What all to see at Bandhavgarh National Park in India

Lofty cliffs with eroded walls and projecting spurs, table top mountains covered in dense forests on the slopes and amazing plateau land ideal for sustenance of wild denizens interspersed with mountain rivers and deep glens Bandhavgarh is a panoramic delight.  

Long stretch of grass with slush lie on the banks of the mountain rivers create an ideal habitat for prey and predators. This where the battle ensues for survival as predators go after prey hampered by the slush. This is the unique feature of the National Park in Madhya Pradesh. 

Geological formations dot the place, one famous spot is a rocky arch called Sita Mandap shaped by centuries of erosion. Tigers roam the floor riddled with dense shrubs and dried rubble laden stream. If you park by the side you may see a tiger relaxing in a mini pool. 

Caves abound here some of which are man made and scripted in ancient Brahmi language used by the tribal and the warring civilizations. So much has happened in the depth of the jungles the stories outreach our imagination to intrigue. A battle of fact and fiction rages within the convoluted labyrinth of our brain.      

Bandhavgarh is just not tiger safaris, it is a window into centuries of evolution that shaped the terrain and history of ancient India. As you enter the park through Chur Bohera Meadow the ramparts of an ancient forts first come into sight alongside a temple which appears nothing more than a speck on the horizon. Your first thought is that all this is just a dream, this remote jungle is no place for edifices built by humans. But as you climb the steep ascent your first stop is the twenty feet reclining Vishnu or Sesh Shaiyya crowned by a multi-headed serpent. It has been shaped out of an igneous rock by the tribal. Trickles through a dense mesh of shrubs, ferns and climbers on mountain wall create the fairy pool with stone laden walls enclosing the structure covered in fungi and moss indicating centuries of existence. The grove offers succor in the blistering heat of summer, an ideal place for the warring soldiers of yore looking to rest their tired self and the horses.      

As you climb further after a brief rest, the Pandora's box opens. A huge arch for entrance with wooden gates and a massive lock. The village at entrance is aptly called Tala meaning a lock. 

As you trudge further on a stony pathway dense grass and tall trees lead to a figure on the mountain edge. Lord Vishnu overseeing not only the paradise but as creator the whole Universe. It is the absolute stillness and isolation that is captivating. Here time stands still and completely frozen a weird imagination takes over. The fear of the big cats, brazen animals and raptors hanging overhead is frightening for urban dwellers not used to isolation of scary kind. But than where can you experience such an esoteric ambiance shaped by time unfathomable and turbulent history that dates well past two thousand years.     

The Ram Janki Temple stands a few yards ahead, not a speck anymore a pujari prays for universal well being - a lone figure in the indomitable land of tigers. The next are a number of idols in zoomorphic forms bizarre but delightful.  (Hinduism is a nature centric religious ecosystem). Twelve huge reservoirs and numerous artifacts are all that is left of the embattled fort. The crumbling walls of age old temples, completely wrapped by climbers under the shade of massive Banyan trees are a sight to behold. More lies on the plateau for the lucky ones who get to visit. The tourists are allowed only up to the reclining Vishnu.    

Subject to internecine battles, the structures are all that are left now in complete isolation. Nary a human in sight. Being here is a universal experience of celebrating life in pristine surroundings. The vast table lands is home of the animals and birds some like four horned antelope and black buck can be seen only here. This is the preferred breeding place of the tigers. 

The National Park beckons. Come explore me on Bandhavgarh jungle safari in Central India. Yes the tiger landscape is absolutely mesmerizing. A spectacle beyond belief! Pack you bags and fly to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh and then drive four hours to reach this destination in the middle of nowhere. Welcome.     

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