Great Indian Road Journeys - Kipling Tour, Panna to Bandhavgarh

The Bandhavgarh National Park, they say is one where tiger sightings are guaranteed. Many tour operators basically assure their clients that if you want to see a Tiger, then Bandhavgarh is the place to go. That is not true. Tiger sightings are frequent and if you were to spend three to four nights, then the probability of seeing one are reasonably high, but not a hundred percent. In any case tourists generally have much better luck than wildlife photographers and that is a fact of life!

Bandhavgarh located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh, is spread over an area of 820 Sq Kms, including the buffer zones. The park derives its name from a prominent hill, which according to mythology was said to be given by Ram to his brother Lakshman to keep a watch on Lanka. Hence the name Bandhavgarh which translates into brother's fort in Sanskrit.

The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is one of the highest in India. The park also has a large population of leopards and various species of deer. The Maharaja of Rewa, captured the first white tiger this are in 1951. Previously, the forests of this region constituted the hunting grounds for the Rewa State. In 1947, when Rewa was merged into the Union of India and became a part of Madhya Pradesh, the Maharaja retained hunting rights. No special conservation measures were taken until 1968, when the area was constituted as a national park.

Interestingly, Bandhavgarh had a small population of Gaur - Indian Bison - but due to a disease passed on from domestic cattle, the entire lot were exterminated. Gaurs were reintroduced by relocating 50 of them from Kanha in 2012. This project was undertaken by Madhya Pradesh Forest department, Wildlife Institute of India but most importantly a group of South African experts, brought by Taj Safaris.

The 200 kms journey from Panna took us about 6 hours, against a normal 4 hour drive. We stopped several times, as I have always believed that the journey is really the destination. And in Madhya Pradesh, driving is a sheer delight. While roads are not motorways - and often narrow, there is practically no traffic specially on these country routes. Every 60 minutes or so, you enter a hilly forested area (ghats), which make a wonderful stop for coffee and a smoke. For us coffee is the key ingredient on road journeys and we carry a couple of flasks of hot water and a french-press, to make a fresh concoction each time. We also have a cooler in the car (that can cool temperatures to about 3 degrees centigrade) so soft drinks and beer are possible to enjoy and more so in forest surroundings.

You have to be careful of course and ensure that your car is off the road and you need to check for animals like bears or tigers, which can be dangerous. Unlike driving in the north or in the hills where the traffic is a killer, MP is still evolving as a destination for tourism.

The drive takes you through the Panpatha Wildlife Sanctuary, where we stopped for a rather late lunch in the mist of thick jungles. It was one of the nicest driving experiences that I have ever had.

We arrived at Mahua Kothi, Taj Safaris by about 4 pm in time for afternoon tea, which we enjoyed under the old Mahua tree. Amongst Taj Safari properties, whilst Kanha is considered the flagship, I find Mahua Kothi in Bandhavgarh very special. It is named after the Mahua tree which is prized and revered in the region.

12 standalone luxury cottages blend into a 45 acre private forest on the periphery of the national park. The guest area overlooks a large grassland where monkeys, deer and birds are a regular feature. The mud cottages or ‘Kutiyas’ are built in the local style of architecture. A bean shaped pool screened by a bamboo thicket and shaded by Mahua trees is perfect for cooling off at midday. The guest areas are housed in a large brick building with deep verandas overlooking a grassland surrounded by a forest patch. The dining hall has a large fireplace to keep guests warm during winter evenings.

The butlers at the property are A grade and Chef Ajit Swain, again sets the benchmark in food standards. Housekeeping is always brilliant. Bhola is a senior butler and over the years I have come to know the staff very well. The lodge manager Amit Singhvi is warm and friendly.

The main charm of safaris is because of the naturalist and in Bandhavgarh Taj have one of their most experienced - in Raj Kishore - who has 30 years of experience in the forest of the area. Raj Kishore has been accompanying me for the past 15 years of my trips to Bandhavgarh. The head naturalist Karun Varma and I have become buddies. Karun and Raj's knowledge and forest instincts can only be acquired by years and years of hard work.

The Lodge was understandably full because of the Christmas holiday season and we had the opportunity to meet a few delightful guests. Many were overseas visitors, but knowledgable about forests as they seemed to be regular both in India and Africa. We had dinner by 7.30m pm for a 5.30 am start the following morning. The next post will describe the safaris in greater detail.