Panna Tiger Reserve

Top choice in Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh

LoginSave

Tigers are making a comeback after being reintroduced in 2009 to Panna Tiger Reserve from other Madhya Pradesh reserves; there are now thought to be more than 35 tigers here. There's a fair chance of seeing leopards, sloth bears or tigers while on safari, but what this park really excels at is birdlife, with over 200 species recorded, including many waterbirds not easily seen in other parks.

Panna is less visited than Bandhavgarh, Kanha or Pench, and safaris here are rarely booked out. The reserve's core zone is the Panna National Park, 543 sq km of beautiful forests and grasslands, with the crocodile-inhabited Ken (Karnavati) River flowing through it.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • LAKSHMANA TEMPLE: Facade.Western Group, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India 1368163449 building, hindus, lakshmana, locations, madhya, outdoor, buildings, color, colour, daytime, exterior, exteriors, group, heritage, hindu, historic, historical, indian, outside, pradesh, site, temple, temples, travels, unesco, western, world

    Lakshmana Temple

    10.03 MILES

    The large Lakshmana Temple took 20 years to build and was completed in about AD 954 during the reign of Dhanga, according to an inscription in its mandapa…

  • India, Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho, Vishvanath Temple dating from the 10th Century. (Photo by: Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

    Vishvanath Temple

    10.07 MILES

    Believed to have been built in 1002, the Vishvanath Temple anticipates the plan and style of the Kandariya-Mahadev Temple. Dedicated to Shiva, it's a…

  • Kandariya-Mahadev Temple

    Kandariya-Mahadev Temple

    10.14 MILES

    The 30.5m-long Kandariya-Mahadev, built between 1025 and 1050, is the largest Western Group temple and represents the high point of Chandela architecture…

  • Western Group

    Western Group

    9.99 MILES

    Khajuraho’s most striking and best-preserved temples are those within the fenced-off section of the Western Group. An Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)…

  • Parsvanath Temple

    Parsvanath Temple

    9.11 MILES

    While not competing in size or erotica with the Western Group temples, this largest of the Jain temples in the walled enclosure is notable for the…

  • Chitragupta Temple

    Chitragupta Temple

    10.2 MILES

    The Chitragupta Temple (1000–25) is unique in Khajuraho – and rare among North Indian temples – in being dedicated to the sun god Surya. While its…

  • Raneh Falls

    Raneh Falls

    11.96 MILES

    Raneh Falls, a series of waterfalls in a 30m-deep canyon carved by the Ken River, 21km east of Khajuraho, is a worthwhile nature excursion, especially…

  • Matangesvara Temple

    Matangesvara Temple

    10.02 MILES

    Right next to the Lakshmana Temple but separated from it by the enclosure fence, Matangesvara is the only temple in the Western Group still in everyday…

View more attractions

Nearby Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh attractions

1. Karnavati Interpretation Centre

0.01 MILES

This is where tickets for Panna Tiger Reserve 4WD safaris are issued. There's also a small museum with exhibits on the reserve. It's 1km from the park…

2. Chaturbhuja Temple

8.17 MILES

The small Chaturbhuja Temple (c 1100) anticipates Duladeo and its flaws, but has a fine 2.7m-high, four-armed statue of Vishnu in the sanctum. It is…

3. Bijamandala Temple

8.3 MILES

The 700m track to Bijamandala veers left (signposted) 200m before you reach Chaturbhuja Temple. This is the excavated mound of an 11th-century temple,…

4. Duladeo Temple

8.91 MILES

The Duladeo Temple, dedicated to Shiva and set among well-tended gardens just above a small river, is Khajuraho's youngest temple, dating to 1100–50. Its…

5. Shantinath Temple

9.1 MILES

Shantinath, a mixture of old and modern construction, is the main place of worship in the Jain group. It has a collection of components from older temples…

6. Parsvanath Temple

9.11 MILES

While not competing in size or erotica with the Western Group temples, this largest of the Jain temples in the walled enclosure is notable for the…

7. Adinath Temple

9.12 MILES

The late-11th-century Adinath has been partially restored over the centuries. With fine carvings on its three bands of sculptures, it’s similar to…

8. Ghantai Temple

9.28 MILES

Located between the old village and the Jain Enclosure, the small Jain Ghantai Temple is named after the ghanta (chain and bell) decorations on its…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "india/madhya-pradesh-and-chhattisgarh/attractions/panna-tiger-reserve/a/poi-sig/1154793/356357",
  "destination": "Madhya-Pradesh-&-Chhattisgarh",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "India",
  "region": "Madhya-Pradesh-&-Chhattisgarh",
  "position": "superzone"
}