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Bandhavgarh national park, bandhavgarh tigers
Bandhavgarh National Park is on of the most popular
Tiger reserves and national parks of India, situated in the state of
Madhya Pradesh near Umaria. Spread over a small area of 105 kmē, the
park has one of hte most. The buffer is spread over the forest divisions of Umaria and Katni and totals 437 kmē. The park derives its name from the most prominent hillock of the area, which is said to be given by Hindu Lord Rama to his brother Laxman to keep a watch on Lanka. Hence the name Bandhavgarh (Sanskrit: Brother's Fort).
Bandhavgarh is home to the highest density of Bengal tigers known in
the world. It is known to be a place for some of the most well known
tigers throughout the world. The tiger, Charger became the first known
healthy male living in Bandhavgarh since the 1990's. He was named so
because he would charge upon elephants and travelers but would cause no
harm. He did it just for fun. A female known as Sita too ruled over
Bandhavgarh for many years. Sita is known to be the most photographed
tiger in the world. Most of the tigers of Bandhavgarh are genes of Sita
and Charger.
One of the biggest attractions of this national park is the tiger and
its sightings. Bandhavgarh has a very high density of tigers within the
folds of its jungles. The 105 kmē of park area open for tourist was
reported to have 22 Tigers, a density of one tiger for every 4.77 kmē.
(Population estimation exercise 2001). There is a saying about the Park
that goes: "In any other Park, You are lucky if you see a tiger.
In Bandhavgarh, you are unlucky if you don't see (at least) one."
How to reach Bandhavgarh
By Air:
Fly from Delhi, Varanasi, Khajuraho
and drive (7-8 hours) to Tala park entrance at Bandhavgarh.
Nearest airport from the park is Khajuraho.
By Rail:
Nearest railway station is Umaria after Katani railway station, from
there it is about 40 minutes drive to Nature Heritage. Alternatively,
take the overnight train from Delhi to Umaria and drive (30 minutes) to
the park. Only jeeps are available for transfers. Khajuraho /
Bandhavgarh distance is 250 Kms, (8 hrs drive).
Jungle Safari at Bandhavgarh
Jungle safari at Bandhavgarh can be done by open air four
wheel drive jeeps or by Elephant safari. Timings are fixed and and
available in the morning(730-1030) and afternoon(1500-1730). (Opening
from 16th October '09)
Where to Stay at Bandhavgarh Mapple Resort,
Bandhavgarh
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