🌊 Kosi River — heart of the Garjiya zone
🛕 Garjiya Devi Temple
🐊 Gharial — best seen here in Corbett
Scenic riverine paradise along the Kosi River. Home to the Garjiya Devi temple, Gharial crocodiles, smooth-coated otters and extraordinary water bird colonies — just 10 km from Jungle Junction.
Garjiya is the most distinctive safari zone in Jim Corbett — defined not by tiger density but by its unique riverine ecosystem. Spread along the banks of the Kosi River, Garjiya's landscape is defined by water — wide, cold and clear, flanked by boulders, sandy beaches and dense riverside forest.
The Kosi supports one of India's last healthy populations of Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) — the long-snouted, critically endangered fish-eating crocodilian. Garjiya is one of the best places in India to observe Gharials basking on mid-river sandbars during winter. Smooth-coated Otters hunt in coordinated groups along the river's edges. Golden Mahseer — the large freshwater fish sacred to local Garhwali culture — are clearly visible in the clear shallows.
The zone takes its name from the revered Garjiya Devi temple — a small but deeply cherished shrine built on a large mid-river rock, accessible by a footbridge. The area around the temple is one of the most productive birdwatching spots in the entire Corbett region, attracting kingfishers, herons, cormorants, osprey and fish eagles throughout the day.
While Garjiya is not the first choice for tiger-focused safaris, big cats are present and occasionally sighted — particularly in the forest sections away from the river. Leopards are more commonly encountered here, using the river corridor for movement between territories.
