# Madhav National Park

Madhav National Park is situated in Shivpuri District of Gwalior division in northwest Madhya Pradesh, India. Two national highways pass through the park, the Gwalior to Bombay former National Highway 3 (now part of National Highway no. 44) and the Jhansi to Shivpuri National Highway 27 (formerly N.H.25). The nearest Airport to Madhav National Park is Gwalior Airport which is 120 Kms. The nearest railway station is Shivpuri Railway Station lies on Gwalior Indore main line.
The park was first noticed in 1956, at 167 km$^2$, as Shivpuri National Park. In 1958, it was renamed Madhav National Park after Madho Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior of the Scindia dynasty and was finalized the following year. Sakhya Sagar, (named after Sakhya Raje Scindia, mother of Madho Rao Scindia and Rajmata of Gwalior State) a man-made reservoir within the park, has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2022.

## History

The dense forests of Sipri later came to be known as Shivpuri doubled up as hunting grounds for Mughal emperors since 16th century. From Akbar to other mughal princes, rajputana royals, Gwalior royals and british dignitaries including British monarch and viceroys, who went on wild hunting sprees, tracking tigers and capturing elephants. The forest was gradually came to be known as royal hunting park or majestic park due to high movement of kings and high ranking british officials.
Maharani Sakhya Raje Scindia Sahiba known as (Colonel-in-Chief) who was fond of Shivpuri started residing here. Shivpuri was formerly made the summer capital of Gwalior State and a much larger park was the former hunting preserve of the Scindia Maharajas of Gwalior.
After the independence of India, the area suffered degradation. Agriculture and mining encroached on the former hunting grounds. Although the park was noticed in 1956, at 167 km2, as Shivpuri National Park and became the renamed Madhav National Park in 1959, degradation continued. The last of the resident wild tigers were seen in Madhav National Park around late 1970. In 1982 a plan to add a new part of the park parallel to the Chambal River was proposed. This expansion area included a corridor joining it to the original 167 km$^2$, which when completed would bring the park to 354 km$^2$. (See map below in external links.)
As late as the 1990s there was little effort to improve the conditions in the park. Illegal mining and questionable mining permits led to significant degradation in the park, so that in the 1990s conservationists took the matter to the Supreme Court of India and by 1998 received an injunction terminating mining in the area.
On 1 December 2024, the technical committee of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) proposed to recognize Madhav National Park as a Tiger Reserve which will span 1,751 square kilometres (676 sq mi) featuring a core area of 375 square kilometres (145 sq mi) and a buffer area of 1,276 square kilometres (493 sq mi). Furthermore, the committee has also approved the release of one tiger and one tigress into the park.
On 9th March 2025, Enviornment minister Bhoopender Yadav announced that the Centre had declared the Madhav National park as the countries 58th tiger reserve. This is the ninth tiger reserve in the state, the highest among the states.
On 10th March 2025, to commemorate the 80th birth anniversary of Madhavrao Scindia, (former Union Minister for Railways and Aviation). Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Dr. Mohan Yadav, along with Union Minister for Telecommunication and North East Region Mr. Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, released a Tigress into the wild.

## Geography

There are several small ponds in this national park, but the largest body of water is Sankhya Sagar, a reservoir, constructed for Madho Rao Scindia when it was still his hunting grounds. He also had constructed a second smaller reservoir by damming Manihar River, Madhav Sagar, known as Madhav Lake. A third reservoir was not included in the park.
Located in the ecoregion of Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests, this national park has a varied terrain of forested hills and flat grasslands around the reservoir and is thus rich in biodiversity. The average rainfall is 816 mm.

## Sights and facilities

Sakhya Sagar: On the shores of Sakhya Sagar or Sakhya lake which edges the forests, is a boat club, from where the park visitors can see a number of migratory birds especially in winter, when many migratory waterfowls visit the area. A viewing lodge constructed by the Maharaja of Gwalior called the Shooting Box, is situated above the Sakhya Sagar lake. During those days one could shoot wildlife, both with a gun and camera from here. Visitors could sit under cover and watch a tiger at a kill. All around the lake (at suitable points), the Maharaja constructed boat landing areas, picnic shelters, watch towers, hides, etc. and a network of well laid out metalled roads.
Madhav Sagar: Its a scenic lake and is one of the major attraction in the park. The lake itself is picturesque, surround by lush greenery and rolling hills with ancient and asthetic temples and havelis making it a perfect spot for photography and relaxation. This lake is a popular spot for bird watching, particularly migratory birds. It's also a great location to spot wildlife such as tigers, leopards, and other various herbivores, as they come to the lake to drink water.

### George Castle

At the highest elevation in Madhav National Park, 484.0 m (1,587.9 ft), is the George Castle. In 1911, Madho Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior built the castle in his hunting park for an overnight stay for King George V of the United Kingdom. George V had intended to stay at the castle before going to tiger hunt during his visit to India. However, the king shot a tiger before getting there, and did not stop at George Castle afterall.