Tourism at Bandhavgarh National Park in Central India

Bandhavgarh is a National Park and a tiger reserve under the State Government of Madhya Pradesh. It is a tiger conservation unit it protects the ecosystem and other life forms. The park has over 100 tigers and breeding well due to the protection granted.  The park suffered a setback a decade ago when all the bison species got extinct. The bison were recently translocated and the program was a great success.

Bandhavgarh National Park In India

The reserve comprises an area of 1500 sq. km while the core area is 716 sq. km.  The park is also home to historical remains built two thousand years ago. The historical remains comprise an ancient fort that is not in existence anymore. The other wonders are zoomorphic idols, ancient temples, and a reclining Vishnu idol that is twenty feet long.      

 

The park is home to many wild animals besides the tiger. On safari one can see the leopard, sloth bear, wild dog, jackal, axis deer, barking deer, and sambar deer. The small nocturnal animals are porcupines, foxes, and civet cats. The white tiger was discovered near the forest at Sanjay Dubri National Park. Tigers are found easily at Bandhavgarh in all the zones

The park is home to more than 200 birds of which many are winter migrants. Winter is the best time for bird watching. Some of the popular birds are Orange Headed Thrush, Racket Tailed Drongo, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Spangled Drongo, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, Verditor Flycatcher, Shama, and Black Necked Monarch to name a few.   

Tourism at Bandhavgarh

The park is divided into three zones namely

Tala

Magdhi

Khitauli

Safari is also organized in a buffer zone.

Panpatha

Dhamokar

Johilla

Only twenty percent of the core area is available for safari and that is divided into three zones. For excursions, a safari permit is required. Permits can be booked online and that is the best thing to do. There is a limit to the entry of vehicles for game rides. Booking can also be done at the respective gates provided the option is available. Hence advanced reservations are required.

Bandhavgarh is accessible from Jabalpur Airport and the rail head. It is at a distance of  175 km from Jabalpur. An overnight rail from New Delhi halts at Umaria at a distance of 32 km from Tala Gate of the park.