History of Bandhavgarh

Bandhavgarh is beautifully weaved with fascinating mythology and history. In the ancient books namely the Narad-panch Ratra and the Shiv Purana, this place is associated with Ramayana, the sacred epic of Hindus. It is believed that the ruined Bandhavgarh Fort was built by the two monkeys who constructed a bridge between Lanka and the mainland.The fort was then given by Lord Rama to his youngest brother Lakshmana .The presiding diety of the fort is Lakshmana who is worshipped here.

Bandhavgarh went under the rule of several powerful dynasties namely Baghelas, Kalchuris but in the 17th century is popularity declined to a great extent since the court life shifted to Rewa. The region was deprived of any royal patronage. It took the shape of a deserted land where dense forests around the fort gave it a new status. The thick woods were inviting for the tigers and diverse wildlife. No wonder it served as the perfect hunting reserve of the royals who were desperate to show their act of chivalry by gunning down the dreaded beast, Tiger! Till independence, the entire region was the private property of the Maharaja who finally handed it over to the state and the National Park was set up in 1968.

With the establishment of the park, the density of animal population began to shoot up and the heinous act of poaching was brought under strict control.Several measures were taken up to improve the living conditions of the wildlife. In order to solve the water crisis ,small dams were constructed, grazing by local cattle was brought under check and relocation of the villages within the boundaries of the park took place.All these constructive measures bore fruit and the population of the tigers increased to such an extent that in 1986 extra forest area was badly needed for their accommodation.

Thus began the glorious journey of Bandhavgarh National Park and its fame rose when it was included in the Project Tiger Network in 1993 along with the adjoining Panpatha Sanctuary which was also considered as a part of the reserve.