Ujjain to Bandavgarh

The name ‘Bandhavgarh’ came from two words: Bandhav and Garh where the meaning of the first one is brother and the latter means fort. According to Ramayana, the great epic, Bandhavgarh was gifted to Lakshmana by his elder brother Rama after the battle of Lanka. The existing national park is named after this legendary Bandhavgarh Fort, which is situated on a hillock of the Vindhya range in Umaria. As per the ancient books, Shiv Purana and Narad Panch Ratna, the wrecked fort was being rebuilt by two monkeys who made a bridge between Lanka and the mainland. The Bandhavgarh fort is written with much convincing evidence of human activity and architectural techniques. You can see several man-made caves with inscriptions and rock paintings at the fort as well.

Until the shifting of capital to Rewa in 1617 A.D., the local rulers were based in the Bandhavgarh Fort, which is located atop the Bandhavgarh hill in the middle of the Bandhavgarh National Park. Bandhavgarh gradually became desolate once the capital was moved to Rewa, and as the forest took over, it was used as a royal hunting reserve. While doing so helped to protect the forests and the indigenous fauna of India, each of the maharajas set out to kill 109 tigers because they believed it to be lucky. By 1914, Maharaja Venkat Raman Singh had killed 111 tigers.

The devastation of the forests as a result of inadequate regulation severely affected Maharaja Martand Singh of Rewa. In 1968, a 105 sq km area was first designated as a national park based on his suggestion. After the park was established, poaching was controlled. To address the water shortage, small dams were also built, providing refuge and relief for the animals and the local cattle were forbidden from grazing. The Indian wildlife population rose significantly as a result. The number of tigers began to rise as well. The park's size was enlarged to 448 sq km in 1982 to accommodate the growing population of tigers and other types of Indian wildlife. Bandhavgarh was included in 1993 as Project Tiger expanded its sphere of influence, and the territory was later expanded to encompass a core area of 694 sq km and a buffer area of 437 sq km. The Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve was now officially proclaimed for the entirety of this region.

How was Tiger Safari?

After having done with the morning breakfast, we were booked for the morning slot of the Jungle Safari. It was really a thrilling morning being in the Jungle with members of the family. Bandhavgarh National Park and Tiger Reserve have a high density of Tigers.

In our first Tiger Safari in Bandhavgarh wasn’t that good, as we could not spot a Tiger. 2nd morning of Bandhavgarh National Park Tour brought us good fortune, our second Tiger Safari started from the resort to the Magadhi Zone, a buffer zone of the Jungle. This Fortunate Jungle Safari made us overwhelmed by causing us to sight a Tiger, Yes! We spotted a Tigress called Solo.

On our third day, we revisited the Tala Zone, the day was dominated by elephants. Our guide suggested us to go for an Elephant Safari, initially hesitant, I decided to go for it just to explore woods and wildlife. And seriously, it was the best decision. We spotted the oldest Leopard, Royal Fox, Nilgai, and many langurs.

How much does Tiger Safari in Bandhavgarh Costs?

Madhya Pradesh forest department has recently announced enigmatic changes in the Safari prices. If we were astounded by knowing the Bandhavgarh Safari Costs and the significant changes which are implemented. They are: Whether you are Indian or foreigners, the fee charges would be the same.VIP zones have been banned by the Govt.Single-seat online tickets could be purchased from the official forest sites.Wait-Listed Safari permit concept-if your tickets are not confirmed, the amount will be refunded. As it charges us Rs. 360/- Guide charge on each ride and the hire charge per vehicle or Jeep safari in Bandhavgarh National Park is Rs. 2500/-. It was a worthy ride.