The
Park is spread over an area of 437 sq. km.The terrain is made of rocky
hills, sal forests and grazing areas, formerly agricultural land. The finest
of these hills is the Bandhavgarh hill, and on its highest point stands
Bandhavgarh Fort. Though no records remain to show when the fort was
constructed, it is believed to be about 2000 years old. Several dynasties
have ruled the fort: for example, the Maghas from the 1st century A.D, the
Vakatakas from the 3rd century; the Sengars from the 5th century, and the
Kalachuris from the 10th century.The oldest signs of habitation, are the
caves dug into the sandstone, near the fort. Several of these contain Brahmi
inscriptions dating from the 1st century B.C. Prior to becoming a National
Park, the forest range around the region had been maintained as a
Shikargarh, or game preserve, of the Maharajahs of Rewa. It was only in
1968, that the area was declared as a National Park. Since then, stringent
steps have been taken to retain it as an unspoilt natural habitat.
There
are more than 22 species of mammals, and 250 species of birds. Some of the
inhabitants of this park are the rhesus macaque, the black-faced langur,
jungle cats, chinkara, black buck, munjtac and the chital. The Park attracts
many migratory birds in the winter months, that include the steppe eagle and
a variety of wildfowl. Reptilian fauna include cobra, krait, python, turtle
and a variety of lizards. The Bandhavgarh National Park has excellent game
and bird viewing to offer, coupled with a fascinating historical element to
it, thus satiating those adventurous at heart, completely.
The
park can be explored on elephant back (also, a much preferred means of
tiger-tracking) or in a vehicle. Jeep safaris are best undertaken, from dawn
till about 10a.m, and from 4 p.m till dusk, as the animals are quite active
during these periods.
Set amongst the Vindhyas, in Madhya Pradesh,
Bandhavgarh is a small national park, but with the highest known density of
tiger population in India. This is also known as White Tiger territory.
These have been found in the old state of Rewa for many years. The other
species found in abundance in Bandhavgarh are the gaur or Indian bison, the
sambar, the barking deer and the nilgai.
When To Visit
The
ideal time to visit Bandhavgarh is the November to June period.The park is
closed in July for the monsoons.
How To Get There
By
air: The most comfortable route to Bandhavgarh is by air to Khajuraho
(210 km), from where it is a 5 hour drive.
By rail: The
nearest railheads are Jabalpur (170 km), Katni (102km), and Satna (112 km)
on the Central Railway and Umaria (30 km) on theSouth Eastern Railway.
By
road: State/private transport buses ply between Katni and Umaria, and
from Satna and Rewa to Tala (Bandhavgarh).
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