Bandhavgarh National Park

Bandhavgarh National Park is located Sahdol district amongst the outlying hills of the Vindhyan Range in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is best known as the 'Tiger Land' of India, because the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the densest in India. 

Bandhavgarh National Park was the hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Rewa before becoming an area of 105 sq. km as a National Park in 1968. In 1982, the area of the park was increased to 448.84 sq. km and it became a tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1993.

The park consists of a core area of 105 sq km and a buffer area of approximately 400 sq km. It got its name from the Bandhavgarh Fort situated on the Bandhavgarh hill. It is the oldest fort in India. No records remain to show when this fort was constructed. Along the foot path of the fort and within its wall are ruins of medieval temples and massive stone sculptures.

Some cave with inscriptions confirm that this was inhabited 2,000 years ago. There is an interesting story behind this Fort. In the Epic Ramayana, Bandhavgarh Fort was given to brother Laxmana by Lord Rama to keep a watch on Lanka and hence, the name Bandhavgarh (Bandhav means brother and Garh means fort).  

There are also interesting cave shrines scattered around the park, with Brahmi inscriptions dating from the 1st century BC.  

Flora

The park has a vast grasslands  rugged with deep ravines, sharp crested hills,  narrow valleys and some plain areas with few scattered undulating green hillocks. The Park mainly consists of moist deciduous type which is dominated by Sal trees and bamboo. Plantations of  Lofty Saja and Terminalia spp., Lagerstroemia spp., Syzygium cumini, Boswelia spp., Pterocarpus spp., Madhuca spp. Madhuca indica, Drossera indica, Dendrocalamus strictus, Butea monosperma, Woody climbers such as Butea superba and Bauhinia vahlii and Lianas such as  Spatholobus roxburghii etc cover most of the park area. The park has open marshy grass lands dominated with many species of grasses.