It has been a long time since the summer holidays started and there are many people who are busy searching for new and best options to travel. If you too have not been able to choose the best place for your summer vacation, then we can help you in this. So let us introduce you to Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh, full of natural beauty, where once you visit, you will feel like going again and again.
Madhya Pradesh's largest national park i.e. Kanha National Park is also home to tigers. This park is located in the Maikal hills of Satpura spread over two districts – Mandla and Balaghat. Spread over 940 square km - this park is considered one of the managed wildlife national parks of India. It was declared a protected forest in 1879 and notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1933. In the 1930s, Kanha was divided into two reserves, Hallan and Banjar, of 250 square kilometre and 300 square kilometre respectively.
Places to visit in Kanha National Park
Kanha Museum: Kanha Museum, located inside the Kanha National Park, is maintained by the state forest department. Located near the Khatia (Kisli) Gate, this museum can be visited throughout the year and is a perfect place for people interested in wildlife botany and zoology.
Lapsi Kaba: A courageous, expert hunter and guide named 'Lapsi' lost his life while fighting a ferocious tiger while trying to save the lives of his teammates. In his memory, a mausoleum has been built at the spot where he fought the tiger. Today Lapsi Kabar is an important place of Kanha National Park.
Shravan Taal: A small pond located in the Kanha Tiger Reserve is believed to be the place where Shravan Kumar took his blind parents and used to fetch water from this pond. While fetching water, Shravan was killed by Dasharatha, father of Lord Rama. Therefore the pond has been named after Shravan Kumar.
Vermilion Tree: Sindoor, regularly used in Indian homes, is extracted from this tree variety, which is found in abundance in this national park.
Kanha National Park Circuit
There are three entrance gates here, named Khatiya (Kisli), Mukki and Sarhi. South Zone or Mukki can be easily reached from Nagpur or Raipur while Khatiya and Sarhi can be reached from Jabalpur. To enjoy the convenience of Kanha Jungle Camp, it would be better to find a hotel in the direction of Mukki Gate. While crossing Kanha National Park you will get a glimpse of the real locations from National Geographic's award winning documentary film "Land of the Tigers".
Forest department guides accompany visitors around the park on a circuit which enables visitors to get a better view of the wildlife of the Kanha. The main attractions of Kanha National Safari include Sunset Point, which is known as the most beautiful area of the park. From here one can see the dense luxuriance of the Kanha forest and some magnificent mammals (herbivores) can also be seen from this place. Apart from this one can also enjoy walking and cycling, go on safari in open jeeps and visit nearby villages to experience life in the jungle.
