International Day of Forests 2022: A look at India's amazing forests

Forests are the heart and soul of our planet! From purifying the air we breathe in to being home to uncountable species of birds, animals, plants and trees, forests are among the most essential things for humankind.

Today, on the day of the International Day of Forests 2022, we have curated a list of some of the most prominent forests in India that every nature lover must visit once in a lifetime!

This is among the largest active deltas not only in India but in the whole world! The Sundarbans are home to the Sundari Mangrove trees, spread across India and Bangladesh. This place is noted for its unique coastal mangrove forest, which is a natural habitat for over 260 species of avifauna and the Royal Bengal tiger.

The forest used to be a private hunting ground of the royal family of Saraikela. Spreading over an area of 820 km sq, the forest today is inhabited by the Ho people. Besides, the forest is rich in iron ore, minerals and sal trees. The forest has an incredibly diverse ecosystem.

Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu is the second largest mangrove forest in the world! An off-the-beaten-path kind of place, Pichavaram is an ideal weekend escape. There are some 50 islands and 200 species of birds in the forest.

The Blue Mountains is where Western and Eastern Ghats meet! There is a seasonal rainforest, tropical montane forest and moist deciduous forest. Spread across the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Nilgiris is home to around 3500 species of flowering plants!

This is an ancient forest that has been beautifully preserved by the local Khasi people. Spread over 192 acres, the forest is absolutely sacred for the tribals as it is the home to the local deity, Labasa. No one can take anything out of this forest! The forest is also home to some unique medicinal plants.

Also known as Kanha Tiger Reserve, Kanha National Park is a huge expanse of forest and grassland. For those who don’t know, this is the forest that inspired Rudyard Kipling's very famous Jungle Book. The park was established in 1955 and a tiger project was included in 1974.

Jim Corbett is one of the oldest forest reserves in India. Named after Edward James Corbett, a British hunter and naturalist, the park was established back in 1936. Today the forest of Corbett has more than 500 species of flora, 580 species of birds and a good population of tigers.

This is the forest where you can spot majestic lions roaming around freely! The forest was established in 1965 in order to conserve Asiatic lions. In 1913, there were only 20 lions here but in 2015, the tiger population went up to 523. Species of deer and chousingha (the world’s only four horned antelope) can also be spotted here.