Bandhavgarh Tourism.

India’s rich biodiversity makes it a very popular tourist destination. The wild array of flora and fauna is well preserved and protected in a number of national parks and sanctuaries. One of the most popular national parks in India is the Bandhavgarh National Park which is located in the Umaria district of eastern Madhya Pradesh.

The park has an overall geographical area of approximately 450 square kilometers and is home to hundreds of different species of wildlife.  India’s national animal, the tiger, which is now vastly endangered and dwindling in numbers is the major attraction at Bandhavgarh.

The Bandhavgarh National Park is steeped in a rich cultural history which goes back over 2000 years. The park is known to be associated with various legends of the Ramayana, one of India’s oldest religious epics.  Various families and dynasties ruled over Bandhavgarh at various periods of time such as the Mauryans, the Kalachuris, the bagels etc.  Interestingly, before Bandhavgarh was declared to be a national park, the forests were maintained as a game preserve (Shikargah) of the royalty residing in the area, which was then the state of Rewa.  In the year 1968, the area was officially declared as a national park.Small dams were built to combat the water crisis, relocation of villages took place and security was tightened in the different zones so as to preserve wildlife. In this way, Bandhavgarh’s glorious journey went forward and it was finally declared to be a tiger reserve in the year 1993.