Chandra Prabha Sanctuary

Chandra Prabha Sanctuary is a protected area in Chandauli district, Uttar Pradesh, covering forested hills of the Kaimur Range. The reserve includes two rivers, several waterfalls and dense mixed forests with sal and bamboo trees.

The rulers of Benares used the area as a hunting reserve for royal expeditions from the 18th century onward. The government declared it a wildlife sanctuary officially in 1957.

The name Chandra Prabha means "moonlight" and refers to the small streams that shimmer through the forest after dark. Visitors find temples near the two main cascades, which locals approach for prayer and ritual bathing.

The reserve lies about 70 km southeast of Varanasi and is accessible by road up to parking areas near the entrance. Several walking trails cross the grounds and offer viewing points for wildlife, especially in early morning or late afternoon.

Three Asiatic lions arrived here in 1958 and their numbers increased to eleven by 1969. After that, all lions disappeared without clear explanation, and no one knows exactly what happened to them.