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Bandhavgarh
national park have a very long history. Set among the Vindhya
hills of Madhya Pradesh with an area of 168 sq miles (437 sq
km), it contains a wide variety of habitats and a high density
of game, including a large number of tigers. Bandhavgarh was
declared Project Tiger Reserve in 1993.
Geography, Flora and Climate: When
originally formed in 1968, Bandhavgarh was a comparatively
small park of only 40 sq miles (105 sq km), but in mid-1986 it
was extended to include two large areas of forest adjoining it
on the northern and southern sides. These extension areas
consist mainly of sal forest. In the north a series of ridges,
inter cut by perennial streams, runs parallel to the main Umaria
road which runs through the park. To the south, gently
undulating forest is interspersed with grazing areas, formerly
agricultural land.
Currently the central area of the
park the original 40 sq miles - remains the principal viewing
area. There are 32 hiils in this part of the park, which has a
large natural fort at its center. The fort's cliffs are 2625
feet (800 meters) high, 1000 feet (300 meters) above the
surrounding countryside. Over half the area is covered by sal
forest although on the upper slopes it is replaced by mixed
forest of sali, saj, dhobin and saja. Towards the north there
are large stretches of bamboo and grassland. Most of the bamboo
flowered in 1985 and the old clumps died, leaving the ground
covered with new bamboo growth. Many streams run through the
valleys but only three are perennial. One of them, the
Charanganga, has its source at the fort.
Winter temperatures (November-mid
February) vary from almost freezing at night to around 68 0 F
(20 0 C) in the daytime. Summer nights are also cooler than the
daytime temperature which rises to 104 0 F (40 0 C). The park is
closed during the breeding season, which coincides with the
monsoon (July-October). Rainfall in the park averages 50 inches
(120 cm) per year.
History: Bandhavgarh has been a
center of human activity and settlement for over 2000 years.
Legend has it that Rama, hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana,
stopped at Bandhavgarh on his way back to his homeland after
defeating the demon king Ravana of Lanka. Two monkey architects,
who had engineered a bridge between the isle of Lanka and the
mainland, are said to have built Bandhavgarh's fort. Later Rama
handed it over to his brother Lakshmana who became known as
bandhavdhish, "the lord of the fort" - a title still used by the
present "lord of the fort," the former Maharaja of Rewa.
Lakshmana is the particular god of the fort and is regularly
worshiped in a temple there.
The oldest signs of habitation in
the park are the caves dug into the sandstone to the north of
the fort. Several contain Brahmi inscriptions dating from the
1st century B.C. From that time onwards Bandhavgarh was ruled by
a succession of dynasties including the Chandela kings of
Bundelkhand who built the famous temples at Khajuraho. The
Baghel kings, the direct ancestors of the present royal family
of Rewa, established their dynasty at Bandhavgarh in the 12th
Century. It remained their capital till 1617 when the center of
court life moved to Rewa, 75 miles (120 km) to the north.
Without royal patronage Bandhavgarh became more and more
deserted until forest overran the area and it became a royal
hunting reserve. This helped to preserve the forest and its
wildlife, although the maharajas made full use of their rights.
Each set out to kill the auspicious number of 109 tigers.
At independence Bandhavgarh
remained the private property of the maharaja until he gave it
to the state for the formation of a national park in 1968. After
the park was created poaching was brought under control and the
number of animals rose dramatically. Small dams and water holes
were built to solve the problem of water shortage. Grazing by
local cattle was stopped and a village within the park
boundaries was relocated. The tigers in particular prospered
and the 1986 extension provided much needed forest to
accommodate them.
Within the Park: Bandhavgarh is
justifiably famous for its tigers, but it has a wide range of
other game. The undergrowth is not as dense as in some northern
terai forests, but the best time to see the park's inhabitants
is still the summer months when water becomes more scarce and
the undergrowth dies back.
Chinkara, still rather shy, can be
sighted on the grassland areas of the park, particularly on
formerly cultivated land in the southern extension area, on the
edges of the main viewing area. Also to be seen in the
grasslands are nilgai, chausingha and sounders of wild boar, as
well as the occasional jackal or fox. In March and April gaur,
or Indian bison, move down from the higher hills to the
southeast of the park and make their way through the southern
extension area to the central meadows of the park to graze. The
need for water and good grazing draws them to the park and they
return to the southeastern hills at the onset of the monsoon.
