Bandhavgharh National Park in Umaria district
BANDHAV GARH WILD LIFE SANTUARY IN UMARIA DT IN MADHYA PRADESH STATE
When I was asked to go to Umaria district , I was completely confused as I had no idea about this district before. Further search on Google revealed that Umaria is one of the backward districts of Madhya Pradesh. Tribals who amounts to 46% of the total population of the district. Also, Google revealed that this backward district has 42% forests. Umaria is a district rich in vast resources of forests and minerals. The minerals are mainly coal and there are 8 major coal mines operating in this area.
I immediately contacted Executive Engineer, R. P. Singh requesting him to book a good hotel and make all other arrangements for the necessary inspections. Singh was very friendly and replied that he was making all the arrangements. He told me that since Umaria is a very backward district, there are not enough good hotels available in the town. However, he said that he was trying his best to get satisfactory accommodation in the town.
Google revealed that one has to book a flight ticket from Kochi to Jabalpur via Bangalore, and travel 2.5 hours by road to reach Umaria. Mr. Singh informed that the car will be ready with an official from the department at the airport. The car journey from Jabalpur to Umaria was very smooth as the road is a four-lane National Highway.
It was a great surprise to me that one of the contractors who took up the road work was a Malayali. It is a fact that wherever you go, you will find a Malayali there. This was my experience during my extensive travel in North India and North East India. I have come to understand that most of these Malayalis are well respected by the locals. This is due to their hardworking nature and most of them are very sincere and loyal.
R.P.Singh, Ex Engineer&Writer
Bandhavgarh National Park
When the work was completed, as usual, I inquired Mr. Singh about the tourist attractions in the district. He told me that Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the famous tourist destinations in Madhya Pradesh is very closely located.
The tickets for the next day's entry were immediately booked. Mr. Singh has a very good relationship with the forest department officials which enabled us to secure the tickets. He told me that I should be ready at 5 am the next day and that one of his assistants would pick me up from the hotel and drop me at the entrance of the park and accompany me during the visit.
The next morning I woke up at 4.15am and was ready by 5am. An Assistant Engineer came to pick me up in his car. He was a very nice gentleman and told me that if I was lucky, it would be a great experience to see the tigers very close.
We travelled for about 15 minutes and reached the gate of the National Park on time at 5.45 am. Here, safari jeeps including a guide are allotted to the tourists for the SAFARI
There were a lot of tourists waiting at the gate to get safari jeeps, including our guide. Most of the guides are from the local tribal community and they are given job opportunities. We have been allotted a jeep. Two more tourists from Madhya Pradesh were allowed in our jeep.
How did he name Bandhavgarh ?
There is a fort called Bandhavgarh Fort, built 2000 years ago inside the forest. This fort had great importance as it is believed that in the Ramayana, Rama gifted this fort to Lakshmana (Bandhav-brother, Gad-fort) to watch over Lanka. Anyway, this fort is very old with inscriptions on rocks and paintings.
Bandhavgarh is home to the Royal Bengal Tiger, 37 other species of mammals, and 250 species of birds. The park has a very high density of tigers. All the white tigers in the world are native to Bandhavgarh Park. If you are lucky enough you are likely to spot the big cat in this park.
We had been running for an hour when we heard a sound. Our guide said we might have seen a tiger, and we saw several safari jeeps gathering at a nearby pond. We spotted a Bengal tiger slowly approaching the pond.
You can see the tiger in the picture . That is drinking water.
Sometimes you may not be lucky enough to see a tiger. We were lucky that day. If you are only focused on seeing tigers, you can easily miss seeing other species that live there - it is important for visitors to slow down our city pace and adapt to the tranquility of the forest, to observe its full life. You may see a mischievous monkey looking at you, or a fox swimming up from a pond to say hello.
Found the tiger .
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You can see many other animals too.
Bandhavgarh National Park was established in 1968. The reserve is reported to have a population of 70 to 75 tigers. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is known for its healthy population of tigers and a variety of herbivores. The area is unique in terms of biodiversity, which includes hills, valleys, rivers, swamps, and grasslands.
We completed the safari on time. I was very happy to see a Bengal tiger. The safari was awesome in every way. After the safari, we had a nice breakfast at a nice vegetarian restaurant.
Flora and fauna
Bandhavgarh is famous for its evergreen sal forests and mixed forests. About 515 species of plants are found here. The major mammals are wild dog, wild cat, hyena, wolf, termite, sambar and blackbuck.
Best time to visit
October 15 to June 15
Private accommodation
Private resorts and hotels are available near the gates, and tourists can book them by contacting the respective managements.
Bandhavgarh Jungle Jeep Safari Timings
The park is open to visitors from October 1 to June 15.
The rest of the time the park will be closed.
Winter safari season (October-January)
Evening - 02:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Summer safari season (February to June)
Morning - 06.00 AM to 10.00 AM
Evening - 03.30 to 06.30 in the afternoon
All tourists must carry their original photo ID which will be checked at the gate entrance. Only 6 people are allowed in a jeep. Safari tickets are not transferable and tickets should be booked 120 days in advance to avoid inconvenience.
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