Remember Mowgli, the pint-sized ‘Man-Child’ or Bagheera, the Black Panther? And who can forget the inimitable Sher Khan, the villain of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. Teaming with exotic wildlife, Pench National Park is the land that inspired Kipling to visualize his most famous work. The Jungle Book and its character ‘Mowgli’ is based on Pench National Park. This park is also famously called as ‘Mowgli Land’.

The Pench National Park/Pench Tiger Reserve and its neighborhood is the original setting of Rudyard Kipling’s most famous work, The Jungle Book. Kipling borrowed heavily from Robert Armitage Strendale’s books ‘Seonee’, ‘Mammalia of India and Ceylon’ and ‘Denizens of the Jungle’ for the topography, wildlife, and its ways. Mowgli was inspired by Sir William Henry Sleeman’s pamphlet, ‘An Account of Wolves Nurturing Children in Their Dens’ which describes a wolf-boy captured in Seoni district near the village of Sant Baori in 1831. Many of The Jungle Book’s locations are actual locations in Seoni District, like the Waingunga river with its gorge where Sherkhan was killed, Kanhiwara villlage and the ‘Seeonee hills’

Situated in SEONI in MP, Pench derives its name from Pench river that flows from north to south and divides the jungle into exactly two halves. Nagpur is the nearest rail head and all the south bound trains stop here. Even Nagpur is the nearest airport, one can hire a taxi or board a bus from Nagpur and come to Khawasa which is 80 Km from Nagpur on Nagpur-Jabalpur NH-7.

To experience the land of Tigers & wilderness, to admire the peace and tranquility of Pench, come to the land of Adventures and bliss – Kohka Wilderness Camp.” Regarding reaching Pench, Kohka Wilderness Camp provides pickup n drop from/to Nagpur. They also book jungle safaris for the guests.

Leaves don’t rustle! Water doesn’t trickle! Grasses stop to move! Even the wind pauses to hold its breath and watch the drama unfold! Then all of a sudden the Jungle springs to life! Langurs groan. Branches of trees begin to swing under their springing jumps. Fleeting hooves rustle the grass. Heavy bodies splash the water. Spotted deers let out the alarm call. Let it be known – the King is here – “Hail, the King!” Lesser creatures flee. The King sweeps a gaze over his Kingdom. Period. Utter silence. The show begins.

Source : Sachin Murdeshwar