Wild, mysterious, remote, lively and spotless green. This is how you are likely to perceive the jungles of Chhattisgarh. The journey from Raipur to the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary is an interesting preview to the wild experience you are headed for – a journey so beautiful, it’s about as important an experience as the destination itself!
Almost as soon as you hit the open highway, the country turns green. All along are paddy fields with intermittent patches of forest, alive with human and animal activities. Egrets flying over the paddy, women in colourful attire working in the fields, streams of cattle wading in ponds, a couple sitting in a machaan to guard their fields against wild pigs, a goatherd with a conical hat running after his mischievous animals.
The joyful reverie is only broken by massive trucks whizzing past, carrying raw materials to feed the big factories of the state. After about an hour’s journey, you cross the Mahanadi river at Arang. Arang and Tumgaon are two tiny roadside villages where you can stop to stretch your legs over a cup of tea.
The Chhattisgarh countryside is full of pleasant surprises reflecting the people’s ingenuity. About 7 km after Tumgaon, to your right, is a giant gateway shaped like the open jaw of a spotted beast, complete with deadly white canines and blood-red gums – an entry gate into a village temple. You might like to stop to take a few pictures before moving on.
About 65 km after Raipur, you reach Patewa, where you turn off NH6 onto a forest road into Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary.
This sanctuary is unbelievably fresh, clean, and green – the trees, the wild grasses, the air, the thick undergrowth, the soil beneath and a true blue sky.
As you drive through, the jungle surrounds you on all sides, at places so thick it seems as if you’re going through an endless tunnel of green cover. The jungle is alive and pulsating. Tall, mud-coloured mounds peek out between the bushes and trees, housing thousands of ants that industriously recycle the forest resources. The forest floor is abundant with fragrant herbs and grasses. The aromatic and enchanting smell of ban tulsi or wild basil stands out as it spreads its sweet fragrance across the entire forest.
Colourful insects of unimaginable size and variety – spotted, white, striped, brown butterflies that reach the tree tops in search of nectar, busy ants going about their daily task of stocking food in their nests. You might also see numerous spiders, some more than six inches long, that wait patiently in giant webs strung across the road to trap some passing prey. There are numerous unseen birds, hidden in thick foliage, each with a unique call.
As the day progresses, the drive through the forest gets more engrossing. You need to look hard, peer through the thick forest in the hope of a glimpse of some animal. Untrained eyes can seldom see little more than the thick forest. You might have to alight very quietly from your vehicle and follow the directions of your guide. Who knows what you might see! Perhaps a gaur – tall, dark and broad, with his majestic head, adorned with horns. Or may be a herd of cheetal.
You go across numerous streams and rivulets, some of them tributaries of the Mahanadi, and stop by numerous watering holes or talabs. The watering holes look deserted, but are very much alive. Numerous birds call from the surrounding trees, dragonflies suck up moisture from the banks, a brightly coloured kingfisher waits to dive, crickets sing and clans of langurs hop from tree to tree.
ORIENTATION
Barnawapara is located in north-eastern Raipur District and covers an area of 250 sq km, of which about 45 sq km is hilly with elevations going up to 400 m. Barnawapara has tropical dry deciduous forest and is bisected by a number of streams and rivulets, besides numerous watering holes or talabs. The sanctuary is bounded by two tributaries of the River Mahanadi – the Balamdehi to its west and the Jonk to its northeast. The road network inside the sanctuary is well maintained and connects most of the places where tourists need to go. Tourists are always escorted in a vehicle when exploring the sanctuary. The forest department provides Gypsies or a 16-seater battery bus to visit the sanctuary. As in all sanctuaries, tourists are not allowed in the core zone.
Entry Indians ₹30; Foreigners ₹200 Vehicle Entry Car and jeep ₹300, 2-wheeler ₹60 Timings Sunrise to sunset Photography ₹30, Videography ₹300 Guide ₹300
ABOUT BARNAWAPARA WLS
Barnawapara is named after the twin forest villages of Bar and Nawapara located in the sanctuary. The sanctuary was established in 1976 under the Wildlife Protection Act. The unique thing about Barna-wapara, according to forest officials, is that despite there being 21 villages inside the sanctuary, there have been no cases of poaching and the sanctuary has seen few peoplewildlife conflict issues.
The sanctuary primarily holds teak, saja, beeja, lendia, salai, palash, bamboo, amla, amaltas, bija, khair, haldu and sal trees, among other trees and plants. Mammals you can spot here include leopard, gaur, nilgai, sambar, spotted deer, sloth bear, wild dog, the little-known mouse deer, jungle cat, porcupine, kakkar (barking deer) and the elusive tiger. More than 150 species of birds such as golden oriole, robin, tree pie, egret, teal, shoveller, heron, racket-tailed drongo, barbet, crow, pheasant and jungle fowl inhabit the sanctuary, as do monitor lizards and snakes such as cobra, krait, python and rat snake. The presence of the flying squirrel, the giant squirrel, the palm civet, the civet cat and the porcupine adds to the diversity of the fauna in the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
At Barnawapara you can check into forest huts and after a quick nap and lunch, set out for a jungle jaunt in an open jeep with a beat guard and a forest guide. Any request to walk the wild path will be politely turned down, for according to forest officials nobody can take unescorted walks due to safety issues.
