Introduction to Kanha

Kanha Kisli National Park

  June 27, 2022
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Kanha has originally formed a part of the Gondwana which means “Land of Gonds”. Given forests were inhibited by two aboriginal tribes of Central India, Gonds and Baigas. If we travel the surrounding villages of Kanha National Parks, we may find the majority of villagers are from the same tribes. In late 1880, during the British era, Kanha national park, called Central Provinces was the setting for Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book stories. One can find described landscapes in the forest of Kanha & Pench in Central India. Kanha national park is spread across 940 sq. km; that is one of the largest parks in Madhya Pradesh where the majestic royal Bengal tigers are found in good numbers.

Overview of Kanha National Park

Kanha Kisli Tiger Reserve abounds in meadows or maidens which are basically open grasslands that have sprung up in fields of abandoned villages, evacuated to make way for the animals. There are many species of grass recorded at Kanha some of which are important for the survival of Barasingha. Densely forested zones with good crown cover have abundant species of climbers, shrubs, and herbs flourishing in the understory. Aquatic plants in numerous “Tal” (lakes) are the lifeline for migratory and wetland species of birds.

Introduction to Kanha

Figure 1 Introduction to Kanha taken from

The main wildlife attractions in the park are tiger, bison, gaur, sambhar, chital, more pictures…. barasingha, barking deer, black deer, black buck, chousingha, nilgai, mouse deer, sloth bear, jackal fox, porcupine, hyena, jungle cat, python, peafowl, hare, monkey, mongoose, tiger, and leopard.

The bird species in the park include storks, teals, pintails, pond herons, egrets, peacock, peafowl, jungle fowl, spur fowl, partridges, quails, ring doves, spotted parakeets, green pigeons, rock pigeons, cuckoos, Papias, rollers, bee-eater, hoopoes, drongos, warblers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, finches, orioles, owls, and flycatchers.

However, if one animal species were to represent Kanha, it would probably be the barasingha or the swamp deer. The barasinghas at Kanha are unique, being the hard ground variety, which populates the large open tracts of grass amidst the forests of teak and bamboo. Twenty years ago, the barasingha was faced with extinction but some desperate measures including the fencing-off of some animals helped save them, and again the air in Kanha bugled with their rutting calls.

Places to See in Kanha National Park

Bamni Dadar: Bamni Dadar is one of the highest plateaus in the tiger reserve and it shows a charming view of the enormity and beauty of forests. It is highly recommended Bambni dadar while you visit the park. It is also known as the sunset point of Kanha. It is the highest point in Kanha. Here you will barking deer, spotted deer, and Indian bison.

Sonf Meadows: Sonf village was the first village that moved out from the Park area for making a tiger reserve in Kanha. After in few years few Barasingha began to breed successfully. The thick and extensive cover of tall grasses protected the Barasingha fawns from predators.

Kanha Meadows: The Kanha Meadows is the most popular place in Kanha due to spotting the tigers.

Shravan Tal: There is a small water pond in the reserve popularly known as Shravan Tal. As per the belief, it was named because of the history that the dutiful son Shravan Kumar came here to fetch water for his blind parents.

Shravan Chita: Shravan Chita is the so-called place where the dutiful son Shravan Kumar, was cremated. The spot is at the center of the park when you enter from the Kisli gate and move towards Kanha. A large number of herbivores and carnivores animals and birds use to come here as the water availability in this pond is throughout the year.

Kanha Museum: Kanha Museum is situated near the entry of Kisli Gate. The museum is established and maintained by the forest department. Here you can find the skeletons of reptiles, carnivores, and herbivores. The museum is open throughout the day for the visitors.

Dasharatha Machan: Near the Shravan Tal, you can see opposite it a mountain-like structure called Shravan machan. As per Indian mythology at this point the doomed arrow to dutiful son Shravan Kumar. The Hill is known as Macha Dongar. King Dasharatha used that machan as a hideout for hunting. The Machan is built at a height on the trees, where they wait patiently for animals to pass by.

Best Season to Visit Kanha National Park

February to June although the cool season, October to February is much more comfortable and still very good for wildlife. The park is closed from July 01 to October 15 because of the monsoon. In Kanha National Park there are 4 core are – Kanha (Kanha Zone is Premium Zone), Kisli, Sarahi, Mukki and 1 Buffer Zone – Khitauli. Wildlife sightings are good all over the preserve. One needs to book park entry in advance and arrange for gypsy as early as possible, especially during the holiday season and festivals like Holi, Diwali, Dussehra, New Year, and Weekends.

How to reach Kanha National Park

Jabalpur is the best suitable place to reach Kanha National Park. The city is North-West of Kanha National Park. It is just 165kms/04:00hrs from the park. Jabalpur city has an airport having direct connectivity with Delhi. Jabalpur city is very well connected through trains with major cities of India like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Bangalore, Pune, Lucknow, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Ahmadabad, etc. Jabalpur Airport is most suitable for reaching Kanha National Park. Jabalpur Airport is directly connected to Mumbai & Delhi.

Reference

[1] http://kanha.co.uk/kanha-safari

[2] www.mptourism.com

[3] http://kanha.co.uk/kanha-safari/kanha-safari-attractions.html

[4] http://kanhakislionline.com/Kanha_National_Park.htm

[5] http://www.kanha-national-park.com/

[6] http://www.kanhanationalpark.com/info-about.htm

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