Tadoba National Park is a shelter to the endangered species of the Royal Bengal Tigers and is one of the best conservation national parks in the country, this park has been nurturing the tigers since a long time.
The reserve is about 140 km from Nagpur, the nearest airport.
Tadoba is a magical place. Those who bring their sense of wonder and adventure, and are prepared to peer into the undergrowth, will see things they’ve never seen or heard before.
The sheer profusion of the animals, the close quarters viewing, the abundant beauty of the reserve itself, all come together to make Tadoba a special experience. And the best part is that it is so accessible, and yet so remote from the bustling world that surrounds it.
About the Reserve
Situated in the Chandrapur district of Maharashtra, the national park lies in the centre of the forest reserve, located within the Chimu hills. The park has been combined with the Andhari sanctuary to create the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. It was officially declared a tiger reserve in 1993. The tiger reserve is one of the fifty tiger reserves in India, which also happens to be the largest and oldest national park in the state. The park was named after the name of God “Tadoba” or “Taru” who is worshipped by the local Gond tribes, and Andhari is the name of the river that meanders between the forests.
Legend holds that Taru was a village chief who was killed in an encounter with a tiger. Taru was deified and a shrine dedicated to Taru now exists beneath a large tree on the banks of Tadoba Lake. The temple is frequented by Adivasis, especially during a fair held annually in the month of Pausha (December–January).
The Gond kings once ruled these forests in the vicinity of the Chimur hills but their concern for conservation led to ban on hunting in 1935. Two decades later, in 1955, 116.54 square kilometres (45.00 sq mi) of this forest area was declared a national park. Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary was created in the adjacent forests in 1986. In 1995, the park and the sanctuary were merged to establish the present tiger reserve.
The diversity of flora and fauna in this the national park is vast. Deciduous forests fill the entire reserve. The vegetation mainly includes Sal, Semul and Mahua. The national park also has Mango and Jamun fruit trees dotted around.
It is a unique experience driving through this natural reserve spotting tigers, spotted deer, wild dogs, leopard, sloth bear, blue bull, wild boar, the langur, flying squirrel and more. The park is also home to over 180 species of birds including endangered species of water birds. Migratory ducks and marsh crocodiles were seen around Tadoba Lake during our visit.
It was a unique experience to sit in silence in the forest as we listened in to the sounds of the jungle that told us where the tiger prowls. Our guide was able to quickly teach us to identify the sounds of the Sambar as it sounded the warning through the forest. Aesthetics aside, the real beauty here is in the role this Park plays in the conservation of these species and education of laymen in their importance during such ignorant times. We just had to follow our guide as he took us through a journey of awareness in the fascinating world where the tiger still rules.
A Sighting
We were lucky to have experienced many tiger sightings during the six safaris we had. Some drew a blank, as can be expected anywhere. But many close sightings more than made our experience a thrilling one.
During one such occasion, the tigress Maya ambled across next to the vehicles, close enough to be given a pat if one dared to have reached out! An elderly lady on one such occasion broke out screaming as probably she expected the animal to run and snap at her. The guide in the vehicle had a tough time to calm her down.
The guides had an excellent system of relaying messages of sightings and likely sightings through the network of vehicles roaming the park at any given time.
Mobile phones are banned within the park. And quite unerringly, news of any sighting travelled quickly and we could soon see vehicles converging in a trail of dust at these locations.
Best Time to Visit
To get a close glimpse of the tigers, March to May is the best time to plan a tour to the Tadoba National Park. The summer season in the region is extreme especially during the month of May. The animals come to the numerous watering holes during the heat providing easy sightings. Whereas during the monsoon season which lasts from June to September, the forest looks much greener and fresh. Post monsoon, the wildlife sanctuary comes alive as the flowers bloom and the tigers can be easily spotted walking in the forest. The Reserve is open to visitors from 15 October to 30 June.
Jungle Safari At Tadoba National Park
One cannot miss the thrilling wildlife safari on a trip to the Tadoba National Park. This safari will take you on a ride to explore the forested area of Tadoba and Andhari.
Taking you through the woods, a jungle safari experience will only increase the chances of spotting the wild animals like that of leopards, sloth bears, wild dogs, panthers, barking deer, wolf, and many more. The park has made it easier by making the hiring of a guide mandatory with each Gypsy. He then becomes responsible to ensure that the rules are strictly followed.
The safaris start early morning and we had to be ready to leave the resort around 5:30 am since some of the entry gates to the core areas of the Park were far and also because the entry formalities were very strict and took time. Some days when we got delayed a bit, there was already a long line of Gypsies already lined up ahead of us. One has to remember that cameras required payment of fees on entry, which was took time. And then the stern lady Forest guard on duty would check individual identification from everyone before allowing entry.
Except for the main roads inside the park, which are black-topped, the rest are dirt tracks. The constant red coloured dust in the atmosphere due to vehicles ahead soon covered all of us, and whatever we carried with us, completely. Since I had not carried a face-covering initially, every pore of my face was full of dust within no time. Not to mention the cameras and lenses. After each safari, the resorts had a practice of keeping water and wet towels at the entrance so we could wipe our faces and hands before entering. And then get down to the job of cleaning the cameras and lenses. This was a daily routine.
We had two safaris daily, one early morning and the next one in the afternoon. By the time we returned from the second one, it was generally dark.
Safari Zones In Tadoba National Park
To spot the wildlife creatures easily in the Tadoba tiger reserve, there are few safari zones inside the national park that are recommended for the travellers.
Moharli Zone: This is the best tiger spotting region inside the national park and it is also famous for having some good accommodation facilities. The Moharli Zone can be easily accessed by the other two entry zones, namely the Tadoba Zone, and the Kolsa Zone.
Tadoba Zone: The Tadoba Zone is surrounded by scenic locations and diverse wildlife species which is a great sight for the tourists to enjoy. The Tadoba gate is easily accessible from Moharli, Navegaon, Kolara, and Khutwanda.
Kolsa Zone: The Kolsa zone will not give you a close sight of the wildlife but it might be a great zone for admiring the beautiful forest landscapes. This region can be easily accessed by Moharli, Pangdi, and Zari.
Other Attractions
One of the intriguing things I saw during the safari was the imposing stone pillars on one side of the main road leading through the park. Some were in good condition, some partially broken. While there was renovation work being undertaken on some of the pillars. These looked as though they were conjectured to either be antique lamp posts or some sort of communication device for the Gond king of Chandrapur, as he made his royal way through the forest to Nagpur. A veil of mystery shrouds the ancient history of Tadoba. Various legends have been woven around this mystical place. Once upon a time, dynasties of Gond Kings ruled this part of the Deccan plateau. In the 17th century, the tribal king ruled from the fortress of Chanda, which still exists today. When he would travel to his outlying districts, through the forest of Tadoba, the message of his arrival would be transmitted by this engineering marvel.
These rock pantheons were erected every hundred yards, which had perfectly aligned tops. Over these were drawn inter-connected ropes which rung a bell at the end. The soldier had just to tug the rope at one end and the bell would ring 50 km away, signalling the approach of his majesty. It is said that these existed along the whole route from Chandrapur to Nagpur. Though now pillars only exist within the park as those outside it have been lost to the encroaching development.
The Pugmark Jungle Lodge
Just in the vicinity of the Moharli gate in Tadoba National Park stands this luxurious jungle lodge in which we stayed during our four-day stay. It is one of those built on the shore of the Tadoba Lake, though the fear of alligators dissuades anyone from attempting to get into the water! Well managed and overlooking the national park, these luxurious resorts and cottages gave a mesmerizing stay experience near the wildlife.
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