Month: July 2017

International Tiger Day, Significance & An Invite To Celebrate This Exciting Affair In The Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh

International Tiger Day is an annual extravaganza to raise awareness for tiger conservation as well as its implications. This is held on the 29th of July each year as was decided in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit. The first & foremost query to be addressed is why so much hype on Tigers & … Continue reading “International Tiger Day, Significance & An Invite To Celebrate This Exciting Affair In The Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh”

International Tiger Day is an annual extravaganza to raise awareness for tiger conservation as well as its implications. This is held on the 29th of July each year as was decided in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit.

The first & foremost query to be addressed is why so much hype on Tigers & its conservation.

In 1900, approximately 100,000 tigers were estimated to be living in the wild.

In the last 100 years,Tigers were almost on the brink of extinction as we lost more than 97% of them due to habitat loss, poaching as well as other reasons.

Out of the 3891 tigers worldwide, India is home to 2,226 wild tigers which is ⅔ of the world population followed by Russia & Indonasia.

Apart from the aesthetic beauty of the species itself, there are very crucial social economic reasons too demanding its active & responsible conservation.

A Tiger reserve is just not earmarked for the Tiger itself. They house many other animals such as the elephant, rhino, langur, barasingha, mongoose, river dolphin, olive ridley turtle, crocodile — not to speak of the millions of herbs, plants and trees.
Tigers are what conservationists scientifically term as the   “UMBRELLA” species. By attempting to conserve them, we save everything beneath their ecological umbrella – everything connected to them – including the world’s last great forests, whose carbon storage mitigates climate changes.

For the benefit of the commercially inclined, a tiger reserve offers the following :

  • Employment
  • Generation Agriculture (incidentally the famous IR-8 rice was discovered from the wild rice plants found in one such reserve)
  • Fishing fuel Wood
  • Fodder and Grazing
  • Timber
  • Pollination of Plants
  • Tendu Leaves
  • Carbon Storage and Sequestration (vital for climate protection against global warming)
  • Water and its Purification by Filtering Organic Wastes
  • Soil Conservation
  • Nutrient Cycling and moderation of Extreme events such as Cyclone Storms, Flash Floods.
    The other important verticals are cultural ones like tourism, education, research and development, and spiritual ones (like visiting temples within some of them).
    There was a recent article where Tigers were compared with Mangalyan ( India’s Mars Orbiter Mission ). The comparison may seem to be very bizarre but the new bio-economic analysis threw up interesting statistics, stating saving two big cats gives more value than the cost of India’s much-hyped maiden mission to Mars. The one-of-its kind analysis by a group of Indo-Australian team of scientists had published a paper titled ‘Making the hidden visible: Economic valuation of tiger reserves in India‘ in the journal Ecosystem Services. The team analysed the economic benefits accruing to the country from 6 Tiger reserves namely Corbett, Kanha, Kaziranga, Periyar, Ranthambore & Sundarbans. It says saving two tigers yields a capital benefit of about Rs 520 crore; in comparison ISRO’s maiden mission to mars Mangalyaan cost the country Rs 450 crore.According to the last estimate, India is home to 2,226 adult tigers which would mean a capital benefit of about Rs 5.7 lakh crore — almost equivalent to a third of the total currency that was demonetised by the government!

So conservationists say saving tigers makes a very good economic sense!

With only a few hundreds of tigers that still roam freely, the onus is on us to ensure that they continue to do so and also help in increasing their population to turn them into a thriving race yet again.

Madhya Pradesh, affectionately called as the “Tiger State of India” is abode to a significant population of India’s Tigers. Tourists & wildlife enthusiasts are drawn to Madhya Pradesh as it figures in the list of “Places to see Tigers in India”. With its expansive and dense forests and grasslands, the Heartland of India provides the perfect haven and sustenance for tigers. The state has also gained International acclaim when it was featured in the list of places from around the world that can be visited for tiger sightings.

A Trip to the National Parks of Madhya Pradesh Namely

Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Panna & Satpura will quench your thirst & portray a beautifully drawn picture of flora & fauna.

We at i4u Travels ensure that you can get your fill of tiger sighting leisurely, anytime of the year. Kanha National Park, Pench National Park and Bandhavgarh National Park are some of the more popular places that travelers keep on their radar while visiting Madhya Pradesh. Travel itineraries are designed enabling exclusive visits to the parks and the tour packages too allow a primary focus on these locations.

Bandhavgarh National Park with its dense flora provides an excellent atmosphere for tigers to reside. Spanning over an area of 446 sq kms, Bandhavgarh was awarded the status of a National Park in 1968. It is renowned for its high density of tigers and is frequented by tigers all the year round. The Park is divided into three zones (Magadhi, Tala, Khitauli) for tourists to experience the area in an enhanced manner.

Kanha National Park was officially known as a Tiger Reserve in the year 1973 and was ranked among the “Top 10 Famous Places For Tourists To Visit In India”. The area is vast and covers around 940 sq kms. Similar to Bandhavgarh Park, the area too is divided into four zones (Kanha, Kisli, Sarhi, Mukki) that allow visitors to take in the magnitude of the varieties of wildlife that have found a home in the dense deciduous forests.

Pench National Park, the final pit stop for Tiger Sighting was declared a sanctuary in 1977 and a national reserve in 1983. Though it comes later in the list of must-visit places to see tigers, it is an important place to travel to see the exclusive and nearly extinct Royal Bengal Tigers. The Park is divided into three zones (Touria, Karmajhiri, Jhamtara) and spans an area of 758 sq kms.

