Bandhavgarh National Park is a national park of India, located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. Originally an area of 105 sq.kms was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993. Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa captured the world’s first white tiger in this region in 1951. This white tiger, Mohan, is now stuffed and on display in the palace of the Maharaja of Rewa.
The Park derived its name from the supposed fort built on the most prominent hill of the area, Bandhav hill. Bandhav means brother, and Garh means fort. the fort is said to have been given by Lord Rama to his brother Laxman to keep a watch on Lanka. Bandhavgarh National Park, is one of the most popular national parks in India located around the Vindhya mountains. The park is known for its biodiversity and comprises of everything from hills, valley, rivers, marshes and meadows.
The park has a large population of tigers, leopards, and various species of deer. The three main zones of the national park are Tala, Magdhi and Khitauli. Tala is the richest zone in terms of biodiversity. Altogether, these three ranges comprise the ‘Core’ of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve constituting a total area of 716 sq.kms. the park contains at least 37 species of mammals, more than 250 species of birds including peacock, eagle, about 80 species of butterflies, a number of reptiles. The richness and tranquity of grasslands allows’ pairs of migratory sarus cranes to breed in the rainy season.
One of the biggest attractions, Bandhavgarh has a very high density of tigers atleast 49 tigers in the last count. The park is also densely populated with other species including gaur, or Indian bison that were re-introduced in 2012 after they disappeared at the turn of century from Kanha National Park. Besides tigers, sloth bear, leopards and their main prey guar, sambar; barking deer, chausingha, chital, chinkara, wild boar, monkey, and nilgai are a common sight in the open areas of the park. Indian wolf, striped hyena, and caracal are also seen.
The high density of tigers means frequent sightings of tiger species and this is the reason why, tiger safari attracts large number of tourists to the park. The park organizes morning and evening jeep safari and elephant safari daily. Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh is the first in India to launch ‘The Hot Air Balloon Safari’ for tourists. The park consists of mixed vegetations ranging from tall grasslands to thick Sal forests that provide an ideal habitat of variety of animals and birds.
The park is closed for tourists from July to October when it receives rainfall of 1200mm and is the main breeding season for animals in the ark including tigers. The best time to visit the park is from October to February and can also be visited till June during the dry season. Once a hunting reserve of the royal family of Rewa, the park has 6 entry points namely, Tala Entry Point, Khitauli Entry Point, Maghadhi Entry Point, Pachpedi Entry Point, Cechpur Entry Point, and Parsai Entry Point.
All entry points are accessible from Umariya, Katni, and Jabalpur; with Umariya being the closest. Jabalpur is the nearest major city that is very well connected to all major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, and Indore. Bandhavgarh is well connected by air, road, and rail. Private charters can land near Bandhavgarh at Umaria which has a small airstrip for charter planes. There are several places of interest around the park that is worth visiting. These include Badi Gufa, Bandhavgarh Fort, Sheesh Shaiya, Bandhavgarh Hill, Climbers Point, Cheshpur Waterfalls, Baghel Museum, and Three Cave Point.
Carved out of solid sandstone rocks, Badi Gufa is one of the biggest caves inside the park built around the 10th century as a resting place for soldiers of the local king. The ruins of Bandhavgarh Fort are located on the top of the highest plateau in the park and provide a magnificent view of areas down below. Sheesh, Shaiya located inside the core area is out of bounds of tourists for most of the year and can be accessed only during the dry season without fear of tigers.
It is the reclining statue of Lord Vishnu built around the 10th century. Three Cave Point is a beautiful location known for its greenery and carvings. It is a great place to see tigers, sloth bears, and leopards. Tourists can also visit the Baghel Museum, which is a palace of erstwhile royals and has various equipment and other belongings of the royal family on display. The main attraction is the stuffed body of the first white tiger ‘Mohan’ in the world captured by Maharaja. Cheshpur Waterfalls is a natural waterfall worth visiting in River Johila, located 50 km from Bandhavgarh, and is also an ideal picnic location.
Bandhavgarh Hill is the highest hill in the park with an altitude of 807 m. collection of small 32 hills, Bandhavgarh hill forms a number of low-lying plains and valleys. Climbers Point is a trekker’s dream, it provides a birds-eye view of the entire park. Bandhavgarh national park is the location from where tourists can head towards other locations like Jabalpur, Bhedaghat, and Amarkantak. Several resorts, hotels, lodges, and restaurants are available for tourists to avail accommodation and food in Umariya, Katni, and Jabalpur; as well as a couple of resorts and restaurants inside the park.
Timings for entry into, and exit from, the park vary according to the season. In winters, due to the shorter duration of daylight hours, the morning entry time is later and the evening exit time is earlier. Winter timings are from morning 6:00 to 11:00 am and 3:00 to 6:00 pm late afternoon. During summer the timings are à 5:30 to 10:30 am in the morning and 3:30 to 6:30 pm in the late afternoon. Entrance fees is the same for Indians, Foreigners at 1750/- per head with guide fees of 500/- per safari. If you are just a tiger tourist, maybe the Tala location would be most exciting If you are really a wildlife enthusiast and nature lover other zones have superb things to offer. An extended weekend visit to Bandhavgarh national park is worth it.
