PENCH NATIONAL PARK

I am in the land of Mowgli at Pench National Park. The woods are dark and deep and the forests are wrapped in a dense fog of mystery. My date with the jungle begins in the wee hours before dawn. Century-old trees stand as guardians of the forests. As the first light of dawn seeps in through the lattice of leaves, the forest reveals itself, painted in shades of greens, yellows, reds, and browns. Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book comes alive in the moist teak and dry deciduous forests with clumps of trees like mahua, palash, sal, neem, and a plethora of fruit trees beside a smattering of grasslands and clusters of bamboo forests. It is mesmerizing, and enchanting as well. Surrounded by hills, the River Pench flows through the woodlands, creating murmuring brooks and gushing forest streams, lakes, and reservoirs adding to the magical landscape. Amidst the mist, the ghost trees add to the drama. No wonder Kipling’s Mowgli was reluctant to leave his wonderful wild family and return to what we, humans call civilization. In many ways, I feel a bit like Mowgli, wanting to stay in the jungle and meet the endearing characters like Bagheera and Baloo and of course, Shere Khan. As a child, I was obsessed like most kids of my era with The Jungle Book, but it has taken me this long to be in this land that inspired Rudyard Kipling to create the immortal characters. And as I soak in the moment, I present to you a brief Travel Guide to Pench National Park.