Eastern Heavens India – A Professionally Managed Eco Tourism Organisation Destination – Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh is called the Heart of India because of its location in the centre of the country. It has been home to the cultural heritage of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism etc. Innumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples, stupas, forts & palaces are dotted all over the state. Madhya Pradesh bagged the Best Tourism State Award in 2012. The natural beauty of Madhya Pradesh is equally varied. Consisting largely of a plateau streaked with the hill ranges of the Vindhyas and the Satpuras, the State has everything. The hills give rise to the main river system - Narmada and the Tapti, running from east to west, and the Chambal, Sone, Betwa, Mahanadi west to east. Spectacular mountain ranges, meandering rivers dotted with hills and lakes and miles and miles of dense forests offering a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife in sylvan surroundings. One third of the state is forested and offers a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife. In the National Parks of Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Shivpuri and many others one has the rare opportunity to see the tiger, the bison and a wide variety of deer and antelope in sylvan surroundings. Although the modern state of Madhya Pradesh came into being in 1956, its cultural heritage is ancient and chequered. Innumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples, stupas, forts and palaces on hilltops, raise in the visitors mind visions of empires and kingdoms, of the great warriors and builders, poets and musicians, saints and philosophers; of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. The famous Sanskrit poet-dramatist Kalidasa and the great musician of the Mughal court, Tansen, were from Madhya Pradesh. They are known all over the world. Three sites in Madhya Pradesh have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO 1. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986) 2. Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) 3. The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003) National Parks, Tiger Reserves, Sanctuaries & Forests Fossil National Park Fossil National Park is situated in Dindori, This national park has plants in fossil form that existed in India anywhere between 40 million and 150 million years ago spread over seven villages of Mandla District. The Mandla Plant Fossils National Park is an area that spreads over 274,100 square metres. Such fossils are found in three other villages of the district also, which lie outside the national park. In Ghuguwa and Umaria the standing, petrified trunks of trees have been identified as Gymnosperms and Angiosperms- Monocotyledons and palms. There are certain Bryophytes also. There is some doubt about whether the fossils are from the late Jurassic or the early and mid-Cretaceous age. This is because when the breakup of the single land mass, Pangaea occurred, it was split by the continental drift into Laurasia and Gondwanaland somewhere between the Jurassic and Cretaceous ages. India formed a part of Gondwanaland. Interspersed with the plant fossils are to be found the fossils of molluscs. One theory is that the area in which the fossils are located, i.e., the Narmada Valley near Mandla, was actually a deep inundation of the sea into peninsular India till the Post- Cambrian Tertiary age, about 40 million years ago. This means that Narmada was a very short river which terminated in the inland sea above Mandla, and that the recession of the sea caused geological disturbances, which created the present rift valley through which the [email protected] / [email protected] / 98303-66550 Page 1 Eastern Heavens India – A Professionally Managed Eco Tourism Organisation Narmada River and Tapti River flow in their present journey to the Arabian Sea. The fossils look like ordinary rocks and are either removed from the fields unwittingly by agriculturists or are damaged by tourists and those unscrupulous people who think they can make quick money out of their sale. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Bandhavgarh is located between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, and was well known for its tigers much before it became a tiger reserve. The area has unique historical attributes, with the Bandhavgarh. Fort prominently located as a major landmark. According to legend, it is believed that the Bandhavgarh Fort was given to Lakshman by his brother Lord Ram (bandhav means brother, hence the name Bandhavgarh). Several ancient texts like Shiva Samhita and NaradPuran also make a reference to this area. Bandhavgarh owes its wilderness to erstwhile rulers of Rewa State, since it was their hunting preserve and enjoyed protection from wanton destruction. It was considered a good omen for the Rewa Maharaja to shoot 108 tigers, the numbers coinciding with the beads in the Hindu rosary! Bandhavgarh has three major attractions: wildlife archaeology and breathtaking landscape. Out of which wildlife is the principal one, with