Traveling to Bandhavgarh

Situated in a remote corner of India Bandhavgarh is a paradise that is home to the Bengal Tiger. It is home to many enchanting creatures like the sloth bear, bison, Asia's largest deer the sambar, and spotted deer both are the tiger's main prey base. Other animals seen are the wild dog, barking deer, Nilgai, four-horned deer, chinkara, jackal, langur, rhesus macaque, and fox. Both domestic and overseas tourists arrive here in thousands to see the Bengal Tiger and other animals.

There are more than two hundred birds in the park some of which are palearctic migrants. Most of the avian species are forest dwellers and very few wetland species are found. Yet the tiger reserve and the National Park attracts thousands of birders every year.  

The reserve is home to ancient relics some of them in ruins these date 2000 years back. They were built by the tribal who ruled the fort at Bandhavgarh Hill. The hill is the tallest structure at 800 MSL it is home to zoomorphic idols of Lord Vishnu and Ram Janki Laxman Temple. There are more than 11 man-made reservoirs at the fort complex which is inhabited by wild animals. The tall grass, groves, and plains attract many wild animals in the safe sanctuary of the fort complex. Humans have long vacated the fort complex after the last rulers the Baghels shifted their capital to the nearby city of Rewa.

The most attractive feature of the park is Sesh Shaiyya which lies at the foothill of the fort. It comprises of shady grove and a fairy pool. A twenty feet long reclining Vishnu lies at the edge of the pool. The sacred idol is as old as the fort and was built by the tribal at that time. It is the most visited place by tourists on tiger safari in Tala Range. Sesh Shaiyya is also the breeding ground for the tigresses in the safe sanctuary of the dense forests nearby. Many times the lucky tourists get a glimpse of the majestic beast.

Tiger Safari        

Two tiger safaris are organised in the park one in the morning and another in the evening. The game rides are conducted on the open jeeps and canter. They have to be hired at the entrance of the respective zones. The park has three zones

• Magadi
• Khitoli
• Tala

Safari is organized in each zone however each zone has a limited entry hence permits have to be booked in advance.

Bandhavgarh National Park Infrastructure

Bandhavgarh National Park has many wonderful sights to offer and thus a large number of tourists visit the park every year. The reserve also attracts filmmakers, wildlife photographers, naturalists, and holidaymakers. To cater to a large number of tourists there are many hotels and resorts built around the periphery of the park. These range from budget to luxury accommodations.    

The main habitation is the Tala Village with few budget hotels and shops. It is the main entry point to the park.

The Park 

The park lies in Umaria and Shahdol Districts of Madhya Pradesh. The access point is Jabalpur Airport in Madhya Pradesh a state of India. From the airport taxis are the best means of travel to the park at a distance of 175 km.

You can book a taxi from Jabalpur to Bandhavgarh which has numerous operators. The ride is smooth and picturesque. You can also book an AC Taxi. Before embarking on a journey to Bandhavgarh make all the essential purchases at Jabalpur.

 

A Holiday Trip to Bandhavgarh

 Bandhavgarh is the land of the tiger. It is located in Umaria District in the State of Madhya Pradesh. It is a National Park and a tiger reserve declared as a protected area by the State Government. A part of the reserve is slated for tourism.

The reserve encompasses fifteen hundred thirty-six kilometers. The current core area is 716 sq. km while the rest is the outer limit or the buffer zone. Tourism is conducted in 20 percent of the core area while some forest patches are reserved for tourism in the buffer area.

Bandhavgarh is a paradise on the Earth. It is home to tigers, leopards, sloth bears, bison, deer, rhesus macaque, Hanuman Langur, jungle cats, rusty spotted cats, jackals, foxes, and small predators. The antelope family comprises four-horned antelope and the Nilgai.

Bandhavgarh is also a place that comprises ancient ruins. These ruins are over two thousand years old and comprise zoomorphic idols of Lord Vishnu, idols of Shiva, manmade caves, temples, stables, reservoirs, and an ancient fort completely in ruins.

Over 170000 visitors arrive at the reserve for holidaying, photography, and filming. Before finalizing the trip to Bandhavgarh one should book a permit issued by the forest department of Madhya Pradesh. The next step is to book a luxury hotel for accommodations. There are also budget and deluxe hotels outside the reserve most of them are situated near the Tala Village.

The trip usually begins from Jabalpur Airport which is at a distance of 175 km. You can travel Jabalpur via Shahpura and Umaria. The latter is just 32 km from the park. The road is good and you can cover it in four hours. There are other routes to the reserve but they are longer.

