Navegaon National Park, Maharashtra

Area of the park: 134 sq km

Year of Establishment: 1975

Best season to visit: Though the temperature of the park remains pleasant throughout the year, the best time to visit the park is during the months of April and May.

Navegaon National Park is spread over an area of 134 sq km and is located in Gondia district of Maharashtra. Built in the 18th century, Navegaon is a much sought-after resort in the Vidarbha region that lies on the eastern outskirts of Maharashtra. Right at the center of the park there is a picturesque lake surrounded by verdant hills with a watch tower beside it. Visitors can use the watch tower to soak in the panoramic views of the lush green vegetation and the never-ending natural beauty of the place; the tower is also a safe way to sight the wild animals of the park in their natural habitat.

The park also encompasses a bird sanctuary, Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, which accounts for more than 60% of all bird species found in the whole of Maharashtra. Come winter and the landscape of the park undergoes a tectonic shift with it taken over by flocks of migratory birds who make the sanctuary and the lake their home. Visiting the park during this time can be a real treat for the visitors, especially birders.

The experience that the visitor is going to get in Navegaon National Park will be unlike anything that he/she has experienced, because here the visitor will get the chance to stay in tree top houses and experience the rawness of the wild and wildlife. And this is in addition to opportunities that one will get to boat on the crystal clear waters of the lake.

What does the word "Navegaon" in the name signify?

The word "Navegaon" is derived from two Marathi words, "Nave" and "Gaon" which mean new and village respectively. Some locals also use the name Navegaon Bandh to indicate the presence of water bodies in the region, with the word "Bandh" meaning dam.

Legends of Navegaon Lake

When Rani Durgawati in the year 1300 entrusted the two brothers, Kolhu and Chimna Patil of the Kohali community, the responsibility of building a lake, they diligently began preparations for the difficult job at hand. They first began by evacuating the 12 villages where the lake was to be built and made arrangements for the resettlement of the displaced villagers. Hundreds of workers were engaged in the massive construction process, which apart from constructing a lake also included building the dam-wall. Once the two brothers were done with the lake, they built an embankment and named it "Sat-Bahini" in love of their seven sisters. Moreover, since Kolhu didn't have any child of his own, to keep his memory alive and also to pay tribute to his services a hillock that lay within the embankment, which came to be known as "Kolhasur" or Kolhu Patil lake. A temple of Lord Hanuman was also built simultaneously with the dam.

Geological significance of the park

Considering the extraordinary diversity of terrains and their constantly changing altitudes, which range from 30 meters to 702 meters, the park has been deemed geologically significant. Geological formations that you can expect to find at the park include Sakoli Series which typically include formations of phyllites, slates, chlorites etc. and Saucer Series. The chemical composition of lime bearing rocks of these two groups show distinct variations. As far as mineralogical difference between the two types is concerned, the Saucer groups of rocks are found to be rich in Felspar and Biolite with little to no chlorite content. In contrast, rocks of Sakoli group are predominantly made up of chlorite, with no traces of Felspar and Biolite.

Flora of Navegaon National Park

The park exhibits diverse vegetation that ranges from dry mixed forests to moist forests. According to the revised classification of the forests by Champion and Seth, the forest cover of the park is categorized under "Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests." The vegetation of the park is unevenly distributed and changes from altitude to altitude. Plant species found in the park include various economical, medicinal, aromatic, ornamental plant species, like Teak, Haldu, Jamun, Kawat, Mahua, Ain, Bhel and Bhor.

Nearby attractions

Visitors visiting the park would appreciate the fact that there are a number of other popular tourist attractions near to the park. Anyone who has time and wants to add some added thrill to the tour can head to destinations like Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary (60 km), Itiadoh Dam (20 km), Tibetan Camp at Gothangaon (15 km), and Pratapgad (15 km).

Wildlife in Navegaon National Park

Navegaon National Park is primarily a bird sanctuary and hosts almost 60% of all bird species native to Maharashtra. As such there is no better place to spot birds than at Navegaon National Park. Helping the cause of birders are the watch towers which make the exercise of birding easy and fulfilling. One may even choose to stay in a tree house and go through an entirely new experience.

So far 209 species of birds have been recorded in the park, including both migratory and local birds. Popular birds that can be seen in the park include Scarlet Minivets, Paradise Fly Catchers, and Kingfishers.

Mammals

In addition to the large number of birds, the park is also host to various mammals including the big cat, the tiger. Other members of the cat family that one can look forward to are the panther and the jungle cat. In total 26 mammal species reside in the park with the small India civet, palm cavet, wolf, jackal, bisons, sambars, nilgais, chitals, wild boars, sloth bears, and wild dogs being some of the other members of the mammal family.

The lakes and water bodies of the park have many species of fish, and can be pleasant distraction for the visitor. For reptile lovers, there are 9 species that they can expect to capture in their lenses.

Navegaon National Park Travel Information

By Air: The nearest airport is at Nagpur (120 km from the park). Being an international airport, Nagpur airport apart from having flights to major destinations in India, also connects the city to Sharjah. Upon reaching Nagpur, public transport and private conveyance can be availed to get to the park.

By Train: Deulgaon, which is 2 km from the park, is the nearest train station and lies on the Gondi-Chandrapur route. However, it is small station and for travelling to major cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur, Puri, Bilaspur and Bhubaneshwar, one needs to first travel to Gondia (65 km from the park). From Deulgaon and Gondia railway stations, there are buses and taxis available on a daily basis to reach the park.

By Road: The Park is well connected by road and easily accessible from places like Gondia and Arjuni. Both private and public buses ply between the park and Gondia. The nearest bus stand from the park is 10 km away, at Navegaon.