Very fresh in mind - starting from 10th June to 13th June 2015 - I had this great opportunity to be at this must visit destination for wildlife lovers in Madhya Pradesh - Bandhavgarh National Park, situated in Umaria district. It is by far one of the most popular national parks in India for maximum tiger sightings and was on my bucket list. This stands accomplished now to my utmost satisfaction.
Now a bit about me. I like to travel a lot especially wild life, forests and nature. Anything natural intrigues and fascinates me. They lure me and captivate me. It’s always a pleasure to be on pathless woods as wildlife teaches you more than the concrete jungles of human habitation.
Bandhavgarh experience was an exhilarating one. Preparation started well in advance - a month before actually. I was thorough on my calculations and was analyzing the fact that being off season (April-June) & peak summer time, tiger sightings can outnumber my expectations. They indeed did, but as human I craved for more.
I had booked my tickets well in advance and started my search for accommodations with the two best luxury resorts in Bandhavgarh. Being in the same profession I had some prior understanding. I chose Samode Safari Lodge because it was giving good rates. One can reach Bandhavgarh either by flight or by train. If you are flying, deplane at Jabalpur airport which is around 200 km from the park and hire a taxi or pre-booked cab to the park. The one way cost of cab (Ac Innova) is approximately Rs 4500 if you book it on your own. The travel would take a maximum of 4 hours from the airport to the park. Road is pretty good but the last 1hr stretch after entering Bandhavgarh forest to any resort/hotel is in very bad condition. The other airport is in Khajurao (known worldwide for its erotic temple and world heritage tag) which is around 250km from Bandhavgarh. I flew from Delhi to Jabalpur by Spicejet (Note that only two airlines operate in this region Spicejet and Air India). After reaching Jabalpur airport, I took a cab which I had booked through the resort. Most of the drive time I was asleep.
One can also reach by train. There are three important railway stations to reach Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve; Umaria Railway Station (37kms); Katni Railway Junction (100kms/02:30hrs) and Jabalpur Railway Station (200kms/04:30hrs). All major trains from Mumbai, Delhi and other cities pass through these stations. For specific route one can check the Railways schedule.
Samode Safari resort is sheer luxury in jungle; it has 12 independent, tranquil, spacious and luxurious necklace of villas; only to be experienced. Words won’t do justice to the beauty. Each villa is spacious with elegant living area and a lounge, a bedroom aesthetically done with a private veranda with a view, a modern en-suite bath, a dressing area and open-air bath court. One enjoys gourmet dining and a daily surprise - a different menu and different venue - either indoors or al fresco. During my stay I had food at two locations - poolside and close to the bushes. Both were indulgent treat - Gastronomic cuisine with numerous choices of liquor (Well I am teetotaler). As the resort is located at the forest’s buffer zone, mobile network connectivity is very patchy. Only BSNL and Idea cellular work, that too in specific spots in the lodge. One should carry a spare SIM card of either of the above mentioned networks. People who cannot live without connectivity may use lodge’s dialup connections and landline.
Every day we had two game drives - early morning around 4.30am and afternoon around 3.30 pm. The lodge has its own set of vehicles and naturalists who drive you and escort you around the park. A local guide also accompanies the tourists in every game drive to ensure safety and discipline. I got my safaris booked by resort itself.
The Bandhavgarh National Park earned its name from the Bandhavgarh Fort (Sanskrit meaning ‘Fort of Brothers’) located on the top of a hill at a height of 800m. The fort is 2000 years old and currently in a dilapidated state. According to the Hindu legend the fort was gifted by Lord Ram to his beloved brother Laxman and that is how the fort derives its name. Bandhavgarh has rich historical past and vast expanse of rich biodiversity. It is surrounded by 32 smaller flat-topped hills forming a labyrinth of forest valleys, grassland & extensive meadows. The vegetation is mainly of Sal forest, gradually changing to mixed deciduous forest with dense bamboo thickets. Bandhavgarh is home to more than 25 species of mammals and more than 250 species of birds along with 80 types of butterflies and reptiles. It has four main zones for game drive, I would suggest one should plan the drives in such a way that each zone is explored alternatively once in morning and once in evening. This definitely increases the chances of tiger sightings.
In summers, the forest meadow wears a golden look embellished by tropical evergreen valleys. On the first day of our drive, we caught a glimpse of first tigress, who just made her kill and was ensconced in a nearby ditch by the side of a stagnant water body, enjoying her meal. She appeared in front of us for very few seconds. In the first half of our evening drive we had extraordinary and close sightings of three nine months old cubs drenched in water hole to beat the summer heat. The second half of the evening drive was the high point of our tour - Kankati a 4yrs old adult tigress gave us all possible close ups. She was first spotted taking nap under the shade of thick bamboos and then in a water hole; all bright and majestic, bold and beautiful. Though she was very much aware of the human presence around but she was unperturbed and was constantly yawning showing of her young teeth for the photographers to take amazing close-ups. I looked at her through my binoculars and it seemed she was staring at me with her bright golden burning eyes. This reminded me of the often used quote by William Blake “Tiger, tiger, burning bright, in the forests of the night, what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry? “ Indeed she was majestic as she crossed the path and walked into the jungle, stupefying all humans around with her hypnotizing aura.
Our last two drives were not that fruitful; could only view one cub climbing the hill at a distance. As it rained the previous night the jungle was quiet and serene. The last two drives had an ethereal feeling especially if you like natural beauty – the forest was nice and green everywhere, small streams gurgled between the rocks and mild cool breeze hitting your face as you sit and wonder about the power of natural beauty. During these drives we spotted few birds and a vulture nesting at a distance. Apart from tiger this forest houses many other mammals such as leopard, cheetal, sambar, sloth bear and Indian bison. I spotted two male deer locking their horns in a vast meadow with the setting sun providing a much needed backdrop. One has to experience it to feel it.
Not many are aware that this forest is part of an extensive belt from where the world’s white tigers originated. With its magical combination of history and wild nature, the Bandhavgarh National Park is one of the Panthera Tigris last stronghold and a must visit destination. It is said that in most parks you have to be lucky to spot a tiger, but in Bandhavgarh you have to be really unlucky not to spot one.
In short it was an amazing journey. However, my sojourn doesn’t end here. I am a traveler, discovering the world and myself.
' fill='%23359391'%3e %3cpath d='M46.1538462%2c43.5714286 L41.5%2c50 L36.8461538%2c43.5714286 L36.8670256%2c43.5714286 C36.3173077%2c42.7142857 36%2c41.6851429 36%2c40.5714286 C36%2c37.4854286 38.4535641%2c35 41.5%2c35 C44.5464359%2c35 47%2c37.4854286 47%2c40.5714286 C47%2c41.6851429 46.6826923%2c42.7142857 46.1329744%2c43.5714286 L46.1538462%2c43.5714286 Z M41.4294872%2c39 C40.6150641%2c39 39.9487179%2c39.675 39.9487179%2c40.5 C39.9487179%2c41.325 40.6150641%2c42 41.4294872%2c42 C42.2439103%2c42 42.9102564%2c41.325 42.9102564%2c40.5 C42.9102564%2c39.675 42.2439103%2c39 41.4294872%2c39 L41.4294872%2c39 Z' id='Location-white'%3e%3c/path%3e %3c/g%3e %3c/svg%3e)
