Spiritual Journeys

Bandhavgarh National Park

Set amidst the Vindhyan Mountain range in Madhya Pradesh, the 450 sq km Bandhavgarh National Park is home to the famous White Tigers of Rewa. One of particular mention captured in the Park in 1951, was the legendary White Tiger called Mohan, who supposedly fathered several offspring found in zoos the world over. Once a hunting reserve of the royal family of Rewa where once Maharaja Venkat Raman Singh made his illustrious career out of hunting 111 tigers, Bandhavgarh was declared a Park in 1968. The landscape is a unique mixture of steep and rocky hills, with flat tops and level grasslands in the valleys below. The vegetation found within the Park is moist deciduous forest with fine Sal trees with stretches of bamboo.

Today, Bandhavgarh is known for having one of the densest populations of Tigers in the country. Among the other wild attractions include Nilgai, Chital, Chinkara, Chausingha, Gaur, Sloth Bears and Wild Boar along with some 250 species of birds which include Peacock, Paradise fly catchers, Jungle Fowl, Golden and Black headed Orioles, Yellow Ioras, Red-vented Bulbuls, Blue Jays, Purple Sunbirds, Green Barbets and Mynahs.

Beside the wildlife, Bandhavgarh is also famous for the archaeological remains of the Kalchuri period that have been found here. And within the Park, stands tall the ruins of Bandhavgarh Fort, believed to be over 2000 years old. The Fort has a large number of caves belonging to the pre-historic period with Brahmi inscriptions dating far back to the first century B.C.

Bandhavgarh is closed for visitors from July to October, and the best time to visit is between November and June.