Image courtesy: Madhya Pradesh Tourism
How about a holiday destination away from the city’s clutter, amidst vast expanses of deciduous and teak forests interspersed with grasslands, deep gorges and ravines and a breathtaking view of a river flowing turbulently through these ravines? Add to this, an opportunity to admire some of the best wildlife species in India including the king of the jungle and more than 200 species of birds.
Panna National Park, 46 km from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Khajuraho, is an ideal answer to a relaxed, peaceful and a rejuvenating holiday in the lap of Mother Nature.
Extending over Panna and Chattarpur districts in the northern Madhya Pradesh, Panna Tiger Reserve is one of the most beautiful, calm and serene places amongst India’s wildlife destinations. It is located on the banks of the river Ken, which is a tributary of Yamuna. Spread over an area of 543 sq km, Panna is dotted with temples and fort ruins.
Situated in the midst of Vindhya Hills, the reserved forests of Panna were the hunting grounds of the erstwhile princely states of Panna, Chhatarpur and Bijawar. Perhaps because of the royal patronage it received, it has always boasted of a healthy wildlife biosphere. Panna is the most important protected area in the north-central highlands of India, since it form a corridor between eastern and western parts of the country through the Vindhya ranges.
The region harbours tropical climate. Although the summers witness sweltering heat, there are highest chances of encountering maximum species of animals during the season. Winters are cold and comfortable with temperatures being less than 25 degrees Centigrade. The monsoon season, between July and mid-September, transforms the place into a picturesque lush green haven with waterfalls gushing from several hillocks, thereby, making it a photographer’s delight. However, like most national parks, Panna is closed for monsoons to let the forest replenish.
One can either rent a jeep or opt for an elephant safari to go around the park. While catching a sight of the tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is a matter of sheer luck, your chances are much better with leopards (Panthera pardus), wolves (Canis lupus), hyaenas (Hyaena hyaena), caracals (Felus caracal), Indian fox, jackals, porcupine and wild dog (Cuon alpinus). You could also catch the shy sloth bear, and the much more numerous sambar (the largest of Indian deers), chital, chowsingha, nilgai and chinkara. The reserve is also home to India’s ‘Big Four’ snakes including the spectacled cobra, common krait, Russel’s viper and the saw scaled viper.
Every turn of the River Ken during its 55 kilometres journey through the park offers gorgeous revelations and surprises to the visitors and forms the central theme of experience at Panna. The park authorities operate boat rides for the tourists and provide an opportunity to closely observe marsh mugger crocodiles, fish-eating gharials and other reptiles lazing around in the sun on the banks of the river. A separate breeding sanctuary for gharials has also been established.
Panna is a splendid destination for the bird lovers too since the avifauna here includes almost 200 species, ranging from the royal peacock to honey buzzard, king vulture, blossom headed parakeet, slaty-headed scimitar babbler, white necked stork, bareheaded goose and a wide variety of eagles and hawks. The park boasts of having a very high density of the paradise fly-catchers too. An extensive array of smaller birds like kingfishers, starlings, woodpeckers and bee eaters can also be seen. The banks of River Ken, one of the cleanest waterways in India, are home to aquatic birds like fish eagles, cormorants and darters.
Madhya Pradesh might have other high profile parks like Bandhavgarh or Kanha but where Panna wins is that since it gets fewer visitors, your chances of tiger sighting are better. Also, it is in the vicinity of two of India’s must-see destinations – Orchcha and Khajuraho.
Photos credit: Madhya Pradesh Tourism