Kanha National Park,the land of Sherkhan – the tiger is well described in the amazing story from Rudyard Kipling the “Jungle Book”.This wildlife sanctuary is situated in the Mandla district of Central India in Madhya Pradesh,India.In 1955 Kanha was rehabilitated into a National Park and was launched as the tiger reserve under Project Tiger in 1974.Kanha national park cum Tiger reserve extends over an area of over 1,940-sq-kms.

Kanha National Park,Location,Geography and Climate:
The park is located in the Maikal range,the eastern division of the Satpura Hills of the Central Indian Highlands.The park lies 160 km (100 miles) southeast of Jabalpur in the state of Madhya Pradesh.Kanha is 270 km (170 miles) northeast of the city of Nagpur,Maharashtra,which is well linked with direct flights from Mumbai,Delhi,and Hyderabad,with connections to other cities.

The exact geographical coordinates of the park is,Latitude: 22Degree 7′ to 22Degree 27’N; longitude: 80Degree 26′ to 81Degree 3’E.

The climate is tropical,with humid and hot summers.Max and min temperature goes to 40.6DegreeC and 23.9DegreeC.Pleasant winters with an average max and min temperature of 23.9DegreeC and 11.1DegreeC.The annual average rainfall is 152 cm.

Kanha,Flora & Fauna:
Flora: Kanha has two main valleys,Halon in the east and Banjar in the west.Kanha is famous for a variety of bamboo species,and the Sal trees,and over 600 species of flowering plants are also recorded here.The park holds 50 species of water plants as well.The major trees of the park are Saj, Dhaora, Tendu, Arjun,Amla, Palas, Salai, Mango, Jamun, Lagerstroemia, Boswelia, Pterocarpus, Madhuca, Haldu and Bija enhance the floral richness of Kanha National Park.The park comprises of four chief vegetation types which includes,moist deciduous forest,dry deciduous forest,valley meadow,and plateau meadow.

Fauna: Kanha National Park is a home to about 22 mammalian species.The most important amongst all is the Tiger.The diverse fauna in Kanha includes leopards,gaur,sambar,chausinghas,nilgais,sloth bears,barking deer,blackbuck,langur,gray langurs,wild boars,porcupines,mouse deer,hyenas,jackals,wild dogs mongoose,jungle cat,chittal and wild pig.The bird species in the park are the black ibis,bee-eaters,cattle egret,blossom-headed parakeets,pond heron,drongos,grey hornbill,Indian roller,lesser adjutant stork,lesser adjutants,lesser whistling teal,minivets,pied hornbill,woodpecker,paradise flycatchers,peafowl,red jungle fowl,red wattled lapwing,steppe eagle,tickell’s flycatcher,white-breasted kingfisher,white-browed fantail flycatcher,wood shrikes and warblers among many others.The park also has over 26 species of reptiles.

Adventures in Kanha:
At present Kanha is one of the most promising tiger reserves in India,where some of the best sightings of this magnificent animal can be had.The prime adventurous activity in Kanha National Park is the tiger show or the tiger safari.This can be done on an elephants back or by authorized jeeps and guides.Kanha museum is a widely visited spot here; it’s a tribal museum that gives elaborate details about the lifestyle of the people who belong to the jungle.Bamni Dadar here is one of the famous sunset points.Tourists visit to get the picturesque view of the setting sun.

Kanha,Nearby Tourists Attractions:
Kawardha Palace: The Kawardha Palace was built by Maharaja Dharamraj Singh in the period 1936-39.This inspiring monument was created using Italian marble and stone,and is set in eleven acres of private lush gardens.

Bandhavgarh National Park: This is a small National Park,compact yet full of game.Due to its small size,the density of tigers is the highest.Apart from Tigers there are around 22 species of mammals and another 250 species of birds are present.
Nagpur: This city is nicknamed as orange city for its oranges and also is the most happening towns of Maharashtra state,India. The city of Nagpur is located at a distance of 260 km from Kanha National Park.

Jabalpur: This city is located at a distance of 145 km via Mandla,is an important base point of this region.Jabalpur is famous for Madan Mahal Fort,Rani Durgavati Museum and Tilwara Ghat where ashes of Mahatma Gandhi have been immersed.

Reaching Kanha National Park – Road/Rail/Air:
To reach Kanha National Park one needs to surpass the two main entry points,Khatia and Mukki.Khatia is 3 kms away from Kisli.Jabalpur is 165 kms from Kisli and Mukki is 203 kms away via Motinala and Garhi from Jabalpur.

By Air: Nagpur is the nearest Air Port to Kanha National Park.It is about 280 kms away from Kanha National Park and about 260 Kms from Kisli.

By Train: Jabalpur is the nearest Railway station to Kanha National Park.It is 175 Kms away from Kanha National Park.
By Road: Kanha National Park is well linked to main cities such as Jabalpur-175 Kms,Khajuraho-445 Kms,Nagpur-280 Kms and Raipur-219 Kms.There are regular bus services between Jabalpur to Kanha as well.

Best Time to Visit Kanha & Park Timings:
Kanha National Park can be best visited anytime from February to June.The park is closed from July to mid-November during monsoon.

Kanha Tour Timings:
1st Nov to Feb 15 th – Sunrise to 1200 hrs 1500 hrs,to sunset
16 th Feb to Apr 15 th – Sunrise to 1200 hrs 1600 hrs,to sunset
16 th Apr – Jun 30 th – Sunrise to 1100 hrs 1700 hrs,to sunset

Accommodations in Kanha:
The Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Corporation provides accommodations to the tourists here in the form of log huts,called the Bagheera Log Huts.Rooms here are ranging from nominal Rs 700 to 900.Kanha resorts and lodges offer the best experiences of the wild with satisfaction,pleasure and adventure.The parks resort,lodges and hotels creates a sense of great Luxury and sensuality.Kanha offers form budget,luxury to cheap and affordable accommodations,which helps you to make your trip a memorable one.Some famous wildlife resorts are Krishna Jungle Resort,The Wild Chalet Resort,Tuli Tiger Resort,and Royal Tiger Resort.

Author Bio: For more information on Kanha National Park and The Kanha resorts please visit our website.

Category: Travel
Keywords: kanha national,national park,kanha national park,madhya pradesh,kanha resorts