Bandhavgarh Travel Guide

Bandhavgarh lies in the heart of Madhya Pradesh- traditional tiger country. This is where Rudyard Kipling found inspiration for his famous Jungle Book (remember Mowgli?), and this is where the tiger still roams- although now protected by dozens of laws, some effective, some not.

Once the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Rewa, where an alarming number of tigers were hunted down in pre-independence India, Bandhavgarh was mercifully declared a National Park in 1968. Today, the Bandhavgarh National Park is a compact reserve (448 sq. km) of sal trees, bamboo thickets and grasslands, teeming with birds and animals and the highest population of tigers anywhere in India.

The park is now home to 22 species of wildlife, including the regal ‘gaur’, umpteen varieties of deer, and carnivores such as the striped hyena, jungle cat and sloth bear and over 250 species of birds. Within the park itself is the Bandhavgarh Fort, now in ruins and largely overrun by the surrounding forest.

It is said that nine times out of ten a visitor will be able to sight a tiger at Bandhavgarh. Because of the abundance of watering holes, tigers are most likely to come out in the Tala range, though the other two ranges of Magdhi and Khitauli are also popular for tiger sightings.

If you wish to experience beauty and wildlife all together then Bandhavgarh National Park is the perfect place for it! The park is home to 22 species of mammals including the regal ‘gaur’, umpteen varieties of deer, and carnivores such as the striped hyena, jungle cat and sloth bear along with 250 species of birds.