Numerous watering holes in and around Barnawapara offer the best chance to a tourist keen to spot wildlife. The main watering holes that can be visited are Parsa Pani, Mohada Talab, Marer Talab, 178 Gudagarh Talab, Sun Suniya Pani, Latbandha, Rampur Tank, Bagmadi Talab and Maharaji Nala. Animals like cheetal, gaur, sambar, bear and four-horned antelope, more rarely leopards and if you are really lucky, a tiger, besides migratory and residential birds can be seen here. Explore the area around as much as you can. Always be with or near the forest guide for your safety. Moreover, the forest guides are quite knowledgeable and have a keen eye to help spot animals. A word of caution here. Never venture out unescorted and never after dark. The forest is very dense. One wrong step and you could get lost or land yourself in trouble. A visit to the Interpretation Centre at the Tourist Village Bar and watching a film show in the open air theatre would be interesting. Also, watching the Chhattisgarhi folk dances such as Sua Nach and Karma Nach, which are very popular.
A stay of at least two to three nights is recommended to get a real chance of sighting animals. Those in a hurry can also make a day trip from Raipur for a short tour.
AROUND THE SANCTUARY
A number of ancient and archaeological sites lie near the sanctuary. But there is no public transport available to reach these so it’s best to have your own vehicle.
The most important of the sites is Sirpur, which was an important centre of Buddhism from the 6th to the 10th century. Fascinated by its splendour and glory, many a foreign traveller visited Sirpur. It is extremely rich in architecture and legend, and also about four times bigger than Nalanda in Bihar. The ruins of two Buddhist monasteries, Anand Prabhu Vihar and Swastik Vihar have been discovered here. A magnificent 1.1-m-high statue of the Buddha, made of basalt stone, was also found here during the on-going excavations. According to Xuanzang (Hieun Tsang), Sirpur at one time, had more than 100 viharas and 150 temples. Unfortunately, very few of them have been unearthed as yet, and most lie buried under the sands of time. A trip through the adjoining hills of Deopur is an awesome experience, with the township of Seorinarayan out in the distance. From the Seorinarayan Darshan Watchtower you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the valley below.
Turturia, situated on the northern boundary of the sanctuary besides the Balamdehi river, 13 km from Barnawapara, is believed to have been the abode of Sage Valmiki and the place where Sita lived in exile, and where Luv and Kush were born.
WHERE TO STAY AND EAT
About 9 km from Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary lies Chhattisgarh Tourism’s Hareli Eco Resort (Cell: 09009451113; Tariff: ₹1,800-2,500) on Pithora Road. There are 12 cottages, all offering great views of the lake. They have good food and also arrange morning and evening safaris. Book in advance at Chhattisgarh Tourism Board (Toll free: 18001026415). Another nice place to stay here is the unique and beautifully built Muba’s Machaan (Cell: 093030- 37453, 09770623046; Tariff: ₹4,000, with meals), with ten charming rooms built on stilts or machaans. There is a separate sit-out area with each machaan to enjoy the wilderness around. Located at Barbaspur village, the resort serves good food and arranges safaris.
When to go November to June. The sanctuary remains closed from July to October. Summers offer good opportunities for sightings as the forest is dry and there is not much ground cover, but it is very hot at this time Location In north-east Raipur District Air Nearest airport: Raipur Rail Nearest rail: Raipur
THE INFORMATION
Tourist/ Wildlife Offices
Head Office
Chhattisgarh Tourism Board
Paryatan Bhawan, GE Road, Raipur
Tel: 0771-4224600/ 11/ 22
Tollfree: 18001026415
W chhattisgarhtourism.net
Tourist Information Centre
Raipur Airport, Mana, Raipur
Tel: 6541303
Tourism Information Centre
Railway Station, Raipur
Cell: 09926781331
Chhattisgarh Tourism Board
Chanakya Bhavan, Chanakyapuri
New Delhi. Tel: 011-26116822
Principal CCF
Aranya Bhawan, Medical College Road
Raipur. Tel: 2552221
CCF Wildlife and Field Director
Raipur. Tel: 2429600
Chief Wildlife Warden
Raipur. Tel: 2552228
Udanti WLS
Tourist/ Wildlife Offices
Divisional Forest Officer, Udanti
Tel: 07706-241229
STD code 07706
Bastar
Chhattisgarh Tourism Board
Shahid Park, Jagdalpur
Cell: 09926944221
Kanger Valley NP
Director, Kanger Valley NP
Tel: 07782-228640
STD code 07782