Summer is strictly tiger time for the family; an annual pilgrimage to Ranthambhore to pay homage to the striped god. This didn't happen for a couple of years, thanks to various COVID related miscalculations and to say that it caused a fair amount of disquiet in the household would be more than a reasonable understatement. And so the summer of 2022 was planned to be a make-up double treat - Bandhavgarh and Ranthambhore. We started with Bandhavgarh but to say that it would just be the appetizer would be blatantly unfair to this most magnificent of tiger forests. We'd visited a couple of times over the last year or so, but never in summer, the best time for tiger sightings. And a large group of us landed to set this record straight.
Day 1 - Stripes called Spots!
Our first safari was in the Magdhi zone, home to Dotty and her 4 cubs and a rather strange male who hung out with them; we'd named him Babysitter when we last saw him. En route to her territory, we were being treated to a dust bath by the jeep in front of us and so Ashok our naturalist/driver veered off at one place and took us on a slightly longer route which bordered the Tala zone. And we were blissfully driving through, when our second jeep behind us frantically motioned us to stop. And reversing back the 50 or so metres we saw why. There was a whole family of tigers lying in the grass, which we'd missed completely. It was Dotty's sister Spotty, and her family. A couple of tigers were lying just in front of the grass and we saw one more emerge from the grass. That seemed to be the signal for the family to move as three of them stepped out from the grass and towards a waterhole.
Spotty was limping, seemingly in a bit of distress and not a bit annoyed. She kept snarling at her two sub-adult cubs, no doubt to tell them to stay away. This was not the time for affection! And as they walked, one more tiger emerged from the grass. At first we thought it was her third cub, but he seemed much larger- Ashok ji then concluded that it was their father, Chakradhara male. Normally a shy fellow, he also did the catwalk across the grassland. Spotty then disappeared back into the grass and settled out of sight near a waterbody, joined by one of her cubs. The male and the other cub continued walking and crossed the road towards a small hillside which had some caves - no doubt for a bit of father-son bonding. We looked for Dotty, but as usual that whole family had vanished on us.
That evening we went back to Magdhi, straight to Dotty this time. We hunted all over for them, but they all seemed to have vaporised. Imagine a family of 6 tigers, very frequently visible, disappearing when we visit. Seemed a bit personal that! But we pushed on, and got an unexpected bounty in the form of a rarely seen male tiger; they didn't even know his name. He was under a tree and in the bushes but we got a decent dekko at him before we headed back to Spotty. She had decided to go to ground like her sister, but we got a glimpse of one of the cubs far away in the grass. Then Ashok ji decided to wait at the spot where the father-son had crossed. And in a bit, alarm calls came from the hillside. And, just had he had predicted, first the father and then the son crossed back into the grassland. They melted away into the tall grass, chalking up 8 sightings of 5 different tigers for the day. Not bad, eh?
Day 2 - The curse is broken (just about)
That refers to my tryst with Khitauli, but more on that later. The morning was reserved for the iconic Tala zone, once the heartbeat of Bandhavgarh but now the slightly underperforming sibling. We drove all over without any signs; pugmarks or alarm calls. Till we heard that a tigress was spotted at the Kinarwa waterhole. Reaching there, we found that she'd just slunk away and we drove around for a bit till we saw her trying to cross the road. We gave her lots of room to cross in front of us, but other jeeps didn't quite have the patience as they drove this way and that. Eventually she backtracked and zipped across the road in front of our other jeep. We still had time to find the beautiful Kajri in one of the most fascinating things I've seen in my two decades of wildlife. We heard alarm calls on the other side of a 10-foot wire fence (that separates the core from the buffer zone) Waiting at one spot, we saw Kajri approach the fence. She stood on the other side as she looked up and evaluated her options. In a second, clean as a whistle, she had leapt up and vaulted over to the other side! She crossed right in front of us, less than 10 feet away and headed up the hill to her little cubs. And on the drive out we were left reflecting on a stunning piece of athleticism from an animal who couldn't be less than 150kgs!
That afternoon was Khitauli zone, home to 25 tigers, but I hadn't seen a single one in 7 safaris. I'd mentioned this to Ram ji (who was driving us now) and our forest guide Sukhnidhan Gupta. And they both, in one voice, said 'It's time to break that' and added that we would see 7 to make up for the missed safaris. I would take one, I said! And upto 6pm the script was playing to plan; no sign of a tiger and we'd checked pretty much the entire zone. Till an approaching jeep told us that there were a couple of sub-adult cubs at a waterhole nearly 10 kms away. I wondered if we'd have enough time, but both of them said that the waterhole was close to the gate so we'd have a good crack at the tigers. And so we headed on, Ram and Sukhnidhan confident, and I just curious to see if I would ever see a tiger in Khitauli. And we just about did - one cub (of the Raah tigress) was walking in the bush as we joined the queue of jeeps and we were able to see him clearly thanks to Ram ji's positioning. He stopped at a clearing where the tiger would try and cross and once again gave him enough space. The tiger came just as he had planned, and strode towards us. Only for the other jeeps to break rank and close out the space. The tiger turned back into the bush and we turned towards the gate, not wanting to be one of those that held it up any more. And just like that, the Khitauli curse was broken.
