Located in the Vindhya Hills, Bandhavgarh
in Madhya Pradesh encompasses 32 hills covered with a mixed forest of sal,
dhobin and saga and large stretches of grasslands with bamboo grooves.,
Bandhavgarh is famous for its tigers and the adventure unfolds at day break.
The early morning mist blankets around your open jeeps. As we advance into
the heart of the Bandhavgarh Forest, a sense of expectation grips you.
Tigers regularly give audience in these parts. Other wild animals are also
easy to sight and capture on film. Experienced naturalists unravel the
mysteries of nature as you drive deep into the jungle.
Geographical Details:
- Longitude - From 80-47-00 E To 81-12-00 E
- Latitude - From 23-30-00 N To 23-57-00 N
- Topography Code - B
- Altitudinal Range - 440-811
- Average Rainfall - 1172 mm
- Temperature - Min 8, Max 42 (deg.Cel)
Tiger
population:
- 1979 - 51
- 1984 - N.A.
- 1989 - 38
- 1993 - 41
- 1995 - 46
- 2001- 49
In the wild zone !!
Fauna: Bandhavgarh is blessed with a large variety of
residents - both in terms of animals and birds. In the category of animals,
it is possible to sight , leopards, gaur , chital (spotted deer), Sambar
deer , Dholes, nilgais , wild boars, sloth bears, rhesus macaques, black
faced langurs, jungle cats, hyenas, porcupines, jackals, foxes, wild dogs,
chausinghas and ratels, among others. It is the density of it's big cat
population that has made Bandhavgarh really famous across the globe. Many of
it's tigers have played pivot roles of numerous films made on wildlife. In
Bandhavgarh, one gets to see some of the larger specimens of wild boar,
Sambhar Deer and Barking Deer found anywhere in the country.
Flora: The Bandhavgarh national park is a jungle
consisting mainly of sal trees. It is only in the slightly higher reaches
that it changes to a more mixed vegetation of sali, saj, saja, dhobin etc.
In the northern region of the park, there are vast stretches of grasslands
and bamboo forests. A lot of this is what appears to be young bamboo, which
can be seen from it's green and slim appearance. This northern region also
consists of a series of rocky ridges with deep crevices cut by perennial
streams. In the south, the extensions, which were included into the park in
1986, consist of low hills covered with forest but interspersed with
grasslands that were formerly agricultural land. The central portion of the
park, which consists of the original 106 square kilometers and the fort, is
still the main sighting area. This area consists of 32 hills and also some
marshy stretches divided by large grasslands and a few water bodies. The
forest cover surrounding these is very dense all the way up the hilly
slopes, like those leading up to the "Shesh Saya".
Visiting Season:
Visitors can visit the park during the time period of November to June;
still the best period to come is January-April. Park is open from October to
June.
How
to Reach Bandhavgarh National Park:
By Air: The most convenient route to Bandhavgarh National
Park is by air to Khajuraho from where it is a five-hour drive (237Km).
Though long, the driver is interesting; the road crosses the Ken river, some
stretches of which have been declared a crocodile sanctuary famous for the
ghariyal, a rare fish eating crocodile; and goes past Panna town, famous for
its diamond mines, to Satna, the midway-point, from where it branches off on
a subsidiary road across ridges of Vindhyachal to Bandhavgarh.
By Rail: The nearest railway station near Bandhavgarh are
Jabalpur (164 Km), Katni (102 Km) and Satna (120 Km) on the central railway
and Umaria (35 Km) on the South Eastern Railway.
By Road: The Park Can be reached from Jabalpur, Satna,
Katni, Umeria, Bilaspur and Khajuraho.
Accommodation:
The Madhya Pradesh Tourist department has a forest lodge in Bandhavgarh;
the PWD and the Forest Department also have guest houses within the park,
where the accommodation, though not the height of luxury, is adequate. Rooms
range from some interesting cabins on stilts to individual cottages.
Besides this, there are hotels and forest lodges at Tala (at the entrance
to Bandhavgarh). More information on Bandhavgarh may be obtained from the
Director, Bandhavgarh National Park, P.O. Umaria, District Shahdol, Madhya
Pradesh. Reservations for the MP tourism lodge can be made at the MP State
Tourism Development Corporation in Bhopal.
