Bandhavgarh
About the city
Bandhavgarh National Park is like a miniature painting small, but full of exquisite detail. It was formerly the game reserve of the Maharajas of Rewa, who subscribed to the bizarre notion that killing 109 tigers was a good omen. India's independence meant some respite for the poor tiger, with the taking over of these former princely states and conversion of such game reserves into national parks. At the heart of the park is Bandhavgarh Hill, surrounded by valleys that end in meadows and swamps ideal undulating topography for a sanctuary. Not ideal for human habitation, evidently, as the abandoned Bandhavgarh Fort in the forest testifies. But that doesn't deter tiger lovers from descending on the park with one motive only: to get a glimpse of the King of the Indian Jungle.The famous set amidst the outlying hills of the vindhyan ranges was earlier maintained as a shikargarh or the game preserve of the Maharajahs of Rewa. The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India. It is also renomwned as the ‘White Tiger Country', as Maharaja of Rewa discovered the world's first white tiger in the forests of Bandhavgarh. The small park is a home to 22 species of mammals and 250 species of birds. The most commonly seen animals are, gaur or Indian bison, sambar, barking deer, chinkara, nilgai, leopard, jackal, Bengal fox, hyena etc. Bird life can be viewed along forest streams and clearings. The ancient Bandhagarh Fort nestled atop a hill dominates the park. It is considered to be over 2,000 years old and finds mention in the ancient mythological texts. There are also numerous prehistoric caves adorned with fine inscriptions and drawings by pre-historic man.
Come morning and the chital and odd sambhar greet the eye. There are good motorable roads and tracks through the grounds. But soon you will reach the point where the Gypsies bow out and a posse of elephants takes over. Bandhavgarh has the highest concentration of tigers in the country. No surprise then, that we soon saw the object of our quest behind some bamboo shoots. The full-grown male was a glorious sight as he emerged from the underbrush, lapped up the water and disappeared into the forest. Suddenly, he was back at the edge of the road, yards away from the first row of cars. Finding his path blocked he sat down right there and evenly contemplated the gallery of spectators. The next morning was incredible. There were three tigers waiting for us! From atop an elephant, we saw a cub digging into the half-eaten carcass of a wild boar. The mother tigress was stretched out fast asleep, while another cub lolled about.
The deciduous forests of the sanctuary are full of sal and bamboo, in whose shade the tigers prey reside from the spotted and barking deer, to nilgai, wild boar and the Indian bison. The black bulls wear white stockings! Or so it seems from a distance. The waterbodies and marshes attract a fair amount of bird life black ibis, whistling teal, common peafowl and kingfishers. The leopard is extremely shy and the sloth bear you will almost never see. But the rest can be spotted quite easily. Getting out of your car is forbidden. Timings 6-10 am; 3-5.30 pm Entry fee Indians Rs 20, foreigners Rs 200 Guide Rs 100 Vehicle charges Rs 120 Camera fees Still camera Rs 25, video camera Rs 200 Elephant ride Indians Rs 60, foreigners Rs 300 Jeep safari Rs 600 per trip Bookings Field Director, Umaria, Tel: 07653-222214