Day 3 - The redemption of Khitauli
What next, Khitauli? Would it be another torrid, tigerless patch or would it now open its heart and bring out its tigers? The first glimmer was Sukhnidhan ji back as our guide. Now what are the odds of that happening - from 200+ guides across 3 zones, selected at random, he comes back to our jeep in the same Zone. If ever there was a sign....
He gets in to the jeep and says we have unfinished business in Khitauli. We were one of the first jeeps to enter the park. Less than two minutes in and spotted deer alarm calls flood the nearby grassland. We wait. And Ramji says 'leopard' and then 'no, tiger'. as a striped form sloped out from behind a small hillock. It was the Raah tigress. She saw the spotted deer and lay still in the grass for a bit, but quickly abandoned any hopes of a meal as she settled down. We saw some movement on the other side of that hillock and the outcome was another tiger, a cub this time. And to compound our joy, we saw a huge male tiger walk up to the cub, nuzzle him and then walk into the grass. It was Bajrang, the dominant male and the cubs' father.
Even as we watched Raah walked over to join the cub, which was quickly followed by another, then another and then one more!! They frolicked around their mother, jumped over her and even play-ambushed her. It was a breathtaking few minutes and an amazing visual spectacle even if the camera wasn't able to capture the scene with the same intensity. The whole family then walked into thick grass and completely disappeared! We waited for some action and in that time, I got a very valuable lifer - an Indian Cuckoo, a bird that had been calling all over the forest for the last couple of days, finally gave me a sighter, albeit a long distance one. One of the tigers came and sat in the open and we got a few frames of a tiger in 'green'. And then decided to test our luck elsewhere. After all, we'd come from zero to six tigers in less than an hour!
We drove around to check for the other big male, Chota Bheem at all his usual places, the Nigaah nala being one of his favourites. Ram pointed to one shady spot where he usually spent the hottest part of the day, but he wasn't around just then. We went further to check for the Darrah female and her family but with no luck. And then a couple of other jeeps told us of three sub-adult cubs of a tigress named Tara, who were sighted a few minutes ago along with Chota Bheem. We drove there without any joy and waited while Ram and Sukhnidhan plotted our next move. They decided to head back to Nigaah nala since Bheem could go there. And as we reached there, a couple of jeeps told us what we wanted to hear. And see. In the water sat his lordship Chota Bheem, a majestic male tiger in his prime.
He had obviously feasted on something, (the blood on his beard was a telltale sign) and was digesting his meal in peace in the water. We spent a while with him as he posed for some photos, and then got up and heaved his bulk to the exact same place that Ram had pointed to earlier. The other notable part of the sighting was someone from the adjoining jeep deciding to play a Lata Mangeshkar song on his phone. And as the rest of us turned to him bemused, he genuinely looked nonplussed as if wondering what on earth he'd done wrong! When his guide told him to shut the music, he decided to sing it himself. I know that seeing tigers brings out strange emotions in people, but this one took the cake and the bakery with it! Anyways, we'd seen 7 tigers - the exact same number that our wonderful naturalist and guide had promised and we still had a couple of hours to go!
With His Majesty taking leave, we decided to seek the cubs who were seen a short distance away. They weren't around and our other jeep drove out to breakfast point to indulge in a well earned repast. We decided to stay out and look for the cubs and Ram turned into another road that they could take. And almost at once, we heard a sambhar's alarm call. It called continually and urgently, the sound coming closer towards us. Evidently, the predator was headed our way. And quickly, three sub adult cubs crossed the road one by one. They were so close that I didn't even get them into my frame! We knew where they were headed and drove around to wait for them at that waterhole. The first chap walked into the nala in beautiful light, walked across the road in front of us and headed to the water, giving us some grand sightings in the open. He then continued walking into the bush beyond and out of sight.
The second cub then emerged from the same nala, and almost exactly repeated his brother's catwalk. We got some photos of him coming in and then he quickly drank and went back to the nala. We headed there and saw him lying under the shade of a tree. And then Ram pointed to the third tiger, sitting behind a rock further down the nala. We got some photos of him and then gently eased our jeep to get photos of the earlier fellow. He was lying peacefully as we drew abreast and loosed off a couple of shots. The jeep behind however made their approach felt, rather noisily at that. Our friend showed them exactly what he was capable of doing to those that disturbed his beauty snooze. He snarled at them with intent and then, point made, gave us a more conciliatory stare and settled back to his reverie. And we left, to exit Khitauli with 10 tiger sightings in one safari! Ten years of no tigers and then one safari with ten! With monumental thanks to the tiger gods and of course to Ram and Sukhnidhan, we took our leave.
