Like most national parks, Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh too was a former hunting reserve of Indian royalty. It was only in the 1960s that hunting, grazing and other human animal interaction was regulated after it was noticed that after decades of unchecked activities inside the forest, the wildlife was indeed suffering.
Changeable Hawk Eagle
Over time and with strict patrolling and other measures put in place to prevent disturbance including relocation of several villages, Bandhavgarh once again has become a refuge for wild animals. Today, Bandhavgarh has one of the highest densities of the Bengal tiger in the world and along with the protection that this apex predator has received, numbers of several other mammals and birds too have gone up.
Besides the stunning wildlife, Bandhavgarh is steeped in ancient history. An ancient fort now in ruins sits high on one of the Vindhyan hills that surrounds the forest. The fort is believed to be over 2,000 years old and according to Hindu mythology, Lord Ram gifted this fort to his brother Laxman as a symbol of their bond and brotherhood upon their return from Lanka. The only way to the Fort is by way of hiking through the dense forests.
Sloth bear drinking water
Emerald Dove
Today, visitors are allowed on foot to hike up to the Fort only during Lord Krishna’s birthday which is in the month of August when the core zones of the Park are closed for jeep safaris for the monsoon season. Hundreds of devotees in the monsoon season throng up the densely forested hill to pay homage to an ancient temple in the Fort complex. To ensure no devotees get lost or face any problems, check-posts at regular intervals are created and manned by forest guards and village volunteers. All devotees are expected to make the return journey back outside the Park before nightfall.
As you make your way up the Bandhavgarh hill in your jeep, you will observe several other historical monuments including rock cut cave shelters, temples and monolithic sculptures the most impressive of them is the 10th century sculpture of a reclining Lord Vishnu also called Sheshshaiya. Sculpted from a single piece of rock, this 35 feet long sculpture of Lord Vishnu with his eyes closed appears to be sleeping on a seven-hooded serpent called Sheshanaga. At the feet is where a perennial spring of water drips all year round and accordingly to folklore, this spring is called Charanganga (Ganga that falls on the feet).
10th Century Reclining Vishnu Sculpture
Head on with a tiger
These ancient monuments can be visited when you do a jeep safari in the Tala zone of the National Park. Tala is the oldest and most popular zone of the Park. Later on two additional core zones were added namely Khitauli and Magadhi. Together, these three core zones make up approximately 700 sq.km of the National Park while another 800 sq. km comprises of three buffer zones namely Dhamokhar, Panpatha and Johila. With tiger density at it’s highest, tigers can be spotted in all six zones of the park. However, keep in mind that some of the buffer zones are quite far from where majority of the hotels are.
Majority of the hotels are located in the vicinity of the Tala and Khitauli gates. As such, the area around these gates gets extremely crowded and it is recommended to arrive at the gate 20-30 minutes earlier than the scheduled time for your safari. Bring your identification cards, camera, binoculars, backpack with bottled water / soft drinks and packed breakfast (or tea / coffee) provided by your hotel.
Brown Fish Owl
Tiger from Khitauli Zone
Apart from the tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Indian bison, today Bandhavgarh also has elephants. Elephants had not been spotted for over a hundred years in Bandhavgarh. If any did, they were isolated cases of rogue males or small herds that would mostly migrate from Chhattisgarh in the dry season in search of food and water and then right before the monsoon kicked in they would make their way back home.
However, since 2018, a herd of 15-20 individuals decided to stay back in Bandhavgarh and today it is believed that there are over 50 elephants in the National park. This permanent presence of elephants in Bandhavgarh has completely changed the human-animal interaction to another level with crop damage and close (sometimes lethal) encounters with villagers on the rise. It is to been seen how we manage to co-exist with these otherwise gentle giants.
Golf ball sized fungi in monsoon season
Committee of Indian Vultures
Bandhavgarh’s avifauna has much to boast of. Due to the mixed deciduous forest, rocky hills and gorges and plenty of natural and man-made water bodies inside and around the Park, over 200 species of birds have been recorded. Apart from the usual suspects such as the Brown fish owl, changeable hawk eagle, Indian pitta, Malabar pied hornbill, Emerald dove, munias, woodpeckers and orioles, the Park has a growing and permanent population of Indian and King vultures. Today, to see a committee of over 100 vultures in one spot is a very rare phenomenon and one that will be etched for eternity in every birdwatcher’s memory.
As with most national parks, visitors are allowed to do safaris from October 1 to June 30. From July 1 to September 30, the core zones of the Parks are closed for the monsoon season. Safaris must be booked well in advance and it is recommended to book your hotel and make travel arrangements only once you have secured safari permits. Winter months are much cooler than the summer months, in-fact the morning safaris in December and January can get bone-chilling cold. The drier months, March – June is when the foliage is less dense making visibility much better and with limited water in the Park, spotting tigers and other animals is much easier than it is in October (post the monsoon season).
King Vulture
During a safari in Bandhavgarh
Having said that, Bandhavgarh is an all year round destination for nature lovers. The Park is a 3-4 hour drive from Jabalpur airport and can also be combined with a visit to Panna (4 hours) and Kanha (4 hours) National Parks. When you book with us, we provide you the most up-to-date intel on the Park and you can be assured on the quality of hotels and knowledge of our local naturalists whom we have personally tried and tested and hand-picked for you.
