Panna National Park is not only a popular wildlife location but a land of mystery altogether, to say the least. Located in the Vindhya range of Madhya Pradesh, Panna has so much to offer to tourists. Visiting Panna will be a natural, cultural, historical, and mythical experience – a complete package!
Yes, truly, with the best of wildlife, beautiful landscapes, and unique nearby attractions – Panna National Park has it all! The 22nd tiger reserve in India and 5th in Madhya Pradesh, the park has 2,000-year-old rock paintings that are scattered throughout the reserve. Likewise, there are several unique and interesting facts associated with Panna National Park. What’s also fascinating is the unique conservation story behind the national park! Let’s quickly look into it.
Unique Conservation History of Panna National Park
2008 is the breakthrough year for Panna as a national park. So, its conservation history can be divided into pre-2008 and post-2008.
Pre-2008: The year 1981 was the inception of Panna National Park when it got the Project Tiger Reserve status from the government of India in 1994. It was the major parts of Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary (which currently acts as a buffer to Panna), established in 1975, that got turned into the Panna National Park.
2008: It was in this year that the real story started when the reserve area, unfortunately, lost most of its tigers, leaving only 2-4! This was a major shock to the morale of the staff members of Panna jungle authority.
Post-2008: In the following year, with the resolution of making the park again flourishing with tigers, jungle staff headed by R. Shreenivasa Murthy, IFS as field director of Panna Tiger Reserve, initiated the task of reintroducing tigers into the park.
Thus, Murthy, in collaboration with global organizations (like WWF), introduced two tigers to Panna, one from Bandhavgarh and the other from Panna Tiger Reserve. Further, under this project, the forest team at the site translocated one male tiger from Pench and a tigress from Kanha and were able to achieve successful breeding to bring four cubs to them since the focus has been to reproduce more and more cubs in the area to maintain the previous tiger population in Panna.
Interesting Facts About Panna National Park
Mystique of Ken River
Flowing through Panna National Park, Ken River brings a lot of natural charm to the forest region. The tributary of Yamuna flows through the ravines and gorges of the park and creates beautiful waterfalls along the way. Also, the river is itself the cause of the flourishing population of flora and fauna in the region.
Flowing from South to North in the tiger reserve, you can see many gharials and muggers in the Ken River. Python and several aquatic species also call this place their home. Also, being one of the sixteen perennial rivers of Madhya Pradesh, the river is the lifeline of the state’s Bundelkhand region and tiger reserve!
On your Panna wildlife tour, you can enjoy an hour-long boat ride across the Ken River and catch sights of these faunas. Particularly, if you like bird watching, you can spot a wide range of them near the river.
Discover 2,000-year Rock Paintings
Very interestingly, you’ll find 2,000-year rock paintings scattered throughout the Panna tiger reserve. These are stone paintings dating back to the Neolithic age found in the caves around the region.
To add to the mystery, you will find paintings made of blood. The locals of Panna associate rock art with animistic spirits and this cave rock art is believed to be the work of spirits. Pictorially, the paintings have human and animal figures that resemble the art of the Gonds and Kondal tribal people in the area.
Popular Diamond Zone
Panna is also known for its diamond mines, where the final product is used for making jewelry items. Tourists are welcome to view the site of the mine but are not allowed to tour inside because of security reasons. It is also Asia’s biggest and only active diamond mine.
The history of these locations goes all the way back in history. To withstand through generations is a marvelous feat in itself. If you visit the site, the view of diamonds being hand-picked from the crushed is a unique experience.
The attraction of Prannath Ji Temple – Circular Dome-Like Structure
One of the unique attractions nearby Panna National Park is the Prannath Ji Temple, which is a major pilgrimage site for devotees. Built-in the year 1692, the temple adopted Hindu and Muslim architectural styles in its construction.
The prime attraction of this site is Shri Gummatji, a circular building with nine marble domes. These eight domes represent all the eight directions, with the central dome having a divine golden Kalasha on which a hand paw is situated, which is said to hold five powers of Mahamati. Don’t forget to stop by this amazing place on your trip to Panna National Park.
Mythologically-significant Pandav Falls & Caves
With beautiful waterfalls and serene lakes surrounded by lush greenery, Pandav Falls is one of the most beautiful attractions in the region. The name rightly suggests its Hindu mythological reference.
It is believed that in this place, Pandavas from Mahabharata sought refuge during their exile period. Many remains of caves and shrines in this region signify this fact. In fact, tourists who have visited this place have experienced the mystical nature of the location.
Located on a tributary of the Ken River, the exact fall is 30 meters (98 ft) high. It is located 12 km from Panna and 35 km from Khajuraho. The attraction is perfect for nature enthusiasts who are looking for a peaceful and mystical environment. Given the beauty of the place, you’ll find both tourists and locals visiting the place for a relaxing time. Another beautiful fall close to the location is Raneh Falls.
- One of the Best Maintained National Parks in India
Besides all the amazing attractions that you can find here, Panna National Park is also one of the best-maintained national parks in India (Government accolades). Historically, as stated above, there are so many measures taken by the forest department to increase the fauna in the region, including the tiger population, in the national park. The big cats, along with Sambhar, Panther, Antelope, and Gharial, are the major highlights of the region.
Now that you know how a tour of Panna National Park is such a fascinating experience, you must be dying to get there! Fret not. Reach out to Indian Visit to quickly book the best tour packages to Panna, where we include stay options, travel logistics, and more. Contact us now!