Bandipur National Park

Bandipur National Park is a protected area in Chamarajanagar district covering 874 square kilometers (337 square miles) and includes deciduous forests, open grasslands, and rocky ridges within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. The landscape shifts between dense tree cover that sheds its green canopy in summer and wide clearings where grasses grow right up to the edges of stone formations.

The Maharaja of Mysore established the area in 1931 as a private hunting reserve and used it for controlled wildlife observations during the colonial period. In 1973 it gained national park status under Project Tiger, ending hunting permanently and making the protection of large predators a priority.

The name comes from a nearby village and roughly translates to "closed harbor town," referring to an old settlement that once served as a junction between hills and plains. Visitors today often notice signboards explaining coexistence efforts, showing how villagers have learned to coordinate harvest times and wildlife corridors without abandoning their fields.

The administration bans vehicle movement on the through highway at night, allowing wildlife to move freely, while organized safari drives on marked routes are permitted during daylight hours. Visitors should plan to come between October and May, when weather is cooler and animals appear more often at water sources, as visibility improves considerably during this period.

The area forms a natural corridor linking four major protected zones across three states, creating India's largest connected forest complex. This connection allows elephants and tigers to move between different habitats without crossing human settlements, which significantly increases their chances of survival.

Location: Chamarajanagar district

Inception: 1941

GPS coordinates: 11.66444,76.62722

Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:02