KANHA: THE LAND OF THE TIGER

In the dense forests of Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha-Kisli National Park, the mornings are magical. Streaming gently from the leaves of the sal trees, the sunrays filter like golden drops on land. The largest national park of Madhya Pradesh, Kanha, which inspired Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, is divided into two sanctuaries, Hallon and Banjar. Kanha National Park, created in 1955 and designated a tiger reserve in 1973, encompasses an area of 940 km in the two districts, Mandla and Balaghat.

FLORA & FAUNA

In his book, Field Days: A Naturalist’s Journey Through South and Southeast Asia, author A. J. T. Johnsingh writes an interesting account of the flora of Kanha, talking in detail about the “intoxicating fragrance of the mahua flowers”, the bright red, scarlet palash or flame-of-the-forest flowers, the jamun trees “clothed in parakeet green foliage” and the “nearly round canopies of mango trees… in light and dark green, golden yellow, and rusty red”. The author’s account of Kanha also mentions “chital and langur feeding on sal and mahua flowers fallen on the ground.”

DIVERSITY

The only woodland that brings so much vividness in nature, Kanha is home to over 200 varieties of wildflower species. The mixed forest trees that blend seamlessly with meadows, allow for guests to soak in the sweet fragrance of the jungle with trees such as saja, sal, bamboo, mahua, bija, among several others, including those with Ayurvedic properties to heal and nourish. Additionally, there are species of climbers, shrubs, and aquatic plants that grow in tals or lakes, serving as a lifeline for several migratory birds.

ECOLOGY

The avifauna is diverse and reveals important facets about Kanha’s ecology. With over 550 insects and spiders, and counting (the Bhati family is continuing to discover more species, even as you read this), Kanha becomes the best territory to watch these fascinating creatures.

Our People

If the foundation of the Sankhala family relies on its unstinted support towards forest conservation...

Philanthropy

The Story for Conservation started in the Sankhala Family three generations ago...

Local Ethos

At Kanha Jungle Lodge, the Bhati family has cultivated friendships with many of the people...

Flora and Fauna

In the dense forests of Kanha Tiger Reserve, also known as Kanha-Kisli National Park, the mornings are magical...

Cuisine

An increasing focus for Kanha Jungle Lodge has been to promote farm to table food...

Life at Kanha

If peace and quiet is the new definition of luxury, it’s in abundance at Kanha Jungle Lodge...

Media Release

Telegraph Media Group - 2 April 2023

India's great tiger success story

Kanha was a joy to explore, complete with a grassland area where rare southern swamp deer thrive, having been brought back from the brink of extinction. With a core area covering 580 square miles, it is the second largest reserve (after Satpura) in Madhya Pradesh: I took in part of the west of the park from Kipling Camp and a southern stretch from my last port of call, Kanha Jungle Lodge.

Vera - April 2023

FIFTY YEARS AGO, INDIA’S BENGAL TIGERS WERE ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION. NOW THE POPULATION IS THRIVING THANKS TO THE SANKHALAS, A THREE-GENERATION CONSERVATION DYNASTY.

Sankhala is certain I’ll see a tiger. He tells me this as we bump along the dirt roads of Bandhavgarh National Park, India’s tiger country – 1,540km2 of swaying grassland and tropical forest where the mighty Bengal tiger roams freely.