Disclaimer
At a distance of 18 km from Khajuraho ; Panna National Park is one of the best places to visit in M.P.
Panna Tiger Reserve is spread over an area of 576 sq km. It is the twenty second Tiger Reserve of India and fifth in Madhya Pradesh . The Reserve is situated in the Vindhyan Ranges and spreads over Panna and Chattarpur districts in the north of the state.
Panna is open from 15 oct – 30 june.
Panna National Park was created in 1981. It was declared a Project Tiger Reserve by Government of India in 1994. The National Park consists of areas from the former Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary created in 1975. This sanctuary comprised of territorial forests of the present North and South Panna Forest Division to which a portion of the adjoining Chhatarpur forest division was added later. The reserved forests of the Park in Panna district and some protected forests on Chhatarpur side were the hunting preserves of the erstwhile rulers of Panna, Chhatarpur and Bijawar princely states in the past.
The location of the National Park is also important because it is situated at a point where the continuity of the forest belt, which starts from Cape Comorin in the south, is broken and beyond this the great Gangetic plains begin. This area is also the northern most tip of the natural teak forests and the eastern most tip of the natural Kardhai (Anogeissus pendula) forests.
The Ken river , which flows through the Reserve from south to north, is home for Gharial and Mugger, and other aquatic fauna and is one of the least polluted rivers and a tributary of Yamuna. It is one of the sixteen perennial rivers of Madhya Pradesh and is truly the life line of the Reserve. Ken offers some of the most spectacular scenery to the visitor while it meanders for some 55 km through the reserve.
The terrain of the reserve is characterised by extensive plateaus and gorges. The reserve which has a bench topography, can broadly be divided into three distinct tablelands on Panna side: the upper Talgaon Plateau, the middle Hinnauta plateau and the Ken valley. Series of undulating hills and plateaus rise on the other side of Ken river in Chattarpur district.
Biodiversity
MAMMALS
Tiger, the king of the jungle, roams freely in this secure, though a bit small habitat alongwith his fellow beings – leopard , wild dog , wolf , hyaena and caracal and smaller cats. Sloth bear has his most favourite home in the rock escarpments and undisturbed vales. The wooded areas are dotted with sambar – the largest of Indian deers, chital and chowsingha. One can easily see nilgai and chinkara in most open areas in the grasslands, specially on the periphery.
BIRDS
The avifauna comprises more than 200 species including a host of migratory birds. One can see white necked stork, barheaded goose, honey Buuzzard, King Vulture, Blossom headed Parakeet, Paradise flycatcher, Slaty headed Scimitar babbler to name a few.
REPTILES
Varieties of snakes, including the python and other reptiles are found here.
FLORA
Dry and hot climate, in union with shallow Vindhyan soils has given rise to dry Teak and dry mixed forest. The dominating vegetation type is Miscellaneous Dry Deciduous forest interspread with grassland areas. Other major forest types are riverines, open grasslands, open woodlands with tall grasses and thorny woodlands.
Accomodation
If you want a get a hotel in the vicinity of nature, then you can opt for hotels in madla which are at walking distance to panna national park gate.For a rewarding Panna Jungle tour the visitors can take the added advantages of staying at these impressive resorts and hotels of Panna National Park. The presence of historical and erotic palace-resorts makes the area more appealing. Besides, if anyone is looking for a standard living option in Panna vicinity, different government lodges are also bringing much fascination to their stay during the complete Panna Wildlife Tour.
If you want a luxurious hotel or a budget hotel then you check out hotels in Khajuraho or Panna city which are at a distance of around 30 min from the panna entry gate.I would personaly prefer you to go for hotels in khajuraho.
You also go for Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (MPTDC) hotels they are high standard budget hotels.
Other Places Of Interst
Raneh Falls : one of the prominent waterfalls in the Panna Reserve area that emerges from the confluence of Ken and Khuddar rivers. This waterfall is being named after King Rane Pratap who was the erstwhile ruler of the region. Raneh Falls forms the 30 m deep and 5 km long canyon to get down into the regions of the Ken Gharial Sanctuary. The surroundings of the falls are adorned with crystalline granite, which is present in varying shades ranging from pink, red and grey. Apart from the large and small falls that are formed at the confluence, some seasonal falls also appear during monsoon season which is really worth-watching.
Ken Gharial Sanctuary : one of the prominent sanctuaries in Panna outskirts to be established with an objective to conserve the endangered species of Indian Gharials. Ken Gharial Sanctuary is being placed at the assemblage of Khuddar and Ken rivers in Panna, Chattrapur district. The sanctuary is stretched across an area of 13.5 sq km and was established in the year 1985.
Open for the tourists from sunrise to sunset, the sanctuary serves as a natural habitat to various other species of reptiles including 6 m long fish-eating gharial. Surrounded by dense forests, the sanctuary is also being flourished with 45 km of river stretch with sand banks and offers shelter to wild boar, chinkara, blue bull, peacock and chitals.
Excursions Tour
Madla : Madla is a picturesque village on the banks of the River Ken in Panna District. Located simply about 20 km away from Panna, this village is the true highlight of the densest jungle patterns of the area with traditional attractions of the area. The nearest airport to Madla is Civil Airport Khajuraho (30 km). Satna Railway Station (91 km) is the closest railhead. State Highway 6 connects this village with the airport and the park. The Jugal Kishore temple and the Pran nath Temple are the attractions a visitor should not miss out around Madla.
Ajaygarh Fort : This is an old fort elevated at a height of 688 meters and was the capital of the Chandelas during their decline. Chhatrasal presented this grand fort to his son Shri Jagat Raj in 1731. The Ajaygarh Fort is 36 km from Panna National Park.
Nachna : Nachna was an ancient famous city of the Nagvakataka and Gupta Empire which is stretched across 40 kms from Panna. It is also known for the Chaturmukha Mahadev temple named after the colossal four faced lingam which is still enshrined inside.
Safaris
There are two major entry zones for Panna Tiger Reserve namely Madla and Hinouta which remain open for the tourists between 15th Oct- 30th June, every year. For the most rewarding safari tour in Panna National Park the jungle authorities present the jeep facilities to get inside the dense ambience of the reserve and encounter the wildest ranges of Panna inhabitants.
An hour long boat ride is also available by the officials to catch the glimpses of aquatic creatures and other animals around the lake. Besides all these availing for Panna Safari, an elephant safari is one of the best admiring facilities for getting the complete visualization of Panna creatures in a natural high definition mode. And the major attraction of the reserve is the night safari being offered at Gangau regions for the most adventurous and challenging approach in Panna.
The Safari Timings are:
|
|
||||||||||||
Travel Information
By Air : The nearest airport is Khajuraho (25 km) which is well connected to the capital city Delhi & the city of Taj Mahal-Agra.
By Bus : Four wheel drive petrol vehicles can be perfect for the wildlife enthusiasts watching and going around the reserve. Rough terrain, un- medaled roads; steep inclines are difficult for other vehicles. Private vehicles can be hired at Khajuraho/ Panna.
By Train : Jhansi (180 km) for those travelling from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai; Satna (90 km) for those travelling from Delhi, Kolkata and Varanasi; Katni (150 km) for those travelling from Mumbai, Chennai and Nagpur.
I PERSONALLY WANT YOU TO VISIT MUKUNDPUR TIGER RESERVE TO GET A GLIMPSE OF THE MOST MAGNIFICIANT CRETURE ON THIS EARTH; WHITE TIGER
THERE ARE TWO WHITE TIGERS UNDER CAPTIVITY, BUT THE AREA IS QUITE LARGE AND IT IS SIMILAR TO A SAFARI.
.
Exploring India 