You can drive in your car or go for a taxi-booking as there are plenty available. For overseas visitors booking a taxi is the best option. Air-conditioned taxis are available from Jabalpur. While going for a holiday in Bandhavgarh you should carry all the essentials as the reserve is situated in a remote place.       

A Classic Tour Called Golden Triangle Tour

             

The tour literarily forms a triangle. It begins from New Delhi the Capital of India and ends at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.

New Delhi

Situated in North, New Delhi is a window to India. People from all places live in the city and create a mixed culture. But the city is well known for its old and modern complexes. It is a wonderful sightseeing destination and some of the old monuments are:

Qutub  Minar

Red Fort

Humayun's Tomb

Lodhi Garden

Chandni Chowk Baazar

Purana Qila

Mughal Gardens

Hauz Khas Village

Sajdarjungs Tomb

Isa Khan's Tomb

Alai Darwaza

Jama Masjid

Diwan i Am

Imam Zamin Tomb

Tughlaqbad Tomb

Jantar Mantar

India Gate

Ajmeri Gate

Other Recent Monuments are

Swaminarayan Temple

Bahai Temple

Parliament House

Coronation Dubar Park

Besides these parks and places, there are many small and lesser-known places. Delhi is not a new city and it may take weeks to see all that it has to offer.  The tour's first lag is New Delhi where a few days are spent sightseeing.

The next visit is to Agra the city of the Taj Mahal the world-famous monument that takes a long time to see. In the same trip, Red Fort and Fatehpur Sikri are visited. Within the same route is Jaipur the capital city of Rajasthan. The old city was named after Rajah Jai Singh II in the 18th Century. It is a charismatic city with a characteristic pink touch. It is also known as the Pink City. The best tourist places in Jaipur are:

Hawa Mahal

Jaipur Palace

City Palace

Jantar Mantar

Jaigarh Fort

Nahargarh Fort

Birla Temple

Jal Mahal

Amber Fort

Kanak Ghati

Govind Devji Temple

The food in Jaipur is unique it is known as Marwari Cuisine. The city is full of gardens and places of interest. The Golden Triangle Tour is extended by a visit to Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.  The reserve is a good place for tiger sighting and bird watching. This ends the Golden Triangle Tour in North West India.

 

   

Tiger Tours at Kanha National Park

Kanha is also known as Kanha Kisli, it is also known as the land of the tiger. It is home to the hard-ground swamp deer. This deer subspecies now only survive at Kanha National Park. The park is famous for the tiger but also for the saving of the critically endangered swamp deer. From just 66 heads the population now ranges over 500 heads. The credit goes to the Kanha team and George Schaller from the USA.

Kanha is home to over 100 tigers in an area of 2000 sq. km. The core area of the park is 940 sq. km and it is totally inviolate. No human activity except tourism in 20 percent area is allowed. The park is well protected by forest guards whole live in self-sufficient patrolling huts. There are more than 150 patrolling huts spread all over the park. Tourists are not allowed in the rest of the core zone.

Tourism also takes place in the buffer zone which is a multiple-use area. Besides the forest cover, there are human settlements and their farms. They are allowed to rear livestock. No commercial activities are allowed in the park. But there are wildlife resorts in the buffer under strict regulations. Small trade is possible in the buffer but no major commercial activities are permitted. While core zone tourism is limited with restriction on entry of jeeps no such limit exists in the buffer tourism zone at present.

Kanha Wilderness

Kanha is a tiger reserve and a National Park under the aegis of the State Government of Madhya Pradesh. Some tourism policies are advised by the NTCA which stands for National Tiger Conservation Authority. It is a Central Government body that now looks after the affairs of Project Tiger.  

The wild animals found at Kanha National Park are tiger, sloth bear, bison, chital deer, sambar deer, swamp deer, fox, jackal, mouse deer, barking deer, Nilgai, and four-horned antelope. Among the smaller fauna are porcupines, pangolins, jungle cats, civet cats, and wild rats.

There are more than 250 bird species in the park. Among the noted avian species are the white-tailed shama, orange-headed ground thrush, verditor flycatcher, Tickell's blue flycatcher, Tickell's thrush, common grey hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, greenish warbler, Hume's warbler, booted warbler, Graylag geese, bar-headed geese, and more. Some raptors are the crested serpent eagle, honey buzzard, shikra, sparrow hawk, red-necked falcon white-eyed buzzard, and crested hawk eagle.  There are plenty of avians to be seen on tiger safari.

A permit for a tiger safari at Kanha is required. You can book the permits at MPOnline a Government of Madya Pradesh Portal. Since the jeep entity is limited you should book the safari in advance. Another option is to book a tiger safari at the gates subject to availability. 

