Madhav Shivpuri National Park

Tourists Attractions

Madhav Shivpuri National Park offers abundant opportunities of sighting a variety of wildlife. One of the prime reasons of this park's popularity is the tiger. Tigers in the park can be photographed from protected "shooting boxes," as the beast is bred in captivity within a buffer zone. Many tourists feel that Madhav Shivpuri is one jungle that guarantees the sighting of a tiger, and this makes it a thrilling place for tiger enthusiasts and wildlife patrons. Other inhabitants of Shivpuri forest include leopards, striped hyenas, jackals, jungle cats, chitals, sambhars, nilgais, four-horned antelopes, wild boars, gazelle, sloth bears, langurs, and crocodiles. Avian inhabitants include bar-headed geese, ducks, spoonbills, demoiselle cranes, cormorants, painted storks, white ibises, falcons, purple sunbirds, paradise flycatchers and golden orioles. The artificial lake, Sakhya Sagar (or Candpatha), and the forest's rocky streams further enhance the beauty of the picturesque setting of Madhav Shivpuri Park. The birds can be conveniently observed near the lake and the scenery is quite exotic at sunset when they fly back to their countless nests. Tourists can also avail boating facilities at Sakhya Lake. A hired jeep is the ideal way for getting around the jungle.

At the park's highest point rests the George Castle. It was built by Maharaja Jiyaji Rao Scindia to commemorate the visit of King George V. It offers some of the most pleasant views of Sakhya Sagar. The best time to visit the castle is at sunset when Sakhya Sagar below mirrors the changing hue of the evening sky. On the banks of the lake is the Madhav Vilas Palace, a summer retreat of the Scindia clan. A spectacular view of Shivpuri town and the park beyond may be had from the palace's turrets. The park's Bhadaiya Kund (a natural spring) is also a spot worth visiting. It is a local belief that its water, which is rich in minerals, has healing powers.Moving away from the park, the town of Shivpuri still maintains its old world charm. Its royal past still lives in the form of its majestic palaces, hunting lodges, exquisitely adorned chhatris (cenotaphs) built by the Scindias.