About Bandhavgarh National Park

Set amidst the Vindhyan Mountain range in Madhya Pradesh, the 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.

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.

Today, Bandhavgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is known for having one of the densest populations of Tigers in the country. Among the other wild attractions include Nilgai, Chital, Chinkara, Gaur, Sloth Bears and Wild Boar along with some 250 species of birds.

Attractions of the Park
Wildlife : Wandering through the Park on elephant back, the chances of seeing a tiger are quite good. Also to be seen here are Nilgai, Chausingha, Chital, Chinkara, Wild boar and sometimes a fox or jackal.
Bird Species : Peacock, Paradise fly catchers, Jungle Fowl, Golden and Black headed Orioles, Yellow Ioras, Red-vented Bulbuls, Blue Jays, Purple Sunbirds, Green Barbets and Mynahs.
About 150 species of birds are also found here and include the migratory birds that arrive in winter like the steppe eagle and various water birds. It is possible to climb up to the Bandhavgarh fort for a breathtaking bird's-eye view of the Park and there is also a small population of black buck that lives here, protected from the predators below.
Safaris : Jeep safaris can be undertaken during the early morning hours till evening, accompanied by a forest department guide. Elephant safari trips are also organised for tiger tracking early in the morning.

Best time to visit
Like many of India’s other wildlife preserves, national parks and sanctuaries, Bandhavgarh National Park too closes for visitors during the monsoon months, July to October. Between November and June is the best- and only-time to visit the park.

How to Reach
By Air : Khajurao at 230-kms is the most convenient airport connected by various domestic airline services with Agra, Delhi, Varanasi.
By Rail : The nearest railhead Umaria at 30-kms is on the Katni-Bilaspur section of South-Eastern Railway. Another convenient railhead Satna (117-kms) is on the Bombay-Howrah main line of the Central Railway.
By Road : Bandhavgarh National Park is situated on the Satna-Umaria & Rewa-Umaria highway. Some of the important road distances are: Khajuraho (via Satna)230-kms, Varanasi (via Rewa) 340-kms, Katni 75-kms, Rewa 115-kms, Umaria 30-kms, Kanha 250-kms. Madhya Pradesh State Transport Bus Services are also available from Rewa, Satna, Katni and Umaria.