Muntjac and sambar prefer denser
vegetation. The main prey animal, however, for the tigers and
the park's rarely sighted leopards are the chital, which now
number a few thousand.
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There are two types of monkey
common in the park - the rhesus macaque and the black-faced
langur. Drives can also reveal jungle cats, hyenas, porcupines,
ratels and a variety of other mammals. At least one small pack
of wild dogs inhabits the central area of the park.
As the park is relatively new, there is still a good chance of
adding birds to the checklist of some 150 species already
compiled. Bandhavgarh attracts many migratory birds in the
winter months, including birds of prey like the steppe eagle
and a variety of wildfowl. However, as it has limited water
surfaces it cannot compete with parks with large areas of
wetland. While you aren't allowed to go into the park on foot,
the park headquarters and the Jungle Camp offer excellent
opportunities to watch the smaller birds. Attracted by
flowering and fruiting trees, some very attractive and less
common birds can be seen - for example the blue-bearded bee
eater, the white-bellied drongo, Tickell's blue flycatcher, the
white-browed fantail, both the gold-fronted and Jerdon's
leafbirds, minivets and woodshrikes. Any large fruiting tree
generally reveals a population of green pigeons and some of the
noisiest residents - blossom-headed parakeets. Gray and, less
often, the magnificent black and white Malabar hornbills, fly
across. On roads through the sal forests it's worth looking out
for the large racket-tailed drongo and the dipping plumes of the
paradise flycatcher.
The Fort The fort still belongs to
the Maharaja of Rewa and permission is required to visit it.
However permission is available locally and no trip to
Bandhavgarh can really be complete without making the effort to
climb up to the fort.
There are two ways up on to the plateau, a jeeptrack and a
footpath - both steep. It is far easier to see the fort by jeep
but much more rewarding to make the journey on foot. There is a
convenient place to park vehicles on the southern side of the
fort in the lush jungle which surrounds its base. This point is
known as Shesh Saya, named after a unique 35-foot (II-meter)
long statue of a reclining Vishnu carved around the 10th
Century, from whose feet the Charanganga is said to flow. A
rectangular pool of springwater lies just beneath the statue
and the path to the main gate of the fort, the Karn Pol, leads
off to the left of the pool. On the other side of this imposing
gateway lie 560 acres (227 hectares) of grassland, over which
are scattered turtle-filled tanks and the many remains of the
human inhabitants of the fort from ancient statues to the
barracks occupied by Rewa's troops up to independence. At a
brisk pace the walk from the Shesh Saya to the southern side of
the fort need only take an hour, but if you stop to see the
statues and temples on the way it can easily take much longer.
As you follow the path southwards, the most remarkable sights
are the 10th-Century rock images of the incarnations of Vishnu.
A statue of Narasimha (half-man half-lion) towers almost 22 feet
(seven meters) above the grass. There is a carving of Sarah
Bhagwan (the boar incarnation), and a small temple enshrining a
large image of Vishnu in his fish avatar. The tortoise
incarnation stands unenclosed and flanked by later carvings of
Ganesh, the elephant god, and other deities. The charm of this
walk lies in discovering these monuments in the jungle,
unspoilt and unexploited. Some of the statues lie off the main
path and so it is best to take a guide. Apart from the avatars,
well worth seeing are three small temples of around the 12th
Century. These temples are deserted but the fort is still used
as a place of worship. Kabir Das, the celebrated 16th-Century
saint, once lived and preached here.
The natural ramparts of the fort
give breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. Vultures
wheel around the precipice which also attracts blue rock
thrushes and crag martins. The fort has a small population of
blackbuck, which have been reintroduced and to some extent
protected from tigers in the park below by repairs to the
masonry walls at the edges of the fort.
Thus Bandhavgarh offers excellent game and bird viewing and a
historical interest which most other parks lack. It is a
comfortable drive from Khajuraho and so visitors can enjoy both
the temples of the one and the wildlife of the other in one
trip. And for those who enjoy train travel Bandhavgarh has two
railway stations within reach Umaria and Satna |
