Bandhavgarh

Bandhavgarh is spread at vindhya hills in Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh consists of a core area of 105 sq km and a buffer area of approximately 400 sq km of topography varies between steep ridges, undulating, forest and open meadows. Bandhavgarh is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers The density of the Tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India

Bandhavgarh National Park was the former hunting preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa and at present is a famous natural hub for White Tigers. White Tigers, now a major attraction around the world's zoos, were first discovered in Rewa, not far from here. The terrain is broken, with rocky hill ranges, running roughly east west, interspersed with grassy swamps and forested valleys.

This forest nestled among the Vindhya hills came into existence in 1968 when the Maharaja of Rewa handed over the area to the government for it's formation. At the time when it was handed over to the government, the fauna was not faring too well due to the difficulty in the control of poaching. Once this became a protected area, the animal population took a drastic turn and began to flourish. At this time, the entire park covered an area of 106 square kilometers whereas it presently consists of an area of 448 square kilometers. These much required extensions, to the northern and southern areas, of the park were done in 1982. These areas consisted primarily of Sal forests, which is the main tree-cover found in the entire park along with Bamboo. It was finally declared a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1993.

Places to See around the Park

Village Tala: To view a day in the life of an Indian village, where the pace of life is still measured by the rhythm of the seasons. The humble dwellings, the mud clustered houses, the elders smoking hookahs sitting on a cot, are some of the common scenes which signify that the time stands still in certain areas of the world even today.

Baghel Museum: Located only 100 meters from the resort, it houses certain precious belongings of the Maharaja of Rewa who maintained Bandhavgarh as his Shikargah, or a game preserve, a stuffed white Tiger still stands in the museum amidst certain personal belongings of the Maharaja.

Bhamera Dam: 20kms from the resort, huge water bank in the neighboring Panpatha Sanctuary, good place for water birds.

Kalchuri Archeological Remains :
Beside the wildlife, Bandhavgarh is also famous for the archaeological remains of the Kalchuri period that have been found here.

Bandhavgarh Fort :
The Bandhavgarh park area is hilly and is dominated by the majestic Bandhavgarh fort, built in 14th century. The fort and the adjacent hills have a large number of caves belonging to the pre-historic period.

Safaris :
Jeep safaris can be undertaken during the early morning hours till evening, accompanied by a forest department guide. Elephant safari trips are also organized for tiger tracking early in the morning.

Reaching Bandhavgarh

By Train:
Umaria-32 kms and connected by a direct train from New Delhi, Agra, Gwalior, Jhansi, i.e. Kalinga Utkal Express, it leaves Nizamuddin station at 1250hrs and gets in at Umaria at 0615hrs. Katni-95 kms and well connected by trains from New-Delhi, Varanasi, Pune, Mumbai, Cochin, Chennai, Calcutta, Nagpur, Allahabad.

By Air:
Khajuraho, daily flights from New Delhi Jabalpur, flights from New Delhi.

By Road:
Approx 8hrs drive from Khajuraho (280kms), 4 hrs from Jabalpur (210kms), 6 hrs from Kanha (240kms), Katni- two and a half hours drive (95kms), Satna three and a half hours drive (112kms).