Safari Rides are one of the exciting ways to get around these parks and take in the exotic views that these parks have to offer. These can be pre booked and the services tailored to meet the specific demands of the clients and are the highlights of the entire trip.

i4u Travel Services is proud to be a part of TOFT –  ( Travel Operators for Tigers ) and  advocates & supports responsible tourism.

Come, visit Madhya Pradesh to celebrate this auspicious day and reward yourself with an experience of a lifetime amidst these mighty beasts.

 

Revive Yourself And Get Spiritually Elevated In The Heart Of India

Travel plans tend to become overwhelming & sometimes confusing, especially when it comes to planning a holiday trip to a multi dimensional destination like Madhya Pradesh. The sheer number of places that can be visited and admired will ensure that you keep revisiting the Heartland of India quite frequently. From the rare species of wildlife … Continue reading “Revive Yourself And Get Spiritually Elevated In The Heart Of India”

Travel plans tend to become overwhelming & sometimes confusing, especially when it comes to planning a holiday trip to a multi dimensional destination like Madhya Pradesh. The sheer number of places that can be visited and admired will ensure that you keep revisiting the Heartland of India quite frequently. From the rare species of wildlife to the exquisite flora, to the heritage sites that are renowned for their architecture and historical significance to the destinations of pilgrimage and spiritual importance, Madhya Pradesh has something for every wandering soul.

While discussing a holistic travel plan of Madhya Pradesh, it is obvious that the talk isn’t complete without a mention of the plethora of national parks and Tiger Safaris- that attract the most number of tourists all year round. The state is famous for its high density of tigers along with multiple rare species that have found a home there. Though, these are some of the obvious attractions that tourism packages highlight, we here at i4uTravels strive to bring to you options to visit some of the gems that the place has to offer but that which often get overlooked by tourists.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the main city squares, Madhya Pradesh rewards you with serene spiritual places to relax and unwind that are sure to rejuvenate your entire being.

Following are some such sites that you can place on your travel itinerary and treat yourself to those nooks of Madhya Pradesh that deserve to be promoted more:

Maheshwar

Maheshwar, formerly known as Mahishmati, is a temple town situated on the banks of the holy river Narmada. The place is all the more significant as it finds a mention in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. The beautiful temples and mighty forts of Maheshwar is a testament to the times when royalty reigned. Not to mention,  the hand-woven ‘Maheshwari Sarees’ that contain traces of the lost past.

The erstwhile abode of the great Maratha queen, Rajmata Ahilya Devi, a visit to Maheshwar still reminds one of the eminent royal ambience once enjoyed here.
Do not miss an evening boat ride on the Narmada as the subtle sense of folklore and mystery become all the more apparent when the reflections of these grand architectural masterpieces get beautifully reflected on the river water reminding you a little of the myths you listened to as a child.

Chitrakoot

Chitrakoot’s spiritual association range back to the times of the hallowed Rama and Sita who were known to have spent the majority of their exiled years in these forests nestled between the Vindhya ranges. These tranquil grounds are a popular pilgrimage site and are significant due to the mystical tales of incarnations and blessings of mythological beings.
The Sati Anasuya Temple, the Gupt Godavari, Janki Kund, Sphatik Shila and Ramghat and multiple other tourist sites, situated on the tranquil river banks are some of the many gems that Chitrakoot rewards the travellers with.

Sanchi

Sanchi,one of the three UNESCO World Heritage sites is synonymous with Buddha Stupas that are hemispherical structures which house Buddha’s relics. The stupas, the temples, monasteries and the globally renowned Ashoka Pillar are some of the architectural wonders of Sanchi that continue to inspire the world with their masterful engineering even to this day. These sacred stupas also underwent restoration in the early 20th century and were reverted to their former glorious state.

Madhya Pradesh tourism is incomplete without a mention of the ancient Udaygiri Caves that were built during the reign of Chandragupta 2 and have distinctive features of that period, containing some of the oldest cave temples in India. Sanctuaries that date back to the 5th century and are steeped in mythology can be found in abundance amidst the hills.

A custodian of the early Gupta sculpture,cave 5 in Udaygiri has a magnificient sculpture of Vishnu in the Varaha avatar. The God, personified as a serpent (naga) is depicted as a being controlling the waters and carrying the Earth Goddess on his tusk.
There is no fixed period to visit Madhya Pradesh as each season offers a unique view of this wondrous state. Make the best of the services available at i4uTravels and be assured to have all your touring demands met. From booking hotel rooms to providing a travel itinerary that suits your test and also keeping in mind of modes of transportation as well as recommending & booking the best Tiger Safari,  i4utravels will not disappoint you.

Go, indulge yourself in the laps of Mother Nature and be spiritually inspired.

Visit Madhya Pradesh, The Heart of Incredible India.

Make Your Way To Madhya Pradesh During The Monsoons

Madhya Pradesh, the Heartland of India, bound by states all around is a traveller’s delight. Though generally humid, it does get its fair share of monsoon showers during the months of June.

Madhya Pradesh, the Heartland of India, bound by states all around is a traveller’s delight. Though generally humid, it does get its fair share of monsoon showers during the months of June. Continue reading “Make Your Way To Madhya Pradesh During The Monsoons”