          

Filming Tigers in India

Every wildlife photographer amateurs or professionals dream of photographing tigers in India. All filmmakers major or minor think of filming big cats in India. The country has more than 50 tiger reserves and more than 3000 adult tigers. Due to active protection, the number of these big cats is growing day by day as breeding has increased tremendously. The big cats give birth to more than 4 cubs every year, and rear them for two and a half years after which they breed again. The males can mate throughout the year till the ripe age of 14 years.      

Though any tiger reserve can be chosen for filming the big cats,  some destinations offer better opportunities due to the high number of sightings. The parks with very good sightings usually have high visitor traffic. These are the most visited parks but there is a limit to the number of people that can enter the reserve due to restrictions placed by NTCA and the State governments.  The parks are divided into a few zones, and each zone has a limit. Most of the safaris are booked online on the State Government Portals while booking is also available at the reserve gates. You can also book a safari at the director's office or respective reserve, these are protected areas and have separate forest departments. The addresses could be found online on the Internet by typing the name of the reserves.

Best Tiger Reserves

Some of the best reserves are National Parks as well.

Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttrakhand

Kanha Tiger Reserve in Uttrakhand

Bandhavgarh In MP

Ranthambhore in Rajasthan 

Pench National Park in MP

Panna National Park in MP 

These NPs have more than 100 thousand visitors and are highly popular. While many amateur photographers and small filmmakers can use their skills to film on safari, making documentaries is costly and time-consuming.  

For documentary makers, and professional photographers who need to cross the limits of regular safari need special permission from the Ministry of Environment or MOEF, and the principal chief wildlife warden or PCCF  of the states.  These are costly and require time for permissions to be granted if acceptable. It is not easy to organize photo tours in India for professionals.  Wildlife filmmakers and professional photographers need to make a lot of arrangements for photography sessions and need the help of local guides.

The best is to take the help of the local tour operators who can help organize the sessions in the respective tiger reserves.  The best choice is to go with Indian tour operators who can organize the documentary filming events.  Remember there is a rush during the festive seasons and weekdays hence book safari in advance.    

     

Tiger Safari at Bandhavgarh And The Ancient Structures

Bandhavgarh National Park is known for its enchanting wilderness, and the tigers. But many people have no inclination toward ancient idols cut from the rock and the inscriptions on the stone in the dense confines of the park. The most amazing ancient structures are the Bandhavgarh Fort complex and the idols of Lord Vishnu in zoomorphic forms. The original structures were built by the Gonds that were subject to further additions by many dynasties that came to rule here.

Tiger Safari at Bandhavgarh

The fort and its surroundings in the dense forests were ruled by tigers and humans from time immemorial but the structures made by the Gond civilization date back 2000 years. Gonds were worshippers of lord Vishnu and other Hindu deities. On the top of the mountain, one will find idols of zoomorphic avatars of Lord Vishnu. It is said that the fort was gifted to brother Laxman by Lord Rama when he visited Bandhavgarh forests in exile.   

The other structure that was carved in stones are courts, horse stables, caves, and rooms and you will see stone wall now in ruins around Bandhavgarh Hill. There are thirty-two steep cliffs and tabletop mountains at Bandhavgarh. The terrain is characterized by steep cliffs deep glens and marshy grasslands interspersed by rivulets.

Since the fort is out of bounds for tourism tourists cannot visit the fort complex. They can go up to the Sesha Shaiyya or reclining Vishnu.  Sesh Shaiyya is a beautiful spot where you can see the twenty feet idols of Lord Vishnu in a reclining position.  The idol is crowned by the heads of the cobra and the whole structure is covered in microscopic algae, fungi, and lichens. Sesh Shaiyya is one of the most beautiful spots in the tiger reserve and must visit. Those who are wishing to see the ancient structures must go for a tiger safari at Tala in Bandhavgarh.   

Rich in the wilderness the park is home to tigers, leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears, bison, Nilgai, barking deer, four-horned deer, wild boar, and monkeys. It is home to more than 250 birds including the winter migrants.

For an exciting tiger safari at Bandhavgarh, a safari permit is required. So book the safari in advance as the entry of vehicles is limited. Safari can be booked online at MPOnline Portal. You can also ask the tour operators to book a safari for you. They are in the know-how of the best zones in the National Park for you to visit.

You can best reach Bandhavgarh from Jabalpur Airport at 175 km. The overnight train is also available from New Delhi to Umaria which is at a distance of 32 km from Tala Township. Overnight trains from Mumbai and Kolkata ply to Jabalpur in MP.