Bandhavgarh National Park

Madhya Pradesh

Legendary Bandhavgarh National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh. The ancient Bandhavgarh Fort holds mythological significance, as it is believed that Lord Rama gifted it to his brother Lakshmana to watch over Lanka. The name derives from Sanskrit—Bandhav meaning brother and Garh meaning fort.

Bandhavgarh is over 2,000 years old and features caves with ancient inscriptions and rock paintings. Once a royal hunting ground for Maharajas, it has now become a renowned national park. Bandhavgarh National Park is home to the Bengal tiger, along with 37 other mammal species, 250 species of birds, and 80 species of butterflies.

About Bandhavgarh National Park

Legend has it that Bandhavgarh, located in Madhya Pradesh, holds deep historical and mythological significance. It is believed that Lord Rama entrusted his younger brother Lakshmana with the duty of watching over Lanka, gifting him the ancient fort of Bandhavgarh. This legend gives the site a prominent place in Indian history. The name itself reflects this connection—Bandhav meaning brother and Garh meaning fort.

With a history stretching back over 2,000 years, the region is home to several man-made caves, adorned with inscriptions and rock paintings. Once a hunting reserve for the Maharajas, the area of Bandhavgarh national park has since been transformed into a protected national park. It is now home to the regal Bengal tiger, along with 37 other mammal species, 250 species of birds, and 80 species of butterflies. For those hoping to witness the big cat, Bandhavgarh is among the best places in Madhya Pradesh to do so. It boasts the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers in the world and is also known as the origin of all white tigers globally.

Bandhavgarh is also the first location in India to introduce “The Hot Air Balloon Safari” for visitors. This unique experience offers an aerial view of the park’s core and buffer zones, allowing safari enthusiasts to uncover hidden gems from the sky. Observing a majestic tiger in its natural habitat—especially from such a rare perspective—evokes a sense of wonder reminiscent of childhood awe, creating an unforgettable memory for every traveller.

What To Know About Bandhavgarh

Best Time to Visit:

March – May
October – February

Reaching Bandhavgarh:

Flight: New Delhi – Jabalpur
Railway: New Delhi – Katni Murwara OR New Delhi – Jabalpur

Wildlife in Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park, located in India, features a stunning landscape of dry deciduous and tropical forest. The park is interwoven with dense jungle trails that bring visitors close to a dazzling variety of wildlife. The area supports more than 22 species of mammals and around 250 species of birds. Among the primates, the rhesus macaque and common langur are the most commonly observed.

Widely known as the land of the white tiger, Bandhavgarh National Park is celebrated for its remarkable tiger population. Tiger sightings have historically been reported in the former princely state of Rewa for many years. The last recorded capture of a white tiger was in 1951 by Maharaja Martand Singh. The famed white tiger, Mohun, is still remembered and preserved at the Maharaja of Rewa’s palace.

Historically, the area that is now Bandhavgarh reserve was known as Shikargarh. It served as a royal hunting ground—used not only for sport but also managed carefully to maintain a balance between tradition and wildlife preservation.

Mammals

Bandhavgarh has a rich history in wildlife protection, beginning with the royal patronage of bygone eras and continuing into the present with stringent legislation designed to safeguard animals. Because of these features, the park has the highest tiger density in the world, yet at the same time it protects the habitat for other types of wildlife. The park is home to a variety of mammalian species, some of which include the leopard, jackals, jungle cat, fox, wild dogs, hyena, and Indian wolf. Herbivores such as blue bulls, gaurs, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar, and the timid four-horned antelope make up the population of herbivores.

Birds

As a place that is home to more than 250 different species of birds, including the Bar-headed Goose, the Ruddy Shelduck, the Comb Duck, the Cotton Teal, the Common Teal, the Red-crested Pochard, the Common Pochard, the Barred Buttonquail, and the Eurasian Wryneck, among others, bird watching in Bandhavgarh is considered to be an excellent activity.

The hills of Bandhavgarh are the breeding areas for the Long-billed Vulture, King Vulture, and the uncommon Egyptian Vulture; hence, those who like to photograph these vultures should consider visiting these hills. Bandhavgarh is one of just three locations in India where it is possible to see many kinds of vultures in the same area at the same time. There are five distinct species of them that can be found in Bandhavgarh, and visitors to the Tala Zone are likely to see them.

Reptiles

The Bandhavgarh National Park serves as both a sanctuary and a natural habitat for a wide variety of reptile species. All of these Bandhavgarh reptile species, with the exception of snakes, are nocturnal, which implies that they hunt or are active during the night or when there is little sunlight. Bandhavgarh snakes such as the python can be seen during the daytime in the water bodies or holes as well as in some marshy areas that support their necessities. Although there are several deadly snakes in the area, including as the cobra, the krait, and the viper, Bandhavgarh’s reptiles and snakes in particular are not particularly dangerous.

