DAY 03 : DELHI – JABALPUR - BANDHAVGARH
By Air
Jabalpur – Bandhavgarh By Road in 3 hrs
Morning, take a flight for Jabalpur.
Reach and Drive to Bandavgarh.
Set among the Vindhya hills of Madhya Pradesh with an area of 168sq miles (437sq km) it
contains a wide variety of habitats and a high density of game, including a large number of
Tigers. This is also the White tiger country. These have been found in the old state of
Rewa for Many years. Maharaja Martand Singh captured the last known in 1951. This
white Tiger, Mohun is now stuffed and on display in the Palace of Maharaja of Rewa.
Prior to becoming a National Park, the forests around Bandavgarh had long been
maintained as a Shikargah, or game preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa. The Maharaja
and his guests carried out hunting – otherwise the wildlife was well protected. It was
considered a good omen for Maharaja of Rewa to shoot 109 tigers. His Highness
Maharaja Venkat Raman Singh shot 111 Tigers by 1914.
There are 32 hills in this part of the park, which has a large natural fort at its center. The
fort’s cliffs are 2625 feet (800 meters) high, 1000 feet (300 meters) above the surrounding
countryside.
Bandavgarh has been a center of human activity and settlement for over 2000 years, and
there are references to it in the ancient books, the Narad-Panch Ratra and the Shiva
Purana. Legend has it that Lord Rama, hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana,
stopped at Bandavgarh on his way back to his homeland after defeating the demon
King Ravana of Lanka. Two monkey architects, who had engineered a bridge
between the isle of Lanka and the mainland, are said to have built Bandavgarh’s
Fort. Later Rama handed it over to his brother Lakshmana who became known as
Bandavdhish “The Lord of the Fort”. Lakshmana is the particular God of thefort and
is regularly worshipped in a temple there.
The oldest sign of habitation in the park are caves dug into the sandstone to the
north of the fort. Several contain Brahmi inscriptions dating from the 1st century BC.
Various dynasties have ruled the fort, for example, the Maghas from the 1st century
AD, the Vakatakas from the 3rd century AD, From that time onwards Bandavgarh was ruled by a succession of dynasties including
the Chandela Kings of Bundelkhand who built the famous temples at Khajuraho. The Baghel
Kings, the direct ancestors of the present Royal family of Rewa, established their dynasty at
Bandavgarh in the 12th century. It remained their capital till 1617 when the center of court life
moved to Rewa, 75 miles (120Kms) to the north. Without royal patronage Bandavgarh became
more and more deserted until forest overran the area and it became the royal hunting reserve.
This helped to preserve the forest and its wildlife, although the Maharajas made full use of their
rights. Each set out to kill the auspicious number of 109 Tigers.
In the afternoon proceed for a GAME SAFARI into the park. Overnight will be at Bandavgarh.