tigers being the star attraction that can be easily sighted in their various moods and behavioural patterns. Interesting territorial fights and land tenure patterns of tigers have been observed in the area. The other common wild herbivores of Central India like Sambar, Chital (Spotted deer), Chowsingha, Nilgai and Chinkara. Other wild animals include the Sloth bear, jackal, hyena, langur, and more than 240 species of avifauna, apart from a large number of reptilian species. The reserve also has a sparse population of Gaur, which could be sighted in forest areas adjoining the reserve. The must-visit places within the park include the Bandhavgarh Fort, the statue of reclining Vishnu (Sheshshaiya), Badi Gufa, Three Cave Point, Sita, Mandap, Raj Behra and Chakradhara. Wildlife can be viewed from open vehicles as safaris. Kanha National Park Kanha Tiger Reserve is located in the Maikal Hills of the Satpuras spreading over two revenue districts – Mandla and Balaghat.Kanha was declared a reserve forest in 1879 and notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1933. Its status was further upgraded to a national park in 1955. The habitat has an excellent interspersion of geographical attributes and welfare factors which foster a rich population of wildlife. Kanha is virtually a tiger land, with several tigresses occupying traditionally famous natal areas. Several pockets of high density areas lead to competition amongst tigers for food and space with several signs indicating their presence. Inter group fights among tigers and cub morality caused by male tigers is common in Khana. There is a rich assemblage of co-predators and prey animals. Packs of Wild dogs chasing large herds of Spotted deer are a commonsight in Kanha. Perhaps the most precious animal of Kanha is the Central Indian Barasingha. This Swamp deer is the last world population of the hard ground subspecies, which has virtually been saved from extinction owing to concerned efforts under Project Tiger. Barasinghas have also been located successfully to the eastern Halon Valley of the park, which was their original home. Other common animals found in the reserve are leopard, Spotted deer, Sambar, Wild pigs, Grey langur and more than 300 species of birds. The places of tourist attraction here are Shravan Tal, Shravan Chita, Macha Dongar, Bamni Dadar famous for breathtaking sunset view, orientation centre/museum and grasslands of [email protected] / [email protected] / 98303-66550 Page 2 Eastern Heavens India – A Professionally Managed Eco Tourism Organisation Mukki and Sonf. Similar to Bandhavgarh, Kanha also allows wildlife lovers to catch glimpses of natives from an elephant back apart from jungle excursions in open vehicles. Madhav National Park Madhav National Park is located in close proximity to the Shivpuri town. Madhav National Park has been the hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Gwalior, and is one of the oldest protected areas of Madhya Pradesh. The Shivpuri area is legendary for its faunal riches. It is said that Emperor Akbar, while returning from Malwa in 1854, captured a large number of wild elephants in its forests. However, at present there are no elephants in this tract. During 1956, an area of 165.32 sq km was notified as a national park under the Madhya Bharat National Park Act of 1955. Subsequently, the area has been increased to 354.61 sq km. The common fauna in Madhav National Park include leopard, Wild dog, wolf, jackal, hyena, Spotted deer, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chowsingha and Wild pig. There are reports of tigers straying into the area from adjoining forests. More than 227 species of birds can be seen, and a large number of migratory birds visit the park during winter – Spots bills, pelicans, Spoon bills, Brahminy ducks and Bar headed geese. The lakes have a large variety of fishes. The places of tourist attraction in the area include SakhyaSagar Lake, Sailing Club and shooting box, Madhav Lake, George Castle, BhuraKho, JalMandir and Siddha Baba. Panna National Park Panna is located in the Vindhya range, this tiger reserve spreads into two revenue districts, Panna and Chhatarpur. Like Bandhavgarh, Panna was also the hunting reserve of its erstwhile rulers of Chhatarpur and Bijawar princely states. The Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary comprising of forests of Panna Forest Divisions (north and south) was created in 1975. The area was enlarged and its legal status elevated to a national park during 1981. The protected area was brought under Project Tiger in 1994. Panna is rather an open, dry landspace, with the topography and water distribution governing the spatial presence of wild animals. There is a significant drop in elevations, locally known as seha. These places provide adequate cover for wild animals. Vultures and other raptors roosting on cliffs along the river course are a common sight in Panna. The fauna consists of tiger, leopard, Chowsingha, Sloth bear, Nilgai, Chinkara, hyena and small groups of Chital. More than 200 species of birds have been spotted. Both Gharial and Mugger are found in the Ken River.