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| BANDHAVGARH NATIONAL PARK |
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Hotels/ Resorts in
Ranthambhore, |
ATTRACTIONS OF BANDHAVGARH Bandhavgarh is one of India's most picturesque Central Indian jungles. A relatively new entrant to the Project Tiger family, this forest has an ancient history, which is entwined with the Rewa dynasty. Steeped in legend, these forests gave the world the progenitors of all the white tigers alive today. Madhya Pradesh constitutes the very heart of India. The vegetation in Bandhavgarh is varied and includes a blend of grasslands and forests that support large herbivores, an impressive diversity of birds and a host of insect life that has not yet been fully catalogued. This wildlife haven is linked through patchy corridor forests with Kanha and together constitutes one of the world's most important tiger-breeding habitats. Madhya Pradesh is therefore justifiably proud of both reserves and calls itself the "Tiger State" of India because over 20 per cent of all the world's tigers are to be found here. Bamboo clumps are an intrinsic feature of Bandhavgarh, as is the hilly terrain with its steep ridges, Sal forests and grassy pastures. The impressive Bandhavgarh Fort stands out as a reminder of the ancient history of the region. Even today discoveries are being made amidst the crumbling ruins and ramparts of the fort that throw new light on battles fought and empires lost. No one who visits this incredible forest comes away unaffected by its heady brew of history and wild nature. The white tigers of Rewa were taken from the wild and are justifiably famous worldwide. But no specimens have been seen in the wild in recent years. A well documented story reveals that Mohan, the first ever white tiger cub to be discovered, was accidentally found in the Bandhavgarh forest in 1951 and was kept as a pet by the then Maharaja. Vets confirmed that it was not an albino, but a rare recessive gene that had somehow surfaced. This one animal was the progenitor of all the cubs that now live in zoos in different parts of the globe and displayed to the public as a (very beautiful) freak of nature. Bandhavgarh aficionados, firmly believe that somewhere, somehow, yet another wild white tiger will emerge from the wilds of this forest. Terrain of Bandhavgarh Bandhavgarh National Park spreads across 448 sq kms in the Shahdol District and shares its topography with Kanha. Both the parks have the Vindhyas as a backdrop and once contiguous, the landscape of both parks is now dissimilar. Bandhavgarh comprises 32 rocky hills (from 200-1,000 m) many of them flat topped and grassy. Streams intersect the northern ridges (parallel to the Umaria road running through the park), while Sal forests, interspersed with low-lying grasslands (once agricultural fields) clothe the southern aspects. Only three perennial streams water this vital tiger habitat and this is one reason why much of the wildlife is concentrated in a few places. Nullahs however crisscross the park and these encourage herbivores to disperse for a few months each year, following the monsoon. History of Bandhavgarh No one is really sure who built the Bandhavgarh Fort, which was constructed on a virtually unassailable plateau at an elevation of 800 m, though scores of myths about its origins continue to do the rounds. It is clear, however, that the area now encompassed by the park has seen settlements and civilisations come and go for millennia. Historians suggest that sandstone caves to the north of the Bandhavgarh fort harbour Brahmi inscriptions dating back to the 1st Century B C. One of these caves, called Bagdhalak, is embellished with the stripe patterns and pugmarks of the tiger. Locals still venerate the cat and colourful tiger images can be seen at scores of tiger temples, perhaps their way of appeasing the awe-inspiring animal. Inscriptions attributed to King Bhimsen dating back to 300 AD have also been recorded from the fort walls. The Chandela dynasty of Bundelkhand, most famous today for having built the Khajuraho temples (210 km away) also ruled here around the 12th century. Later, warrior clans fought and lost many battles for possession of the fort, until the Baghels made the Bandhavgarh Fort their capital in the 17th century. The house of Rewa, whose descendents still own the imposing fort, trace a direct lineage from the Baghel dynasty and the fort is still owned by the Rewa family. This is, in fact, the only private property legally recognised within the National Park area and tourists can visit it after obtaining permission. Today the fort is, however, run down and has been, ever since the capital was shifted to Rewa 120 kms away. Till a few decades ago it served as a hunting preserve for blue bloods, who took advantage of the fact that the forest had reclaimed much of its once well-manicured estate. Ironically, the fact that commoners were kept out of the hunting preserve did a world of good to the wildlife of the region, whose habitat was spared the axe and plough. But it has been a bloody time for tigers, because each Rewa Maharaja was, by tradition, expected to shoot at least 100 tigers! Some of them took this to be their purpose of life and one particularly bloodthirsty royal, Gulab Singh of Rewa, took pride in the fact that he had killed 480 tigers! The story goes that while beaters were instructed to advance in a line, Gulab Singh would sit on a machan at a vantage point, reading a book. A tethered rhesus monkey was kept nearby. When a tiger appeared the monkey would raise an alarm. All Gulab Singh had to do was lift his rifle and bag the "trophy". At the time it won him endless accolades as a brave hunter. After Independence the privy purses were abolished and the territories of royals were taken over. Bandhavgarh became a part of Madhya Pradesh and was converted into a National Park in 1968. Hunting was officially stopped, new water holes constructed and grazing curbed. Tigers, pushed to the brink of extinction, found a new lease on life. The relatively small (105 sq kms) protected area was extended to 449 sq kms as late as 1986. Tigers benefited and their numbers rose because young ones from new litters were able to carve prey-stocked territories for themselves. The source of the Charanganga, a vital water source for the park, originates within the fort precincts. Almost touching the ramparts, is an imposing stone statue of a reclining Vishnu, carved around the 10th century. Called Sesh Saya, it was never destroyed despite hundreds of years of wars and skirmishes, because people believed the Charanganga originated at the feet of Vishnu. This worship of forested water sources was once common across India. Such protection had widespread social support and was clearly more effective than the mere legal protection most reserves now enjoy. Legand of Bandhavgarh It is believed that Lord Ram stopped here after vanquishing Ravana in Lanka and that it was Hanuman's monkey architects, (who built the bridge to Lanka) who designed and constructed the Bandhavgarh Fort. Lakshman, Ram's obedient and dutiful brother, was gifted the fort, thus the name (Bandhav -- brother; garh -- fort). People of the area still worship Lakshman at a temple within the fort. |
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