Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary, Wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra, India

This protected area spreads across flat grassland interspersed with scrub, stretching between gentle hills and dry plains in Maharashtra. The open landscape is shaped by low vegetation and scattered acacia trees, with narrow trails winding through the terrain.

The sanctuary was established in 1979 as the Jawaharlal Nehru Bustard Sanctuary of Maharashtra. The great Indian bustard at Nannaj and Karmala was first identified by B. S. Kulkarni in 1972; his writing in local newspapers led Dr. Salim Ali to visit Nannaj and start a research project. In 1975 the World Bank-financed Drought Prone Areas Programme began in Solapur district, and forest department pastures and woodlots under it regenerated habitat.

The sanctuary is named for the great Indian bustard, called godawan locally, a bird that breeds at Nannaj during the monsoon, from July to October. B. S. Kulkarni identified bustards at Nannaj and Karmala in 1972 and wrote in local newspapers to make villagers aware of the bird; his efforts brought Dr. Salim Ali to Nannaj to start a research project.

Access is by dirt tracks branching off from Nannaj and other small towns near Solapur, leading to observation points across the grassland plots. The terrain is flat with gentle undulations and isolated hillocks reaching 450–500 m. Temperatures range from 13 °C to 42 °C, with hot summers of 40–43 °C, so cooler months suit walking and watching best.

In 2006 the Forest Department proposed removing trees from the core grassland, and work began in March 2008 under Dr. Y. L. P. Rao: 15,240 Gliricidia, neem and Lantana trees were uprooted from 25 hectares at Nannaj and Karamba. On 15 August 2009 a male bustard was seen foraging for 45 minutes in the cleared Nannaj 10 plot near Kale Talav, then walked across the TCM into the Mardi 100 hectare area.