Pench National Park: Exploring the wilderness in heart of India
The river Narmada has blessed the land of Madhya Pradesh with mystic vegetation and wildlife. The heart of India thumps with its glorious diversity and alluring Flora and Fauna, many of which is exotic to Indian subcontinent.
Today let us explore the aura of Pench National Park, situated in heart of India – Madhya Pradesh. The vegetation, wildlife and the mesmerising scenic beauty of the Pench National Park attracts tourists from across the globe. This is the place where the furious battle between evil Sher Khan and our own Mogli was based in Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book.”
A trip to Pench National Park is going to be a life changing experience. You would get to see the most beautiful façade of Mother Nature and her unconditional love for every being on the Earth.
Geography of Pench National Park
The beguiling Pench National Park is located in the Chhindwara and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh. The national park has its name derived from the Pench River,meandering through the park from north to southand flourishes its land with captivating Flora and Fauna. The river divides the park into equal eastern and western halves.
The Pench National Park is snuggedin the lower southern reaches of the satpuda hills. The park is straggled across an area of about 758 Sq. Kms, out of which core area is spread across 299 sq. km comprising of Indira Priyadarshini Pench National Park and the Mowgli Pench Sanctuary. The remaining area, about 464 sq. km is the buffer zone.
The climate of Pench National Park
Surrounded by the small hills and teak forest in the southern part of Satpura Ranges, Pench National Park experiences a varied climate throughout the climate. The park experiences a tropical continental climate with lowest temperature of 4 degree Celsius in the month of December and January and the highest temperature of 45 degree Celsius in the month of May and June.
The summer strikes the Pench National Park in April and stays till late June. The months are marked with burning sun and scorching heat waves. The winter rules the park from November to February where the temperature drops to as low as 4 degree Celsius and the park become foggy. The months of July to September are marked by monsoon and are welcoming as it revives the greenery of the park.
Best time to visit Pench National Park
The Pench National Park remains open for visitors from 16th October to the end of June. The park is closed during the monsoon i.e. from July-October. If you are a wildlife enthusiast then the most suitable time for your trip to Pench is from February to June. As the mercury levels in the thermometer rises, more and more animals come out of their hidings to drink water.
If you are a lover of natural vegetation then winter is the best time for you to visit the Pench National Park as the weather is pleasant and soothing.
How to reach Pench National Park?
Tourists can easily reach the Pench National Park and tiger reserve.
- By air – The nearest airport to Pench National Park is Sonegaon airport in Nagpur, located at a distance of 88 km. The other nearest airport is Jabalpur Airport, located at a distance of 200km.
- By rail – The nearest railhead is 90 kms away in Nagpur. The Nagpur railway station is well-connected to other major railway station of our country.
- By road – The Pench National Park is nearby from National Highway 7 and as the park is very close to Maharashtra and Nagpur, the roadways are well-developed. The two famous tourist entry gates are Turiya and Karmajhiri.
Best place to stay near Pench National Park
The hospitality of Madhya Pradesh is not unknown to the world. The state believes in “AthithiDevoBhava”. The hotels and accommodations here are tourist friendly and are available at range of prices.
Here we list few comfortable hotels and resorts which provide a feeling of homely yet wild stay.
- Taj Baghvan Wildlife Resort
- Tuli Tiger Resort
- Pench Jungle Camp
- Mahua Vann Resort
- Tiger N Wood Resort
- Tiger Valley Resort
- Pench Tree Lodge
Flora of Pench National Park
The Pench National Park supports a mosaic of vegetation ranging from moist, sheltered valleys to open, dry deciduous forest. The rich and verdant forests are tropical mixed deciduous forest with teak in abundance. The Pench National Park gives its tourists a sight of rare and uncommon variety of herbs, shrubs, climbers and trees. Herbs of the region have immense healing power and are used for medicinal purpose.
Some of the most prominent vegetation of Pench National Park includes – Teak (TectonaGrandis), Saja (TerminaliaTomentosa), Bija (PterocarpusMarsupium), Lendia (Lagerstroemia Parviflora), Haldu (Adina Cardifolia), Dhaora (AnogeissusLatifolia), Salai (BoswelliaSerrata), Aonla (EmblicaOfficinalis), Amaltas (Cassia Fistula) etc. The park has an astounding variety of flowering plants which includes – Tiger’s Paw Glory (Ipomeapes-tigridis), Graham’s Groundsel (SenecioGrahami), Indian Catmint (AnisomelesIndica /ovale), Lion’s Ear (Leonotisnepetiifolia ), Jamaican Bluespike (StachytarphetaJamaicensis), Devil’s Claw (Martyniaannua) etc.
Trust me, the list is too long!!
Fauna of Pench National Park
The undulating topography of Pench National Park supports great variety of herbivores and carnivores. The gentle herbivores of the forest are as famous as the mighty beasts of the jungle, but no one can match the standard of fame with the tigers of the jungle.
The park is a peaceful adobe of over 39 mammals, 13 reptiles, and 3 amphibians, besides this 210 species of birds can be spotted here.
The predators of the park include dhol (Indian Wild Dog), leopard, hyena, wolf, and jackal, Elusive Leopard and jungle cat. Among the prey inhibitors we have sambhar, deer, chital, gaur, muntjac, langur, wild boar, and rhesus macaques.
The park is abode for over 285 resident and migratory birds. The famous flying charm of Pench National Park includes munias, barbets, minivets orioles, bulbul, waterfowls, wagtails, mynas, and blue kingfishers. The visiting migratory bird of the national park has peafowl, crow pheasant, junglefowl, red-vented bulbul, crimson-breasted barbet, magpie robin, lesser whistling teal, racket-tailed drongo, egret, pintail, shoveler, herons etc on the list.
Safaris and activities in Pench National Park
Jeep Safari –
If you want to have an unforgettable n close encounter with the majesty of the nature, then a wildlife Safari at Pench National Park is something you would not like to miss. The jeeps are 4 seater and the safari would prove to be exhilarating and extremely exciting.
If you are zealous about spotting a tiger then morning safari will be your best bet. Visiting Pench National Park in summers is a good idea as lot of animals comes out from their hiding to drink water near the ponds in the national park.
Safari timings:
| Sl. No. | Season | Morning Timings | Evening Timings |
| 1. | Summer | 06:30AM – 09:30 AM | 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM |
| 2. | Winter | 07:30 AM – 10:30AM | 3:00PM – 5:30 PM |
The national park offers many other activities for its visitors to relish and enjoy their trip to the fullest. Elephant ride is one such fun activity. If you want to enjoy your adventure in Pench National Park on the back of an elephant, make sure you book your ride in advance. Elephant ride is best to get closer to them more safely and noticing their rapid movements.
Apart from this the star attraction of the park is the boat rides to the numerous islands of the park. Other than this, tourists are free to enjoy the walking safari within a range of 12km in the Pench National Park.
Relive life in this quite melody of nature by sighting beautiful birds in the park. The peaceful aura of the Pench National Park is enough to satisfy every soul. The ambiance of Pench reserve is awakening, peaceful yet adrenaline gushing.