After that, any safari would be an anticlimax and our evening safari to Tala was definitely so. We drove here and there till we heard of a sighting of a tigress at Banbehi. She was lying across a waterbody, in thick bush and only a stripe or two was visible. Right at the end, she walked out, giving a brief glimpse, and keeping our proud record of seeing a tiger on every safari still going. The highlights of this safari were not striped - first up a humongous male gaur in the Chakradhara grasslands - an enormous beast with muscles that were almost unworldly! Then a trip to the 10th century reclining Vishnu statue - this is an enormous 30 foot statue carved out of a single rock. The waterbody at its feet is fed by perennial streams from the surrounding hills and it continues on its way to become the Charanganga river, fulfilling the needs of more than 15 villages outside the park. Underlining once again the impact of these wonderful forests in our lives.
Day 4 - Babysitter and his bath
Our last safari was at Magdhi and were hoping to finally see Dotty and her (extended) family. We heard alarm calls as soon as we entered so we stopped to investigate. That done without any result, we headed forth to get a beautiful Indian Roller feeding her chick. We stopped at a respectful distance to click some photos and then drove into Dotty's territory. A row of jeeps at the Charakwah waterhole promised action, but they were also waiting for some. The first jeep on the scene had seen Babysitter with a couple of Dotty's cubs but a forest department motorcycle had driven them behind the bund on the other side of the waterbody. We waited for a bit and then there was a buzz as one of the remaining cubs was sighted further ahead. Vehicles zipped to and fro but we stayed put. And the cub responded by walking down to the water and then climbing the bund after her drink. She saw a mongoose and promptly proceeded to charge the poor animal, which hastily legged it, no doubt grumbling about bullying and how it ought to be eliminated.
Finally, his Babysitter-ship walked out from behind the bund and entered the water. He proceeded to lazily dip himself, right up to his whiskers and lie like that for almost an hour. Many dozen people gawking at him didn't put him off in the least as he enjoyed a leisurely bath. And then, sated and no doubt adequately washed, he went back the same way he came, with nary a backward glance at his admiring audience. And that view of the tiger's backside ended a truly monumental trip.
Nineteen different tigers, a sighting on every one of our seven safaris. An Indian Cuckoo. What's not to like about Bandhavgarh? Maybe a sighting of the elusive Dotty the next time?
Bandhavgarh Trip Guide
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve is spread across more than 1500 sq kms in the Umaria District of Madhya Pradesh (MP), often called, India's heart. Its sal forests and meadows are one of the finest places in the world to see wild tigers. It has had its share of legendary tigers, from Charger and Sita, to B2, Bamera and the amazing Rajbehra tigress.
Bandhavgarh has three core zones open for tourists - Tala (the most famous), Magadhi and Khitauli. There are buffer zones as well, but it's worth checking with your hotel for sightings there before booking.
Getting there
Bandhavgarh is about 4 hours (160kms) from Jabalpur, which is the closest airport and major rail head. Jabalpur has decent air connectivity, and excellent rail connectivity.
The closest rail head is Umaria (35kms) which has a couple of trains to Delhi.
Another good rail option is Katni (100kms) which is on the main rail line connecting Delhi with other southern and western cities.
Your hotel can arrange pickups from Jabalpur, Katni or Umaria.
Safaris
You can book safaris on forest.mponline.gov.in or ask your hotel to book for you. Please carry original IDs when you visit the forest, these get checked when you enter the park.
I recommend that you do at least 4 safaris (combination of morning and evening) to maximise your chances of sighting.
Places to stay
Bandhavgarh has every conceivable type of accommodation, from affordable to unimaginable luxury.
We stayed at the Bandhav Vilas. And whatever I say about it will barely do it justice. The property itself is a large, sprawling resort with small clusters of cottages. The rooms themselves are huge, beautifully done up and have a lovely verandah where we could sit and enjoy our evenings.
The food was amazing and hospitality was extra special. It was like being looked after at home.
The drivers and naturalists were out of this world. Rambeer Singh and Mukesh Shukla, the driver/naturalists are incredible fountains of information and instinct. We also had the excellent Ashok Shukla with us on most safaris and you've already heard about our lucky charm, Sukhnidhan Gupta.
Other tips
Bandhavgarh can get really cold in winter, so do pack in jackets and woollens. It can get scorching hot in summer, so please ensure you have caps and appropriate clothing to manage the heat. Sunblock might also be a good idea if the sun bothers you
The park is very strict about enforcing COVID regulations, so a face mask is mandatory.
It can also get quite dusty, so the mask may also help keep dust away.
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