History
Bandhavgarh – the land of the majestic tiger, a reservoir of natural beauty and a cauldron of heritage wealth, is located in Madhya Pradesh in the Vindyan Ranges. Bandhavgarh Fort has its mention in mythology where Prince Lakshman was crowned king of this fort by elder brother Rama and he was hence called Bandhavdhish. It was ruled by many dynasties from Chandelas to Baghela Kings who were the last rulers. A large number of architectural evidences of ancient civilization exists within the confines of the core area. These are in forms of temples, man made caves, horse stables and numerous chambers. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and National Park was the hunting grounds erstwhile Maharajas of Rewa. The destination is also famous for its white-tiger last seen in the 1950s near the reserve forests.
The Forest
Bandhavgarh National Park was formed in the year 1965 and covers a forest area of 448.84 sq. km. The Project Tiger areas now comprises of more than 1100 sq.km.
Wildlife
The wildlife preserve is an excellent habitat for the tiger and has the highest density of the big cats in the world. This forest vows to bewitch you with awe-inspiring sightings of the King of the Jungle – the Tiger.
In addition to the Tiger, the park has Leopards, Bears, Indian Gaur (Bison), Cheetals (Spotted-Deer), Sambhar Deer, Barking Deer, Neelgai (Blue-Bull) in abundance along with around 250 species of birds.
Culture and Heritage
A couple of lines about the Culture and Heritage - the forts and the folk art i.e. Gond etc.