Some jungle safaris can never be forgotten, like the one to Panna where I saw a cub tiger exploring his territory, a rare hyena and canyons around river Ken which is home to gharials  

The 25-km drive from Khajuraho to Panna Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, in the early morning darkness was exciting. This park was created in 1981 and declared a Project Tiger Reserve in 1994.

Rewilding of Tigers: A Success Story

The tigers here vanished in 2009 and then began an extensive rewilding programme with all its pitfalls. You can read about it here.

The park is primarily dry, deciduous forests nourished by the river Ken. It is located on the Vindhyan range of mountains with beautiful canyons. The plateaus, gorges and waterfalls make for stunning vistas.

This national park is home to Cheetal, Sambar, Nilgai, Chinkara, Chowsingha, Langoor, Wild boar, Jackal, and relics of Gondwana period (tribals of Central India) are scattered across the reserve. The Ken Gharial Sanctuary, famous Pandavas Falls are also located in the vicinity. There are eight species of vultures and crocodiles in Ken River.

There are two entry gates to the core area: Madla and Hinauta. There are three entry gates for the buffer zone: Akola, Harsa, Khajurikudar.

Tiger Sighting

The two primary tigresses of this park are T1 and T2. These are tags given by the scientists for consensus and tracking purposes. Our guide regaled us with stories about T1 and her two cubs and they had been sighted close by.

Flames of hope rose higher as the sun’s rays fell on the ground. We were not going back without meeting the lady and her cubs. We didn’t take her consent into consideration — but that’s human.

A row of jeeps turned inside the curvy mud road, crossing a river bed and came to halt near an old broken room. This was the place where the tigers were monitored.

A man came out with a metal detector and rotated it a few times. We waited, taking a hesitant bite of crunchy chips. The drivers were eating their breakfast. The forest guards were cooking food in a big utensil for the elephants — tame ones.

Suddenly, one jeep moved, a tiger was there. The deer was screaming. The tiger was hunting. Craning our necks, standing on the highest possible place in the open jeep, we actually felt like running between the bushes for a closer look. But the tiger didn’t come out.

A calm peacock emerged, indicating the tiger had gone. Turning the eyes, we saw an antelope and a wild boar. There were some ruins in the distance. A village had been relocated when the area was declared a tiger reserve, the guide told us.

Disappointed, we moved. But the driver observed the others and stood near the river. The tiger was coming, the tiger was coming, ‘get your cameras ready’, ‘shoot maam’ and the tiger was in the camera, a tiny piece in the distance because I didn’t have the telephoto lens.

From between the dry shrub, the majestic being emerged. We watched as he drank water from the river and then slowly, magnificently, walked back into the shrubs.

Elusive Hyena comes out

We moved for the jungle had more splendours to reveal. And then another jeep caught up with us. The even rarer hyena emerged from the shrubs. He waited, we watched wide-eyed, he shrugged and walked away, we sighed.

The Jungle is awake

The drive continued with peacocks, deers and birds as our companions. We hoped to see more scary beasts but I guess the rare ones were done with. Suddenly, the driver halted the Gypsy near an emerald water body; matching the name of the place it was located in (panna means emerald). A crocodile lived here; we could disembark. The jungle, us and a croc — nothing happened for we were not allowed to go anywhere near the water body. It didn’t even come out. Goodbye tiger. Goodbye hyena.

Enchanting Ken Gharial Sanctuary

Ken Gharial Sanctuary is a 30-minute drive from Panna. And the magnificent Raneh Falls, also known as the Grand Canyon of India, are also located inside. I thought it would a close up call with the wild, but this was a close-up call with a breathtaking volcanic site. It exploded with its canyon-like feel. Think trees, langurs, deers and nilgais and an amazing rocky terrain — this was mind-blowing.

The area had five kinds of rocks, including graphite. Mining is strictly forbidden in this no man’s land. A not-so used trail led us to the edge of the cliffs. The falls were dry, but the water falling over the rocks during the monsoon was another dreamy thought.

 The heart was smitten with this natural wonder. A little ahead was the high point from where the gharials could be spotted bathing. And we did find them in their habitat. The crocodiles had also been introduced from the crocodile breeding programme in Chambal.

How to Reach Panna National Park

There are flights to Khajuraho from Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Varanasi and Allahabad.

Alternatively, one can take an overnight train from Delhi. One can travel 2nd AC sleeper in UP Sampark Kranti Express and MBA Kurj Express which are quite comfortable.

It is a ticketed park in which only registered vehicles are allowed with registered guides. There are specific timings for entry to the park. You can check the details here.

To know more about the park, take this virtual tour.

For online bookings, click here

Best Time to go: December to March.

Essential Tips for Your Visit 

1. Preferably wear cotton clothes and cover yourself.

2. Carry a water bottle, some places are not clean.

3. Carry some sunscreen, medicines and first-aid kit.

4. Do not talk loudly, or get off the Gypsy.

5. Remain still and listen to your guide.

Where to stay in Khajuraho/Panna

There are Madhya Pradesh Tourism hotels, luxury hotels and budget hotels in the area. I was invited by The Lalit Temple View.

Exploring More in the Region

The Khajuraho temple complex

Visit the Archaeological Survey Museum, as well as Adivart: Tribal and Folk Art Museum.

A day trip can be done to Ajaigarh and Kalinjar forts (100km from Khajuraho). Another day can be spent in Orchha (170km).

One can enjoy a picnic at Benisagar Lake.

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