When the great Rudyard Kipling set to write his stories on Jungle, he might be oblivious of the sheer inspiration he received from the wilderness of Bandhavgarh National Park could sustain such overwhelming response in the form of the famous ‘Jungle Book’. Once a hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Rewa, the park is a wonderful manifestation of history and nature that comes together to house the best of wildlife hardly found in other parts of the world. Located right on the heels of the Vidyan Mountain Range, in Madhya Pradesh, the park treasures the rare species of White Tiger.

Enclosed within a 437 sq. km park area, are the rocky hills interspersed with grassy swamps and forested valleys mostly covered by Sal trees. The park is dominated by ruins of Bandhavgarh Fort, which was reclaimed by the forest with the passage of time. A large number of caves of the fort carry prehistoric inscriptions dating back to the first century B.C. These caves often serve as a convenient shelter for the wild inhabitants of the jungle.

Renowned for being the abode of majestic tigers, Bandhavgarh National Park is the only area where the White Tiger was discovered in the wild. Owing to its unique color, the tiger commands quite an attraction around the world’s zoos. The park also boast of a high density of population of the nilgai, chital, chausingha, chinkara, wild boar, sloth bear, gaur, foxes and jackels and many more.

For the bird lovers the park has quite a lot to offer. A wide range of avian species will confront your curious eyes at Bandhavgarh National Park in the form of sunbirds, red-vented bulbuls, peacocks, paradise flycatchers, jungle fowl, golden and black headed orioles, yellow ioras, and migratory birds like steppe eagles and various water birds.

The best time to visit the park is between November and June. Khajuraho is the nearest airport from where it takes a 5-hour drive to reach the park. The park can be best explored at the back of elephants or a by jeep safaris. Excellent accommodation facilities are available by the park that includes White Tiger Forest lodge, Forest Rest House and Bandhavgarh Jungle Camp.