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.    

Indian Hospitality Industry in Doldrums

Impact of Pandemic on Travel 

Unfortunately, the impact is global and has set a domino effect of sorts. Nowhere has been the impact of Covid 19 Pandemic so severe as in the case of our tourism sector especially as regards inbound travel in India. The forecast is that it will take as many as two years for the valuable foreign exchange earner to emerge from the shackles of frequent lockdowns, flight cancellations, travel hesitation, Visa constraints, and now vaccine-linked passports. Perhaps leisure travel will take a longer time to reach the pre-pandemic level, forget about growth.  The picture is grim, and the reality is that we are facing stark challenges not only in the recreation and leisure sector but all spheres of life. 

But the future seems mired in pitch darkness because we have limited knowledge of the behavior of this deadly coronavirus. Our previous experience of Spanish Flue suggests that this will end with time after leaving millions of dead in its wake. It is too early to predict even though we have modern technology and research at our behest unlike in earlier times, but still there prevails an inexplicable confusion as to the origin of the disease. If it is zoonotic then nothing else is known of its long-term behavior. Things will get globally compounded if this is a lab virus mishap or a deliberate attempt. The scope of impact is greater than the World wars, and anything can happen in the time to come.   

At present, the industry is occupied by several questions? 

Will the emergence of variants spell complete doom?

Will the vaccines overpower? 

Will it become innocuous like seasonal flu? 

Will travel peak after the scourge is over? 

Lots of questions remain unanswered to this date. We rely on research and therapeutic solutions all the time, but we must also be hopeful of quick deliverance. The industry is bound by the virus for a long time even after emancipation, and thus travel hesitancy will hamper the flow of the tourists in near future. 

Post-Pandemic Impact at Glance

However, there would be many travel enthusiasts eagerly waiting for a quick getaway as soon as restrictions are done away with. They have sufficient funds which were stocked away during the lockdown. Then there are peripatetic travelers who would risk it without much hesitation. Not as much, but vaccination will further boost confidence albeit it will start with local travel first.  Hence those in the industry seeking this segment should be well-appointed with Covid 19 compliance, SOPs, and all. 

Health precedes adventure, and those not complying with the new normal will sink further.  Health and safety will be a dominating concern for travelers and there is no leeway as far as allaying concerns embedded deep in people's minds after the pandemic.            

The worst impact has been on the psyche of International travelers who have closely observed the sudden surge of the second wave and its devastating nature in India. The gruesome image of rows of funeral pyres well publicized by Western Media has further vitiated the prospects of safe travel in India. The country has experienced devastation at its worst this century and will have to submit all strength and resilience to come out of this tragic and deadly economic slowdown.   

Countrywide vaccination and a complete halt to the pandemic will not bring the trust back as far as inbound tourism is concerned.  Though the decline of the pandemic to innocuous numbers will open doors for travel, only those with enough confidence and the will to travel will head toward the Indian shores. The figures would be pathetically minimal not enough to revive the ailing industry.   

Already lagging behind countries that garner a greater share of overseas tourism, the lockdown, and International flight cancellation has further paralyzed the industry.  Even inland and outbound tourism has been staggered by the pandemic. Total uncertainty prevails. 

This is for the first time in the contemporary era that the whole of India has come to a standstill, not only niche sectors like tiger tourism which draw a large number of wildlife tourist enthusiasts to the country. All sectors that attracted overseas tourists have been badly hit. 

Intermittent relief has somehow kept local tourism alive but this start-and-stop phenomenon is discouraging the peripatetic Indians as well. The savagery of the second pandemic rebound is going to take a long time for the industry to revive as it has badly marred our psych for a long long time to come. 

The forecast of the third wave is further compounding our fear and confidence, and the travel hesitancy is palpable. Taken by surprise the second wave has shocked us to no end and has perpetuated fear that it might never go away. Forget the oncoming third wave however apocryphal it may seem, the ravage of the second wave, slow down, and deaths that followed have economically exhausted the industry. The sufferers belong not only to the small segment,  the big ones have been hit equally hard.   

