On a gentle slope in the foothills of the Himalayas, where wooded hills give way to alluvial grasslands and tropical forests, is the Manas Sanctuary, which is home to a great variety of wildlife, including many endangered species; such as the tiger, pygmy hog, Indian rhinoceros and Indian elephant. Located in the northeastern state of Assam, it is the only tiger reserve of its kind in the entire northeast. Manas derives its name from Goddess Manasa. The forest stretches beyond the Indian territory to the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan with the crystal waters of the Manas River demarcating the international border.

This beautiful park, previously known as North Kamrup, was declared a sanctuary on October 1, 1928, with parts of it having been notified as reserved forests as early as 1907 and 1927. It was established as the core of the Manas Tiger Reserve from April 1973 and consecutively inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1985 and elevated to the position of a National Park on September 7, 1990.