Bandhavgarh

“There is one point on which I am convinced that all sportsmen will agree with me – and that is, that a tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage and that when he is exterminated, India will be the poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna.” Corbett, 1944, Man Eaters of Kuamaon

For wildlife enthusiasts not as optimistic as Corbett on the judgment of modern-day ‘sportsmen’ (aka, poachers), all hope is not lost for India’s tigers. Anant Van, a wildlife camp spread over 21 acres of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, is unique in that it encourages its guests to witness the drama of the jungle -- and participate in its rejuvenation as well. Organic farming, teaching at the local school, planting saplings at a botanical garden are just some of the activities in which Anant Van’s guests can partake, when not rendezvous-ing with the majestic beasts of the forest.

Admittedly, with the richness of wildlife on offer at Bandhavgarh, the call of the jungle is hard to ignore. While the National Park boasts the highest density of tigers in the world - tiger sightings are often daily occurrences for visitors to Anant Van - the park is home to hundreds of other rare species of wildlife that makes a trip to Bandhavgarh bang for the wildlife enthusiast’s buck.

And if the two-dimensional version of the big cat is more your cup of tea, Anant Van has something for you too. Its extensive gallery of wildlife and tribal photographs is a treat for art and history buffs, and its rare collection of wildlife art chronicling the history of Bandhavgarh's tigers over the last 15 years can leave you roaming its chambers contentedly for hours.

So if you thought that wildlife tourism was just about wild game and safaris, think again. Anant Van, situated near a remote tribal village, aims to provide travelers with a wildlife experience that is participatory, experiential and even spiritual. Its founder, wildlife conservationist Dhruv Singh – who also owns the popular Bandhavgarh Jungle Camp - began Anant Van to provide travelers with a holistic perspective on life in the forest, and local communities a chance to participate in the tourist economy of the national park. “I want people who come to Anant Van to be able to contribute to village life. Too often tourism brings no benefit to local people. I want to change that,” he tells me.

I learn that the cottages, simple yet wonderfully elegant, were built with the help of people from the local community, and Dhruv hopes that villagers will soon become an integral part of the Anant Van experience. “We are creating Anant Van as a living interpretation center of what is actually going on next door to the tigers' home," he says with his characteristic warmth, "And to learn how we can each be responsible wildlife tourists, well-informed through an enjoyable experience in the field." So for an experience that's as much about you as it is about the wildlife, it is worth a visit to Anant Van.

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Published in Outlook Traveller - with great photographs! - in its November 2006 issue