Panna National Park is a very popular wild life reserve. Located in the central Indian province of Madhya Pradesh, this national park is at a distance of almost 57 km from Khajuraho. Among the better known tiger reserves in India, Panna National Park is one of them. The park is famous for its big cats like the tigers and the leopards. Tourists who visit Khajuraho, make it a point to get to the Panna National Park to see the majestic cats in the wild. The landscape is rocky, the terrain is uneven and the vegetation comprises of mainly tall grass and scrubby bushes.

The bio-diversity in this national park is extremely rich. Apart from the powerful and huge tigers, the park also has wolf, chital, sloth bear, chinkara and sambar.

LOCATION

The Panna National Park is located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and is a part of the Chattarpur district. The park is well connected with the other parts of the region by a good network of roads. Distances of some important places in India from the Panna National Park are Bhopal 727 km, Delhi 889 km, Chennai 1761, and Calcutta 1040 km.

Tiger Reserve

Panna has a tiger reserve which is called Panna National Park. The density of tigers in this park was less compared to Bandhavgarh or Ranthambore. Sightings of tigers in Panna have fallen over recent years, and official tiger population figures are disputed by naturalists. There were plans to relocate two tigresses to Panna in 2009 [1][2], which actually happened, but the last male tiger meanwhile disappeared[3]. The reserve is home to a wide variety of other animals[4], many of which can be seen at closer quarters than in other reserves, because Panna has fewer visitors. There are jungle lodges and hotels near the reserve, it can also be reached from Khajuraho.

Flora

This region has mixed deciduous forests. The landscape of this rocky and uneven terrain is covered by scrubby vegetation and grass.

Fauna
Fauna of this park includes, apart from the tiger; wolf, chital, sloth bear, chinkara, and sambar. Tiger sightings are not very common here and to watch a wild cat in action needs a lot of patience along with luck. The Ken River that flows from here towards the north harbours both the major Indian species of crocodiles i.e. the mugger and long snouted gharial.

Panna is famous for its diamond mining industry and this make it an interesting place to visit. Pandav falls is also a major attraction with its lake fed by a waterfall. One more attraction in this region is the Rajgarh Palace, a magnificent piece of architecture overlooking the valley
 

HOW TO REACH


BY AIR - The nearest airport is at Khajuraho at a distance of around 57 km from the Panna National Park. There are daily Alliance Air flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Varanasi from Khajuraho.

BY RAIL - Satna, at a distance of around 90 km, is the nearest railway station. It is a major railway hub and is connected to many places in central and western India, the most important of them being Mumbai at a distance of 1,540 km.

BY ROAD - The nearest bus stand is Panna connected to Khajuraho and many other places in Madhya Pradesh by a good road network. Madla, at a distance of around 24 km southwest of Khajuraho, is a good transport centre. One can get buses and other road transport modes from here to the Panna National Park.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The climate of this region is tropical. Summers are too hot and very uncomfortable, though this is the time when one has the maximum chances of encountering the exclusive wildlife of this park. Winters are cold and comfortable and the temperature generally remains under 25°C. Monsoon touches this region in July and continues till mid-September.