Pench National Park and Tiger Reserve is located on the southern periphery of the Madhya Pradesh state. It is situated on the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border about 90 km from Nagpur and comprises largely of the densely forested areas of Seoni and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh. This park is located on southern slopes of Satpura ranges in which other national parks like Kanha & Satpura National Park are also situated. It is named after the river Pench which streams through this park splitting the park into two.
The park is known for its natural beauty. Elaborate descriptions of the natural splendour of the park can be found in the ancient book Ain-i-Akbari. This forest inspired Rudyard Kipling to write the world famous literary Book novel The Jungle Book. Many natural history books like Seonee - Camp life in Satpura Hills, Mammalia of India and Ceylon and Denizens of the Jungle by Robert Armitage Strendale, 'Highlands of Central India' by Forsyth, and ‘Wild Animals of Central India' by Dunbar Brander mention the natural splendour and varied flora and fauna of this dense luxuriant forests.
History
An area of 449.39 sq. km was declared as a Pench wildlife sanctuary in 1977. In the year 1983 an area of 292.85 sq. km was gathered up from the Pench Sanctuary and it was declared Pench National Park while the remaining 118.31 sq. km remained as Pench Sanctuary. In 1992 the area of this wildlife reserve was extended up to 757.89 sq. km which comprised of the National Park and the Sanctuary and was declared as the 19th Tiger Reserve of India by the Central Government. In the year 2002, Pench National Park was re-notified as ‘Priyadarshini Pench National Park and similarly Pench Sanctuary was re-notified as Mowgli Pench Sanctuary.
Best Time To Visit Pench National Park
The best time to sight the Pench National Park is during the months of February to April. Summer is usually a good time to spot the animals when they come in search of water near the waterholes. The Park is closed during the rainy seasons from July to September.
Landscape and Flora
The topography of the park mainly comprises of hills, intermittent slopes and valleys coupled with dense foliage. Many seasonal streams, rivulets, perennial springs and several water pools locally known as ‘doh ’serve as water source in the park along with Pench Reservoir which is located at the centre of this National Park and is the only major source of water during the summer season. Many of these streams are seasonal. The vegetation in the park mainly constitutes of Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Teak Forest, Southern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest and South Indian Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests along with other shrubs, grasses, climbers, weeds and herbs. Teak grows in abundance here. Other plant species like moyan, mahua, mokha, skiras, tendu, bija, achar, garari, aonla, ghont, baranga, amaltas, kihamali, khair, and palas are also found here. Bamboos are very sparse, and can be found in the valleys. The Kullu tree with its pure white bark and spread out branches shaped stands in stark contrast among various hues of green.
Fauna
Apart from the Bengal tigers the park is home to many endangered species including Sambar, Chital, Leopard, Nilgai, Gaur (Indian Bison), Wild Boar, and Wild Dog. Other commonly spotted animals include the Jungle Cat, Wolf, Jackal, Black-Naped Hare Fox, Striped Hyena, Mongoose, Sloth Bear, Dhole, Small Indian Civet, Common Palm Civet, Pangolin, Blue Bull, Chowsingha, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Chinkara, Rhesus Macaque, Common Langur, and Indian Porcupine. Many reptile species can also found in the park namely Indian Rock Python, Fresh Water Crocodile, Common Krait, Indian Chameleon, Cobra, Indian Flap Shell Turtle, Peninsular Black Turtle, and many species of Fishes.
Avifauna
The park Pench is a birdwatcher’s paradise and is home to over 285 species of birds which includes both resident and migratory birds like Malabar Pied Hornbill, Indian Pitta, Osprey, White bellied drongos, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lards, Shikra, Grey Hornbills, Coppersmith Barbets, Yellow-wattled Lapwings, Ruddy Shelduck, Tufted Duck, Common Teal, Fufous Woodpecker, Grey-headed Fishing Eagle, White-eyed Buzzard, Bulbuls, Parakeets, Crested Serpent Eagle, Crested Hawk Eagle etc.
Safaris
There are 3 entrance gates for jungle safari namely Touria, Karmajhiri & Jhamtara. Private vehicles are not allowed inside the park. Jeep safaris and elephant rides are available during morning and evenings which are arranged by the resorts or the forest department. Tourists can also opt for a pleasant walk through the deep dense woods. Nature walks and treks are permitted in some areas in the reserve and usually tourists are accompanied by a guide on such walks.
Places of Interest in Pench National Park
Sitaghat
Sitaghat is located on the bank of the river Pench and it is one of the most beautiful locations in the park. The place is a perfect place for bird watchers.
Alikatta
Alikatta is located in the centre of the Pench National park. This vast expanse of grass land is an ideal place to watch the animals in their natural habitat that come here to graze. Some predators can also be spotted here.
Bodhanala range
This place is dotted with hills, bamboo forest and a large pond. It is an excellent location to spot water birds. A large number of migratory birds can also be seen here.
Raiyakassa
There is a watchtower at Raiyakassa that has been built by the Park authorities. This watchtower offers great views of the Pench River.
Pench National Park Nearby Places to Visit
Kanha National Park
Kanha National Park is located about 198 kilometres from the Pench National Park. This is a tiger reserve and is spread over an area of 1945 sq. km. This horseshoe shaped valley is famous for the hard ground Swamp Deer (Barasingha) which was brought back from the brink of extinction. The park is also renowned for the high tiger concentration. Apart from this there are several other species of wild life found here like the wild cat, fox, jackal, wolf, gaur, swamp deer, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar, nilgai, hyena, civets, porcupine, pythons, cobra, vipers, snakes, turtles, etc.
Bandhavgarh National Park
Bandhavgarh National Park is positioned in the Umaria District of Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh National Park was declared as a National Park in the year 1968. Earlier this wildlife reserve was game preserve of the Maharajahs of Rewa. Today it has high population of Bengal Tigers. Other animals spotted here include leopards, gaur, bison, sambar, barking deer, nilgai, wolf, hyena, caracal, cheetal, and many others.
Ramtek
Ramtek is located about 35 kilometres away from the Pench National Park. This city is famous for an ancient temple dedicated to lord Ram. It is believed that Lord Ram had rested in this place during his period of exile. It is also said that the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa composed his epic"Meghdoot" in this place. Ram temple here is more than 600 years old and the Padukas or the wooden foot wares of Lord Ram in the temple are believed to have been worshipped here for centuries. The other attraction here is a beautiful Jain temple.
How to Reach Pench National Park
The Nearest airport to Pench is Nagpur which is at a distance of 93 km from Pench. This airport is connected to Mumbai, Pune and Delhi by regular flights. Seoni Railway Station, which is about 30 km from the Pench is the nearest railhead. Nagpur railway station is nearest major rail terminal which s at a distance of 100kms and has direct train connectivity with Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Agra, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Pune etc. Nearest bus stand is at Seoni which is well connected to all the major cities in Madhya Pradesh and the neighboring state of Maharashtra by good road networks.
Accommodation
Plenty of accommodation options are available in all entrance gates to the reserve. Touria entrance gate has much more options for different budget category visitors when compared to Karmajhiri & Jhamtara entrance gates. MPSTD lodges and many luxury, standard & budget private resorts are also available here. Some hotels also provide accommodation inside the jungle in the form of a camp.