Bandhavgarh

We always talk about Bandhavgarh fort. How good it was to walk up to the fort. Munmun always loved it. She walked all the way from Sheshaiyya to Fort temple and back at the age of 30 months. Chocolates were always with her to boost up her energy. We don't get any chance to talk to Tourists while we are inside the park. That is the time where we are always busy in spotting the things or planning how to use remaining time to produce best results. Once Kay and her friend went for Lunch in one the costliest lodge. She saw that all the guests staying there were allocated a different table for lunch and there Naturalist was not accompanying them. Means the guests do not get chance to have conversation with other guests or with their Naturalist. Bizzare----------.

So people who wants to visit Bandhavgarh in future can note some information from here.

Now fort visit is not cheap. You have to pay an extra Entry fee to the Park and jeep charges. For Nationals it is Rs 680/ and for Foreighners Rs 2180/ entry fee and jeep charges are Rs 2500/.

What you see their Ruins and a temple. There are some Good statues of Vishnu incarnation and even of Kalki. According to hindu mythology he is yet to born. Very good view of the park and of surrounding atreas. One can see from there that how isolated the park is. Everyone talks about corridor but where is the chance to have a corridor for the animals to move. Statue of Matasya, Turtle, Varah and view from Maharaja seat is worth seeing. Bathan side is good for Vulture photography. My best Vulture photographs are from there.

If you know about Kabir and his Doha "Pathar puje hari mile, to me pooju pahar" then must visit a place called Kabir temple on the fort. There is no statue or anything in that building but every year Kabir followers comes visit this place in thousands and that day park is in full mess. Thousands of people are allowed to walk through the park. I am here since 1990 but visiting this park since 1979. Never saw this Kabir mela before. It all started all of a sudden like in mid and late 60s we saw Santoshi Mata. One Priest told me that Fear creates the faith. I beleive him.

I firmly beleive that people working in wildlife wing of forest department have changed their attitude and now they succumb to every political pressure and bend the rules otherwise this tradition of Kabir pilgrimage would not have started.

Anyway avoid those dates is the only advice I can offer.

Walking around Temple can be rewarding, good for birds and butterfly photography.

The picture of a cliff is basically an old Long Billed Vulture nest that is being abondoned due to the death of nesting birds. They do change their nesting site but this nest was always occupied since I visited the fort about 22 yrs back. we presume that parent birds must have died due to Diclofenac affect.