Bandhavgarh National Park in MP has an amazing history. The place finds mention not only in Ramayana but in more modern times, Bandhavgarh was ruled by dynasties such as Bharihas and the Vakatak besides the Sengars, Kalchuris and Baghels; the latter having ruled the region for a long period. During the rule of the Baghels the capital was shifted to Rewa and Bandhavgarh became a game reserve for the royalty. Terror attacks by tigers prompted the kings of Rewa to kill more than 109 tigers. However, later the private property of the kings was handed over to the government of MP and in 1968 the entire place was declared as the National Park. There are several places to see and things to do in Bandhavgarh and its nearby areas. 

Chakradhara is a place in the National Park, which is surrounded by dense and hilly regions and is also famous for sighting tigers. There are diverse types of flora and fauna in this region and there is also a meadow where a relatively higher density of tigers can be found. During recent times one could see tigers here with names such as Rajbhra and Kankati besides Bamera and Chandni. One can go to Bandhavgarh Fort through Chakradhara.

The Three Cave Point inside Bandhavgarh National Park can be seen quite easily from Ganesh Hillock Road. The place is well known because it houses several carvings that are very beautiful. These carvings indicate that sophisticated techniques were being used in ancient times. Today these caves are home to several wild animals. These include leopards and tigers as well as sloth bears.

This is a trek that lasts for an hour and it commences from Tala Zone and ends at Bandhavgarh Fort. The trek is truly very memorable and must be tried by all visitors. A guide is necessary for the trek since the trail of the trek passes through the park. The garh or fort is located on top of a hill which is at an altitude of 807 m above MSL and is at the very centre of the National Park. The fort is among the oldest in India and is possibly older than two thousand years. There are several caves in the fort and these are decorated with scripts and paintings. You will also see a 35 ft tall statue of Lord Vishnu. There is a lot one can learn on this trek.

Jwalamukhi Temple is located on the banks of the river Charan Ganga just 10 km away from the National Park. This is one of the most popular temples in the area on account of the belief devotees have that the reigning Goddess has the power to fulfil the wishes of all her devotees. People do visit the temple in large numbers, especially during auspicious occasions.

Shesh Shaiya is the idol of Vishnu and is also the point of origin of Charanganga River. The idol is 65 ft in length and is placed horizontally on the serpent that has seven heads. This serpent is the Shesh Naga and the idol is definitely very old. The site is regularly visited by different species of birds because of the close proximity of a number of trees that bear fruits. These birds include the beautiful Malabar Pied Hornbill. Devotees throng the site especially during Diwali when the idol and surroundings are lit up with lamps.

The ancient caves of Bandhavgarh are located on the hillocks of sandstone of Bandhavgarh hill inside the National Park. There are a total of about 39 such caves in the area and these cover a total length of around 5 km. It is understood that in the medieval ages the caves were used as shelter by the king’s troops as well as those monks who were into meditation and other spiritual activities.

These days the caves have been taken over by wild animals such as tigers and bear as well as bats. The Badi Gufa is the biggest among these caves and goes back to the 10th century. This cave has several pillars as well as 9 large rooms. There are some man-made caves among the 39 caves while the others are natural. One can find some caves with Brahmi inscriptions while there are caves that have figures of tigers, elephants, pigs and horsemen.

Bandhavgarh is famous because of its National Park and its tigers but that is not all. The place is also well known for its shopping options. There are several shops just outside the national park from where one can purchase souvenirs such as books on wildlife, t-shirts and pictures of tigers that were photographed in the park. You may like to take home some memorabilia of the great times you spent in the National Park.