Kaziranga National Park is open to tourists. You can see the interior via a guided tour in a jeep, four-wheeler or on top of an elephant. Hiking in the park is strictly forbidden for reasons that should be obvious: There are many tigers in the park, and they are all faster than you.

Almost every decent-sized zoo in the US has a tiger exhibit. However, if you want to see these creatures in their natural habitat,  you need an Indian visa. Here’s a list of what you should have on hand when you submit your application:

• Your US passport
• 2 recent passport-sized photos, taken within the past 6 months. You may not wear glasses for the photos.
• A completed Indian visa application form. Write legibly and proofread the application to catch mistakes before you submit it.  Make sure that you enter in “tourism” in the section that asks you to state why you are traveling to India, not “to visit Kaziranga National Park.”
• A copy of your plane tickets or your itinerary.
• A legible copy of your driver’s license or  a utility bill showing your name and address.
• A copy of your birth certificate

India has a jurisdictional visa system, which means that each embassy handles applications for a different part of the US, and you must submit your Indian visa application to the embassy or consulate that serves your home address.

RushMyTravelVisa makes it a piece of cake to get an Indian visa. We help you with the application, providing you with clear, easy-to-follow instructions that help you avoid common mistakes. Then, we submit the application to the right embassy or consulate for the fastest processing possible.

Apply for your Indian visa today!

Tags: India, India visa, Indian visa, tigers

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at 1:34 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.