Tiger Trail Trek - Bhandavgarh fort

The oldest fort in India, considered to be more than 2500 years. One-hour trek upto the fort is worth the effort. The charm of this trek lies in discovering these monuments in the jungle, unspoiled and unexplored. Some of the statues lie off the main path and so it is best to take a guide.

One of the Main gate of Bandavgarh Fort

We accomodated this trek on the last day of the stay and that too in the noon, we need to book the entry to the fort with forest dept a day prior along with the guide, it too costs same as the safari! and no trip to Bandhavgarh is complete without making an effort to climb up the fort.

Gang at the entrance of the fort

Shiv Lingam and sleeping Vishnu statues

Shiv Lingam

 Apart from the avatars, well worth seeing are three small temples of around the 12th century. These temples are deserted but the fort is still used as a place of worship. Kabir Das, the celebrated 16th century saint, once lived and preached here.

The natural ramparts of the fort give breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. Vultures wheel around the precipice which also attracts blue rock thrushes and crag martins.
Our guide cum driver Ajay of the skay's camp carried our lunch while we are busy negotiating the trek upto the fort. Supplement charged.

Main temple Structure on top of the fort

Yes Bandhavgarh is a strange land, a new park with a very old history --- Bandhavgarh has been a center of human activity and settlement for over 2000 years, and there are references to it in the ancient books, the Narad-Panch Ratra and the Shiva Purana. Legend has it that Lord Rama, hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, stopped at Bandhavgarh on his way back to his homeland after defeating the demon King Ravana of Lanka.

Main Entrance of Fort

Two monkey architects, who had engineered a bridge between the isle of Lanka and the mainland, are said to have built Bandhavgarh's fort. Later Rama handed it over to his brother Lakshmana who became known as Bandhavdhish -The Lord of the Fort. Lakshmana is the particular God of the fort and is regularly worshipped in a temple there.