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Safari in Bandhavgarh: In pursuit of tigers

14 Nov 2016 by Business Traveller India
Bandhavgarh safari

It’s a lovely winter morning, a gentle knock at the door pulls me out of my warm bed in the plush villa in Bandhavgarh, located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh.

I open the door and see two smiling faces. A young girl is holding a woollen poncho for me while the boy has an elaborate tea tray. I’m asked to wear the poncho on the morning safari to keep me warm.

This is typical to the Samode Safari Lodge (samode.com/safarilodge) hospitality. You can also expect flower-strewn foot-baths after the safari, soaked almonds by the bedside and hot-water bottles tucked in your blankets at night, to ensure a comfortable stay.

Refreshed with the ginger tea and accompanying ginger cookies, camera in hand and poncho duly worn as requested, I walk towards the parking lot from where the safari will begin. Our driver, Vijay welcomes us with water bottles and binoculars. “We take a maximum of four guests per vehicle with a professional guide from the safari park for comfortable viewing,” we’re told as he manoeuvres the four-wheel drive out of Samode’s gates.

The National Park is a ten-minute drive from there. We’re asked to leave our names at the entrance, so they can keep a check on the number of heads that have entered and exited the park.

Safari tickets are available online (bandhavgarh-national-park.com), and can also be purchased from the entrance gate. Visitors can hire safari jeeps from local operators in the area, apart from directly with the park; however, they must book the Park’s official guide to go inside. Every vehicle has to be registered with the Park authority, and is given a unique serial number. As per the Forest Department’s rule, vehicles must be five-years-old or younger.

Acknowledging receipt of the necessary details: name, age, gender, national identification and ID proof used at the time of booking the safari, we’re given a go-ahead from the guards.

A welcome sign at the entrance by a “tiger” reads: “Dear friends, my sighting in the wild is a matter of chance. Singleminded objective for me during (the) Park visit may disappoint you in a great way. I request you to enjoy this Park in its total wilderness.” The message couldn’t have been more apt as Bandhavgarh Reserve has so much to offer besides just the tigers. 

Once the hunting ground of the Maharajahs of the region, this Central Indian Park gets its name from its namesake hillock, which is also home to the Bandhavgarh Fort. As per Hindu mythology, the fort was gifted to Laxman by his brother, Lord Rama. Hence the name Bandhavgarh meaning “Brother’s Fort” in Sanskrit.

There are 39 caves in the fort, the oldest cave dates back to the first century. Interestingly, the caves have inscriptions in Brahmi script and embossed illustrations of tigers, pigs, elephants and even horsemen. The largest cave, dating back to the tenth century, has nine small rooms within and several carved pillars, that are now mostly plain from being weathered.

A remarkable feature of the fort is the number of tenth century rock sculptures depicting the many incarnations of Lord Vishnu. It would have been lovely to get closer to these etchings, however, protocol keeps us safe from a probable attack by a wild animal. Nonetheless, Vijay takes the vehicle right up to a Lord Vishnu statue — the most beautiful image of him lying down under the hood of Sheshnag, the mythological snake.

It’s time to drive around the Park to meet the animals that we’ve awaited with bated excitement. Out of the four zones namely Magadhi, Khitauli, Tala and Panpatta, we experience only one as each visit permits entry into any one zone. Tala Zone (Gate-1) is the Premium Safari Zone due to THE higher probability of spotting a tiger there, hence a higher entry-fee than the other zones.

We drive from the entrance to the Park’s central point and from there to the exit gate on the other side. Over the course of our three-hour drive, we first catch sight of nilgai, a rare blue bull and the largest Asian antelope. Shortly after, in quick succession we easily spot sambar, another native to the Indian subcontinent — a deer. It is imperative to be quiet, because they’re startled easily. Next we see barking deer, hyenas, spotted deer and jackals. And of course, many a times we heard peacocks, monkeys and several other inhabitants of the forest calling out to each other.

Bird-lovers can truly revel in the company of the yellow crowned woodpecker, crested serpent eagle, white-eyed buzzard, white-browed fantail, greater racket tailed drongo, Malabar pied hornbill, and a lot more, most of which Vijay points to us whenever he can.  

Bandhavgarh

There are more than 250 bird species residing there, about 80 species of butterflies, and a good variety of reptiles too. Thankfully, we missed sighting the cold-blooded creatures.

It is time to return to the lodge. Vijay and the guide look sad as they have not been able to show us the tiger. But for me, driving through the lovely landscape in the wee hours of the morning (6:30am-11am), and photographingthe pretty birds, is an experience to cherish forever. Even though we didn’t see the tiger, we did spot the Indian leopard, which was thrilling too.

Samode Safari Lodge, Bandhavgarh

At the resort, the Samode Lodge team welcomes us back with wet, hot towels and a local hot drink made with herbs including basil, ginger and lemon. I am escorted towards the breakfast table set under a beautiful mahua tree. It is several hundred years old and remains as strong as can be. Sensitivity to the environment has been the major concern in constructing Samode Lodge. Strict norms were followed, which included not felling a single tree, and using building materials that had to be sourced locally — a government rule. Rainwater is harvested and solar panels are installed. Further, each design element in the luxurious property is the work of local artists.

Evenings are very special there. You come back from the evening safari, soak your feet in the flower-infused warm water tub and head towards a therapeutic spa. A well designed meal at an exotic location in the Lodge completes the day perfectly.

Indulgence is at the peak while you are at Samode Safari Lodge. An open air bath on other nights means slipping into serenity under the stars, with accompanying views from the private verandah — a perfect “me time”setting.

While you are at Samode Lodge, don’t miss a walk to the neighbouring village, Mardari. I browse through the artefacts on display periodically on my walk through the village. Most villagers are employed by the lodges in the region, as guides,servers, cleaners, chauffeurs and even for carpentry work. I’m told they are very good at woodwork, but I didn’t have the time to visit their workshops.

The weekend concludes with me and my bags at the Umaria train station. A fun fact: this is where the tropic of cancer passes through.

A land of wonderment, I bid adieu as I board the train that will take me home.

Getting there

The nearest airport is Jabalpur, a four-hour drive of less than 200km, or an overnight train from Delhi to Umaria, 33km from the National Park.

Best time to visit 

November to February is the best time to visit as the weather is pleasant. From March to May, it gets hot, but animal sighting is relatively easier as most of the vegetation dries up, and they can be spotted cooling themselves at water bodies.

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