Nature is a blessing for every one of us, and so are its components. Every single person on this earth is indebted to mother Nature in some way or another. But we often forget this truth and go on using them ruthlessly without paying attention to its degradation. This degradation hurts not only nature but also its various components and mainly animals. But to protect them, some people and the government took some crucial steps, and one of them is making National parks. One such national park is Panna National Park.
Panna National Park is located in the Chattarpur district of Madhya Pradesh and is the 22nd tiger reserve in India and 5th in Madhya Pradesh. The National Park is the perfect place to visit in Madhya Pradesh, especially if you are a nature lover or need some peace, break, and tranquillity. Panna National Park is a perfect place to spend quality time with friends, family, or relatives. The place will offer complete peace with the sightseeing of amazing tigers.
OVERVIEW OF PANNA NATIONAL PARK
The renowned Panna National Park of Madhya Pradesh is spread in an area of 542.67 square kilometers. Panna National Park lies beside the river Ken and is 57 kilometers from Khajurao, a world heritage site. Panna National Park is managed by the Ministry of Tourism in India. The reputation of Panna National Park when the park is awarded an Award of excellence in the year 2007. The climate of the Panna National Park is pleasant but sometimes a little scorching during summers. The park experiences heavy rainfall that contributes to the lush green surroundings of the park and makes its ambiance more appealing.
The beautiful and gushing river Ken flows through Panna National Park. It creates a sparkling waterfall on its way to the valley. Panna National Park has many historical sites of great importance, with so many historical paintings dating back to the Neolithic era. The Panna National Park serves as home to Indian tigers and many other species, such as the Indian wolf, four-horned antelope, rusty-spotted cat, gharial, caracal, and sloth bear pangolin.
Also read, Kaziranga National Park, A Perfect Place For Animal And Nature Lovers
HISTORY OF PANNA NATIONAL PARK
The Panna National Park was established in the year 1981 by the Government of India. The park has also been declared as a Project Tiger reserve in the year 1994. The area of the Panna National park also included some major parts of the former Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary, created in the year 1975. However, the real story of the National Park begins in the year 2008.
The story started when Panna National Park started losing almost all the tigers leaving only 2 to 4 tigers. In 2009 when Mr. R. Shreenivasa Murthy, IFS as the field director of Panna National Park. He initiated to reintroduced the tigers into Panna National Park. Then Murthy, in collaboration with WWF and PATA, introduced two tigers to the park, one from Bandhavgarh and the other from the Panna National reserve, with intricate scientific inputs.
Under this project, Murthy worked so hard. He translocated a tigress from Kanha and a male tiger from Pench with proper protection and monitoring with his time. His project achieved great success, and they got breeding to bring out four litters to them. And since then, experts are trying their level best to reproduce more and more cubs to increase their number and maintain the area’s lost count. The contribution of Mr. Murthy has made this park a popular tiger reserve not only in Madhya Pradesh but also in India.
WILDLIFE IN PANNA NATIONAL PARK
Panna National Park is the habitat of miscellaneous species and wildlife creatures of India. It is the home to a variety of flora and fauna. Every kind of wildlife creature can be found, from mammals to birds. Panna National Park is the ideal home for the king of jungles- the royal tigers along with his other fellows such as wild dogs, wolves, hyaenas, leopards, etc. The woody area of the park is the largest of Indian deer, chow Singha, and chital. Also, one can easily witness the presence of Nilgai in the open areas, especially on the periphery and grasslands.
Not only animals but a variety of several birds can also be seen in the park. More than 200 species of birds can be found in the park, such as King Vulture, Honey Buzzard, Blosson Headed Parakeet, Slaty headed Scimitar, and so on. The chirping and blabbering of the birds make the visit even more exciting and peaceful. With so many species of creatures, Panna National Park possesses great flora too. The miscellaneous vegetation can be seen. So many characteristics of flora can be found in the park, such as Boswellia serrata, Buchnania latifolia, Madhuca indica, and so on.
PLACES TO VISIT AROUND PANNA NATIONAL PARK
Your trip to Panna National Park will not be that boring. With the sightseeing of the tigers and a beautiful park, there are so many places around to make a visit. Here is the list of some of them-
MAHAMATI PRANNATHJI TEMPLE
One of the best places to make a visit is in Panna National Park, and the temple is one of the important pilgrimages of Pranamis. The temple attracts so many devotees, especially during Sharada Purnima. The story related to the temple is that Mahamati Prannathji lived at that site for 11 years and then took samadhi inside one of the domes of the temple. So the importance of this temple can’t be expressed until you visit it.
RANEH FALLS
One of the most prominent waterfalls to visit in the area is Raneh Falls. The fall offers the best serene and calm environment and soothes the mind. The sparkling fall is surrounded by the crystalline granite of pink and grey that adorns the beauty of the falls. If you are visiting Panna National Park, don’t forget to visit Raneh falls.
Also Read, Everything You Need To Know Before Visiting Jim Corbett
MADLA
One of the best places to experience the ustic atmosphere and culture is Madla, and it is a village on the banks of River Ken. The village can be visited during your trip to Panna National Park. The village will highlight the culture and traditions of the state. The Jugal Kishore temple and the Pran Nath Temple are the main attractions in the village that one should not miss.
AJAYGARH FORT
The old fort in the Panna district is also a place to visit if you are around Panna National Park. The fort stood at the height of 688 meters and was the capital of the Chandela dynasty in ancient times. The architecture and the grandeur of the fort will mesmerize you.