During the rainy season, visitors to the national park won’t be able to go on a wildlife safari, and the jungle lodges will be closed. Because the monsoons in Bandhavgarh national park are so intense, the park’s water bodies and water holes are frequently flooded as a result. In addition, this results in the snakes and other reptiles being more active and on the surface, where they are more easily seen. Herpetologists use Bandhavgarh and the surrounding area as a case study for their research. Taking into consideration the wide variety of reptile life found in Bandhavgarh national park in comparison to other places.

Nature Safari India organized our private 2 Weeks Safari in Central India plus a couple of Sightseeing and we are very happy to having choose this agency. I found them on the responsible tiger tourism association (TOFTigers) and I liked them from the very first contact. From the first email more than two years ago to the end of our trip in April 2022, the service was great, the selection of the itinerary, Parks, lodges and guides was perfect. And this although the very difficult travel situation due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Our trip had to be postponed and rescheduled twice (we were supposed to travel at the end of March 2020), Mr. Deepkul was always very professional, competent, responsive and helpful with all my requests and he went the extra mile. We had a wonderful time in India, we saw a lot of tigers and wildlife, and we hope to come back soon. We warmly recommend Nature Safari India to everyone and in the future, we’ll surely book another tour with them.

We did 5 days of safaris with Sharad Vats's team, in Kanga and Pench, in April 2022. Right from the planning to the actual execution, Sharad was accessible, knowledgeable and helpful, to ensure we got a good experience. Not only was the itinerary planned and tweaked multiple times to suit us, but our accommodation and food needs were also taken care of well. We enjoyed the trip immensely, especially because Sharas understood that we were not just after tiger sightings, but enjoyed birds and trees and other wildlife too, and recommended an itinerary accordingly. The accommodation and food was great. And my particular need of a wifi connection even in these remote areas (because there was a study commitment I could not miss) was also met. Highly recommended.

We had an amazing and totally unforgettable trip to India organised by Nature Safari India, in particular Deepkul (and previously Manjeet). I organised the trip 2 years ago just as the pandemic hit, I had been communicating with Nature Safari India constantly for quite a few months until we finalised on an itinerary, nothing was too much trouble and replies to queries were almost instant. When it came to the actual holiday, all we had to do was get to New Delhi. (As a warning it isn't straightforward to get visas anymore) From then on all was taken care of. We were met at the airport and were looked after from that point, including checking us into the hotel and providing a car and driver for our exclusive use until we left New Delhi. We were driven from each location by drivers who looked after us incredibly well, stopped/slowed down if we wanted to take pictures, they also pointed out interesting sites as we passed. If you have time, I would recommend travelling by car to different locations, as you see a lot more of India. Deepkul monitored us through our whole holiday, checking that we were OK, getting reports from each of our guides and making sure we were happy with our holiday. Our guides and drivers, throughout, were fantastic, so friendly, knowledgeable, thoughtful and polite.

What you will experience on this tour.

Nature Safari India, which has more than 30 years of experience in the wildlife safari industry and is an expert in tiger safari India tours, ensures that you will have an authentic and fulfilling tiger safari experience on your next trip to India. Our tiger safari tours highlight the best of Indian wildlife along with hints of culture and Indian heritage.

These tours take place in some of the best national parks in the country for wildlife, such as Ranthambore National Park, Corbett National Park, or even Bandhavgarh National Park, and cover a variety of species and landscapes. Take a look at some of the top-rated tiger safari India excursions that we offer here.

Tour Inclusions

Bed and breakfast accommodations are available in New Delhi and Agra.
Accommodations include all meals and a safari in Pench, Kanha, and Bandhavgarh.
Your Pench, Kanha, and Bandhavgarh admission and guide fees.
Your entry fee and any tour guide fees for visiting monuments.
There will be 6 exclusive jeep safaris offered in Pench.
In Kanha, 5 exclusive jeep safaris will be offered.
In Bandhavgarh, there will be 7 exclusive jeep safaris available.
Assistance at the hotels and the airport.
Every land transfer is done in a cool Toyota Innova or Crysta.
Any taxes that are now applied.

Tour Exclusions

Both domestic and international plane travel.
Personal expenses like tips, cigarettes, alcohol, laundry, and phone calls.
In national parks and monuments, there is a still and video camera fee.
Travel Insurance
Everything that isn't listed among the inclusions.

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Bandhavgarh National Park

Madhya Pradesh

About Bandhavgarh National Park

What To Know About Bandhavgarh

Wildlife in Bandhavgarh National Park

Mammals

Birds

Reptiles

What you will experience on this tour.

Tour Inclusions

Tour Exclusions

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