Boundless is actually the word which came to our minds when we first entered this famous wild life sanctuary. Nevertheless, we ventured further into this mesmerizing world allured by none other than the striped cat.
True. When we had first planned our Madhya Pradesh trip in October, our sole objective was to view the Tiger in the midst of its natural habitat. So we set off a family of four people and our first stop was Jabalpur. From there we took a train till Umaria and then a trekker to our final destination -Bandhavgarh.
On entering the limits of the renowned park , we were greeted by the omnipresent smell of the king of cats. If that seems a bit too romantic, we were nevertheless very much into the mood of smelling him all over the place. We put up at the White Tiger Resort run by MPTDC and no sooner had we filled our stomachs with the aromatic food served at the resort, we set off to fill our hearts.
Our wish was their command. We had only just stepped out of the hotel, when a spanking new Maruti Gypsy drove up to the portico and the smiling driver got down to take us on our memorable tour.
After about a 15-20 mins, as the White Tiger Resort is quite close by to the national park, we entered the park premises. However, it is mandatory to enter the park with a guide which can be easily arranged at the park’s entrance.
To describe the park as ’beautiful’ is just too insufficient. It’s immensity simply awed us transporting us into a different world altogether. A world which has a law of its own.- the law of the Jungle. The rumblings of a hungry cat soon brought us back to our original mission.The jeep came to a halt. we could literally feel the tension dripping like honey from a honeycomb as the jungle stood still waiting for its king to make the next move. The silence was simply eerie. When suddenly we turned at the hoarse whisper of our guide ’’sher sher’’. There it was. Resplendent in all its regal finery glaring at us who dared disturb his mid-day stroll with our humble presence. Shivering with excitement we started clicking away with our cameras. Having had enough, he gradually turned and left us. That was it. I will probably never forget that walk back into the wild.
We returned to out lodgings and could not stop talking about the day’s happenings. The hotel provided comfortable, cosy and clean rooms, good food and most important congenial behaviour of the hotel staff. After a good nights rest, we spent the next day in strolling about the place. Bandhavgarh, besides the park has nothing much to offer to tourists. A dilapidated museum, a few shops selling local goods, a children’s park next to the sanctuary is about all one can visit. We also took an elephant ride, which though intriguing was less eventful than the previous day.
Soon our trip came to an end. Tired and exhausted as we were, we felt a pang of sadness on leaving behind such a beautiful place. However, I definitely intend to make a second trip to Bandhavgarh and I am sure you will too. Just remember, this might not be the right place for very young children as park rules do not permit shouting. Anyhow, just be there once. You wouldn’t want to come back again.