It is time to show confidence in ourselves whence the pandemic becomes innocuous or is halted by extensive vaccination which India is fully capable of. If we begin to travel not only will the domestic tourism sector revive quickly but it will also showcase our resilience and capacity to fight back for good and thus encourage overseas visitors to head for our shores. 

Role of The Dispensations 

The only saving grace is that tourism sectors both inbound and local will experience a renaissance albeit much later, but till then the closures and extensive unemployment it causes will remain a major challenge. The pandemic has left a large number of the unskilled labor class, and the semiskilled unemployed in its wake. This segment is most vulnerable irrespective of the industry sector and will need assistance from the Government which anyway is being provided without hesitation, but there are many who may not have been the direct beneficiary. This only means there will be assistance gaps that will have to be filled up. For instance, micro and small business owners who have faced the worst brunt of the intermittent closures and the disease prevalence at a personal level are in dire need of economic revival if they have to survive, and providence is not going to prevail this time. 

The only way out of this quagmire is to open up all sectors fast, with the implementation of schemes and incentives not only at the Governance level but also boosted by the industrialists and big businesses. Vaccination is bringing back hope but much more has to be done.   

The tourism sector calls for urgent attention not only as regards infrastructure buildup but also for a widespread economic package full of incentives and relief. This has to come from both the Centre and the State Governments.  

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Uday is a content writer and SEO. He also teaches Digital Marketing in his home town Jabalpur. He loves to write on various topics. 

He can be contacted at:

pateluday90@hotmail.com

09755089323

  

Tourism in Madhya Pradesh

The Central Indian State, of Madhya Pradesh, is all but known for its tourist destinations.  Khajuraho Temples top the list among a list of many popular destinations. The close next is Kanha National Park near Jabalpur followed by Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna, and Satpura in that order. 

The State is also known for its vast forest cover though considerable denudation has taken place. The remaining tracts accord incredible beauty thanks to the diverse landscapes they help in giving rise.  Tourism is the primary source of revenue for the State and generates jobs in abundance.  

Revenue is generated from both local and foreign sources. With the improvement in infrastructure and connectivity, major income source generation for the industry as well as benefits to local communities is bound to take place. Participation is this industry has resulted in the empowerment of many local communities especially women in Central India.     

Madhya Pradesh is the second largest State in India next to Rajasthan. Situated right in the center the Tropic of Capricorn passes right through Jabalpur Town. The geographical location and climate are instrumental in creating a diversity at which one can but marvel. The topography and altitude are further fashioned by the Vindhya and Satpura ranges which are biodiversity hubs and densely forested.    

Tourism in the State had a belayed start some destinations is popular with the British rulers and the royals. Most of the destinations hitherto unknown became popular with the increasing infrastructure created by MPTDC in the post-colonial era.  The acronym stands for Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation a public concern that was instrumental in encouraging tourism. The propaganda arm made many destinations popular and continues to do so along with the private players. Joining the milieu a large number of major brands have entered the scene. 

Among the Hill stations, popular ones are Pachmarhi and Amarkantak both are biosphere reserves as well. The latter was more popular during the Raj and now with us. Amarkantak is the origin of the Holy Narmada along with the Son river. The destination is at the confluence (Maikal Hills) of the Vindhya and Satpura Ranges and is primarily a pilgrimage center for Hindus.    

Khajuraho is popular among the eighty temples that thrive in its womb the outer walls of the Hindu temples contain erotic carvings that have proved to be the star attractions.  A large number of foreign tourists arrive here to witness these 10th Century marvels created by the Culchuri Dynasty in Chatterpur District.  Other places of interest ascending the limelight are Orchha and Mandu. 

The tiger reserves are other sources of revenue generation besides being the leading conservation units in the country. National Parks such as Satpura, Bandhavgarh, popular Kanha near Jabalpur, Pench, and Panna are highly popular being known globally. 

Marble Rocks and Dhuandhar Falls are the prime attraction in Jabalpur Towns, besides, Gwalior, Bhopal, and Indore have much to offer in terms of ancient and contemporary monuments. Madhya Pradesh is undiscovered, more has to be experienced.