Sitabani Temple

The wildlife reserve is named after Sita, the wife of Hindu god Rama. It is believed that Sita spent some of her exile in the forest with her sons Luv and Kush.

Sitabani was subject to years of slash and burn agriculture by the local villagers. As a result, the land became degraded, and the moisture profile of the soil dropped. The surrounding forests contained dense numbers of ungulates including deer, nilgais, and wild boars that regularly destroyed crops. Also, domestic animals like cows, buffalo, goats, and even dogs would often be hunted by tigers and leopards. Sitabani was converted into a jungle habitat over the next few years. Some higher barren parts of the estate were gradually made green by planting fruit trees, such as Indian figs, Jamun, Wild Mango, Bhimal, Rohini, and Jackfruit. These trees naturally attracted birds and other wild herbivores. Water bodies were dug out to store excess rainwater, and with time these man-made ponds provided homes for fish, amphibians, insects and turtles. In dryer months, many of the wild animals from the neighboring hills started coming to these ponds for water. Many endemic bamboo species were planted, which also served to feed deer and passing elephants. Many local villagers were inducted and employed at the reserve by the founder Abhishek Ray thereby generating revenue through Eco-tourism and creating a sustainable conservation area.