Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at the Lodge. Morning & Evening jeep drive in the park. Overnight stay in Bandhavgarh.
Bandhavgarh has been a center of human activity and settlement for over 2000 years, there are references to it in the ancient books the Narad-Panch Ratra and the Shiva Purana. Legend has it that Lord Rama, the 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 architects, who engineered a bridge between the isles 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". Lakshmana is the particular God of the fort and is regularly worshipped in a temple there.
The oldest sign of habitation in the park are caves dug into the sandstone to the north of the fort. Several contain Brahmi inscriptions dating from the 1st century B.C. Various dynasties have ruled the fort, for example, the Maghas from the 1st century A.D., the Vakatakas from the 3rd century A.D., 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 (120Kms) to the north. Without royal patronage Bandhavgarh became more and more deserted until forest overran the area band it became the royal hunting reserve. This helped to preserve the forest and its wildlife, although the Maharajas made full use of their rights.
At independence Bandhavgarh remained the private property of the Maharaja until he gave it to the state for the formation of the 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 the village within the park boundaries was relocated. The tigers in particular prospered and the 1986 extension provided much needed forest to accommodate them.
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. The best time to see the park inhabitants is the summer months when water becomes scarcer and the undergrowth dies back.
There are two types of monkeys 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. Bandhavgarh attracts many migratory birds in the winter months, including the birds of prey like the steppe eagle and a variety of wildfowl.
If the early morning safari is a thriller then the late afternoon rendezvous where you get another glimpse of the tiger, the chance to watch the shadows grow taller as dusk approaches and hear the cacophony of birds grows louder in the trees, is not to be missed experience.
Meals included:
Breakfast
,
Lunch
,
Dinner