Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh (MP) in India
Invariably the discussion points to the road and the roads in general. "Corruption," my friend says. "Yeah, nothing new about it. He continues. "The khuds (ditches) jerk our innards as we proceed at turtle's pace. My friend who owns a resort at Kanha turns and twists the beleaguered steering of his expensive car. I can see the grimace on his countenance as he desperately avoids injury to his precious vehicle. His face and belly muscles twitch and twist around vigorously.
"You are lucky that there is no swelling or cramping of your muscles" I speak pathetically. "I have been driving on these roads for ages," he says and does not bother to offer further explanation.
The road from Jabalpur to Kanha goes through one of the most scenic highways. The teak forests beside the road loom large and create a picturesque landscape. Once home to tigers and leopards, they are devoid of life now. With few good patches, the ride continues to be bumpy and at times becomes dangerous on steep climbs.
After a drive of more than two hours, we reach Mandla Town which is about 96 km from Jabalpur. Like a majority of townships in India, this one too is populated with a maddening crowd and embedded in chaos and confusion. The sounds and smells are the same as that of any other sleepy habitation. This town is the HQ of Kanha National Park and houses the Chief Conservator or Field Director of the park. Mandla is a district of MP, and the township has many Government administrative offices.
We do not stop here, rather we cross over the bridge over the Narmada River and halt for a cup of tea. This part of the river yields the finest freshwater fish not available anywhere near Jabalpur. A short drive from Maharajpur the road bifurcates. On the right, it is the Raipur Highway and on the left, it is the way to Nainpur. We turn left and negotiate the narrow gauge railway crossing. This one is unmanned and dangerous.
As we proceed towards Bahmni Banjar, a small township, the greenery gives way to human habitations, small hamlets, green fields, ubiquitous petrol pumps, tire wallahs, small retail shops, and dhabas (roadside eateries). Chai wallahs and Paan Shop abound. For the resorts in Kanha, this is the supply point for groceries, sweets, and eatables. From here onwards, for a considerable distance, there is no township with modern facilities. I buy some medicines here and we proceed.
Large stretches of empty land greet us as we turn further left toward the Indri Village. After Indri, we cross over many fields and overgrown villages but what we like best to see are the quaint little hamlets of the tribal. Cows cross over the road at will making it difficult to maneuver the ditches. Soon human habitations give way to small patches of forest, the remainder of the extensive ecosystem this tiger reserve was in the earlier times. The forests classified as Kanha buffer are dotted with small tribal hamlets and some larger places which are markets for the remote populations. The landscape once again becomes picturesque but the road remains dotted with potholes.
After a drive of more than two hours, we reach Mandla Town which is about 96 km from Jabalpur. Like a majority of townships in India, this one too is populated with a maddening crowd and embedded in chaos and confusion. The sounds and smells are the same as that of any other sleepy habitation. This town is the HQ of Kanha National Park and houses the Chief Conservator or Field Director of the park. Mandla is a district of MP, and the township has many Government administrative offices.
We do not stop here, rather we cross over the bridge over the Narmada River and halt for a cup of tea. This part of the river yields the finest freshwater fish not available anywhere near Jabalpur. A short drive from Maharajpur the road bifurcates. On the right, it is the Raipur Highway and on the left, it is the way to Nainpur. We turn left and negotiate the narrow gauge railway crossing. This one is unmanned and dangerous.
As we proceed towards Bahmni Banjar, a small township, the greenery gives way to human habitations, small hamlets, green fields, ubiquitous petrol pumps, tire wallahs, small retail shops, and dhabas (roadside eateries). Chai wallahs and Paan Shop abound. For the resorts in Kanha, this is the supply point for groceries, sweets, and eatables. From here onwards, for a considerable distance, there is no township with modern facilities. I buy some medicines here and we proceed.
Large stretches of empty land greet us as we turn further left toward the Indri Village. After Indri, we cross over many fields and overgrown villages but what we like best to see are the quaint little hamlets of the tribal. Cows cross over the road at will making it difficult to maneuver the ditches. Soon human habitations give way to small patches of forest, the remainder of the extensive ecosystem this tiger reserve was in the earlier times. The forests classified as Kanha buffer are dotted with small tribal hamlets and some larger places which are markets for the remote populations. The landscape once again becomes picturesque but the road remains dotted with potholes.
In the seventies, this road was almost deserted and we could start looking for wild animals. But this is no more, we hardly see any life in the forests. Anyway, it feels good to drive through the verdant greenery. We cross two river systems before we reach Mocha. These are the Ghanghar Nalla and the Banjar River. The Banjar Valley along with the Halon valley received early protection during British Rule in India.
Mocha Village is the epicenter of resorts in this National Park. A large number of luxury hotel accommodation in Kanha are established here. The accommodations here are big with as many as twenty-five rooms. Mocha has a bustling market with the availability of daily needs, grocery, and consumer durables.
We turn left some distance before Mocha and proceed towards the Patpara Village. This is the road to Baihar Township, and from here on one can proceed to Raipur Capital of the State of Chhattisgarh. After crossing over the tortured inundated patch of Banjar River once again we reach the Patpara Village where my friend's boutique resort is situated.
The three hours drive on a good road takes more than four and a half hours and a lot of torture. Thanks to "Corruption!"
For us, this has become a routine. For reaching the magical wilderness and tiger heaven we will bear all.
Kanha Fact File
Kanha is about 165 km from Jabalpur. Jabalpur Airport is connected with New Delhi & Mumbai. Jabalpur is well connected with major towns by rail.
Wildlife: Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dog, Bison, Sloth Bear, Sambar Deer, Swamp Deer, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Sloth Bear, Four Horned Deer, Mouse Deer, Wolf, Jackal, Fox, Hare, Civet, Jungle Cat and more. The Tiger Reserve has more than two hundred and fifty bird species.
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