INTRODUCTION
 Bandipur
National Park is a beautiful forest reserve located in the southern Indian
state of Karnataka. This national park occupies a special place in
India’s efforts towards natural conservation. It was created in the
1930s from the local Maharaja Voodiyar’s hunting lands, and named
Venugopal Wildlife Park. Bandipur Park was expanded later in 1941 to
adjoin the Nagarhole National Park, which lay towards its northern
edge, and Wynad and Madumulai Sanctuaries, which lay towards its
southern edge in the states of Kerala and Tamilnadu, respectively.
The entire area now constitutes the vast Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve,
one of India's most extensive tracts of protected forest. It has
been a designated tiger reserve in 1973.
Bandipur Park lies in the Indian Deccan plateau
area, thus being totally in the shadow of the Western Ghats. The
region is well endowed in terms of vegetation and flora that ranges
from deciduous and evergreen forest covers to open grassy woodlands.
Valuable hardwoods including rosewood and teak are also found here.
The lifeline of the forest is the Moyar River, which irrigates the
area along with two minor rivulets. The river also acts as a
boundary between the Park and the Madumulai Sanctuary. Bandipur is
one of the finest and most accessible habitats of the Asiatic
elephant. Its vast open spaces make it a pleasant and convenient
outing for visitors to see the elephant in its natural surroundings.
CLIMATE
The region is warm and comfortable for most parts
of the year with temperatures ranging from 24 to 28°C, except for
the brief winter that lasts from October to January when the
temperature hovers around the 19°C mark. Monsoon is erratic, but it
generally rains from June to September.
THE
LUSH GREEN BIOSPHERE
Apart from being home to the Asiatic elephant,
Bandipur also has a sizable number of tigers. According to a census
conducted in 1993, there are 66 tigers. The park is one of the 15
sanctuaries selected across India for Project Tiger, a scheme
launched in 1973, by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature in
conjunction with the Indian Government. The project is designed to
save the tiger and its natural habitat from potential dangers. The
best time to spot elephants in large herds is the rainy season,
although they may be spotted anytime of the year as their numerical
strength in the forest approximately stands close to a healthy
1,900. Other natural inhabitants of this lovely forest are gaur (a
type of bull), sambhar, chital, mouse deer, four-horned antelope,
wild boar, jackal, sloth bear, panther, Malabar squirrel, porcupines
and the black-knapped hare. Birds like jungle fowl and green pigeon
are also found here.
This forest reserve also has pleasant scenery to
offer. Gopalaswamy Betta, near the park forest office base, provides
a view of Mysore plateau and its adjoining hills from a an elevated
ridge, while the "Rolling Rocks," to the south of the forest, offer
panoramic views of the weather-beaten 260-meter-deep "Mysore Ditch"
and the entire Moyar gorge. Places such as these are a
photographer’s delight.
REACHING THERE
 Bandipur National Park is located on the highway
connecting Mysore and the hill station of Ootacamund (Ooty).
Reaching Bandipur by bus is very convenient. All regular and express
state transport buses plying between Ooty and Mysore pass through
the park fringes and the Forest Department Center is a designated
bus stop. It takes 2½ hours to reach Bandipur forest from Mysore and
about 3 hours from Ooty. The nearest rail junction is Mysore (65 km)
and the nearest international airport is the software Mecca of
Bangalore (204 km).
STAYING THERE
The forest department maintains reasonably priced
lodges, rest houses and cottages. Sprawling deluxe bungalows are
also available.
LINKS TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
The nearest town from Bandipur forest is
Gundulpet, which is about 20 km away. All medical and communication
(post, telegraph, phone and fax) facilities are available at
Gundulpet. E-mail/Internet facilities are available at Mysore.
TRAVEL TIPS
Light cotton clothing is recommended for summers
whereas light woolen garments are recommended for the brief winters.
During rainy season, it is advisable to carry raincoats, as the rain
is accompanied by a light breeze that renders umbrellas useless.
PLACES NEARBY
Nagarhole, Madumulai and Wynad National parks all
lie in the vicinity of Bandipur forest. A reservoir and a dam that
separates Bandipur from Nagarhole reserve is an interesting place as
well. |
