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Panna National Park
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Panna National Park is in the
central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, at a distance of
around 57 km from Khajuraho. The region, famous for its
diamond industry, is also home to some of the best
wildlife species in India and is one of the most famous
Tiger Reserves in the country. The park is known worldwide
for its wild cats, including tigers as well as deer and
antelope. Due to its closeness to one of the best-known
Indian tourist attraction in India, Khajuraho, the park is
recognized as an exciting stop-over destination.
The climate of the region is tropical. Summers, somewhat
scorching, are when one has the maximum chances of
encountering the exclusive wildlife of this park. Winters
are cold and comfortable and the temperature generally
remains under 25°C. Monsoon touches this region in July
and continues till mid-September.
Most safaris into the park start from the Madla village.
The entrance on the eastern side is from Hindouta, located
at an approachable distance from the Panna diamond mines.
Panna is famous for its diamond mining industry. Pandav
Falls is also a major attraction with its lake that is fed
by the waterfall. Another major attraction is the Rajgarh
Palace, a magnificent piece of architecture overlooking
the valley.
Fauna:
Mammals
Tiger, the king of the jungle, roams freely in this
secure, though a bit small habitat along with his fellow
beings - leopard (Panthera pardus), wild dog (Cuon alpinus),
wolf (Canis lupus), hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), caracal (Felus
caracal) and other 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 on the periphery.
Avifauna The avifauna comprises more than 200 species,
including a host of migratory birds. One can see white
necked stork, bareheaded goose, honey Buuzzard, King
vulture, Blossom headed Parakeet, Paradise flycatcher,
Slaty headed Scimitar babbler to name a few.
Reptiles Variety 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 mixed forest. The
dominating vegetation type is miscellaneous dry deciduous
forest interspersed with grasslands. Other major forest
types are riverines, open grasslands, open woodlands with
tall grasses and thorny woodlands. The characteristic
floral species of this area include tree species such as
Tectona grandis, Diospyros melanoxylon, Madhuca indica,
Buchnania latifolia, Anogeissus latifolia, Anogeissus
pendula, Lannea coromandelica, Bosswelia serrata etc.
Best time to visit:
Early Nov to mid Mar. Park is open from Oct to Jun.
An hour-long boat ride offered by the park authorities is
a good option to catch a glimpse of water predators and
other animals around the lake. A major attraction is the
night safari at Gangau.
Safari timings:
Park timings are 6:30 to 10:30 AM & 2:30 to 5:30 PM.
Go there for:
Tigers
How to get there
by road
The nearest bus stand is Panna connected to Khajuraho and
many other places in Madhya Pradesh by a good road
network. Madla, at a distance of around 24 km south west
of Khajuraho, is a good transport centre. One can get
buses and other road transport modes from here to the
Panna National Park. To reach by road from Delhi, take the
NH2 to Agra, NH3 to Gwalior, NH75 to Panna via Jhansi,
Bamitha and Madla.
The driving distances from the park to Khajurao/Delhi/Mumbai
are 37/580/986 kms.
by rail
Satna, 90 km, is the nearest railway station and is well
connected.
Daily trains connecting Delhi: Mahakoshal Exp. (16:25) &
NDLS Rewa Exp. (23:45)
Daily trains from Mumbai: Kamayani Exp. (1240), Mahanagari
Exp. (0010), Rajendra Ngr. Exp (2340), Kolkata Mail
(2125), LTT RJPB Exp. (2210) & Gorakhpur Exp. (0635).
From Bangalore and Chennai: Sanghamitra Exp. (from
Bangalore, 6:57, Tue & Thu) & Varanasi Exp. (from Chennai,
17:30, Mon, Sat).
by air
The nearest airport is Khajuraho. Jet Airways flies
from Delhi (10:40) to Khajuraho via Varanasi.
To reach Khajuraho from other major cities, fly to
Varanasi and catch a connecting flight from there. Indian
Airlines flies Delhi-Varanasi daily at 11:40 and Mumbai-Varanasi
daily at 8:00.
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© 2008, Banjara Camps & Retreats Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. All rights reserved.
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