Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary

Last updated
Bhim bandh Wildlife Sanctuary
India relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Location Munger District, Bihar, India
Nearest cityHaweli Kharagpur, Munger
Coordinates 25°14′N86°17′E / 25.23°N 86.28°E / 25.23; 86.28
Established1976

Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Bihar in the south-west of Munger District.

Contents

Etymology

During the Mahabharata period, when the Pandavas were on their exile, they had also come to this forest during that time. For his livelihood, Bhima built a dam to merge the two sources. That is why this place was named Bhimbandh.

Geography

Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the south west of Munger district near the town of Haveli Kharagpur. The forests cover an area or 681.99 km2 on the hills and undulating tract of Kharagpur Hills. It is situated at a distance of 56 km from southern border of Munger, [1] 20 km from Jamui Railway Station, 45 kilometers from the Bariarpur railway station, and 200 km from Patna Airport. [2]

Bhimbandh is situated south of the Ganges River, at the northern edge of Chota Nagpur Plateau and west of Santhal Pargana. it is surrounded on all sides by densely inhabited non-forestry areas. In the valley portions and at the foothills are several hot springs of which the finest are at Bhimbandh, Sita Kund and Rishi Kund. All the hot springs maintain nearly almost same temperature all year round. Of them, the Bhimbandh springs have the hottest temperature (52 °C to 65 °C) and discharge (0.84-1.12 cum/sec) and constitute the best area for the exploration of geothermal energy potential. [3]

There are number of places of tourist interest near the Sanctuary, including Rishi Kund, Sita Kund, Ha-Ha Punch Kumari, Rameshwar Kund, and Kharagpur Lake. [4]

Climate

The climate is normal for the Munger district. There are three distinct seasons in this zone, summer (March to May), monsoon (June to September) and winter (October to February). Average annual rainfall of this district is 1146 mm.

Fauna

Fauna include: tiger (8), leopard (36), peafowl (637), wild bear (1063), Indian hare (507), langur (3388), monkey (1612), sahil (57), bear (96), cheetal (187), barking deer (559), Van Murgi (863), nilgai (255), python (39), gaur (39), and hyena (36) are the major fauna of the Bhimband. [5] Other fauna include the jungle cat, fishing cat, and leopard cat. Small mammals include the rare hispid hare, Indian gray mongoose, small Indian mongooses, large Indian civet, small Indian civets, Bengal fox, golden jackal, sloth bear, Chinese pangolin, Indian pangolins, hog badger, Chinese ferret badgers, and particolored flying squirrel. [6]

Crocodiles are found in Kharagpur lake and Kalidah near Rameshwar kund. Among snakes, cobra and kraits are of common occurrence while pythons are occasionally seen.

Common bird species are peafowl, grey partridge, quail, Malabar hornbill, pied hornbill, swallow, nightjars, drongo, paradise flycatcher, kingfisher, bulbul, mynas, pigeon, wood pigeon, blue jay, owl, falcon, kite, eastern imperial eagle, greater spotted eagle, white-tailed eagle, Pallas's fish eagle, grey-headed fish eagle, lesser kestrel and vulture.

Birds such as the lesser white-fronted goose, ferruginous duck, Baer's pochard duck and lesser adjutant, greater adjutant, black-necked stork, and Asian openbill stork migrate from Central Asia to the park during winter. [4]

The main animals found at Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary are tigers, panthers, wild boars, sloth bear, sambar deer, chitals, four-horned antelope and nilgais. However, the sanctuary is more famous for its bird life rather than the land animals. It is home to more than 100 species of resident birds, which stay here all year around. The number increases in the winter migratory season when there is an influx of birds from the Central Asia region.

Flora

 biomes present in Bhimbandh, grassland and forest. The sanctuary area has mainly sal forest, forest, Bamboo forest, grassland and many small forests of many miscellaneous species of flora. The top canopy of Bhimbandh mainly consists  Shorea robusta  (sal),  Diospyros melanoxylon  (kendu),  Boswellia serrata  (salai),  Terminalia tomentosa  (Asan),  Terminalia belliriica  (Bahera),  Terminalia arjuna  (Arjun),  Pterocarpus marsupium  (Paisar). The top canopy of Bhimbandh mainly   Madhuca indica  (Mahua) and  Holarrhena antidysenterica . Bhimbandh's ground Flora includes  Flemengia chappar and Zizyphus xylopyrus . climber flora include  Bauhinia vahlii  and  Smilex protifrera. Creeper flora includes  Butea superba and Butea parviflora. [7] 

Administration

Administered under Munger district, this village lies within the Gangta police station, has an area of 4137 acres. The villagers in Bhimbandh are mainly engaged in the field of agriculture. The Government of Bihar recently[ when? ] allotted Rs 9 crore for the promotion of tourism in the area. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar visited in 2017 and instructed the officials to channel the hot spring to use in irrigation.

Transport

Visitors can access this place by road from Munger town or from Bhagalpur Junction Railway Station. Bariarpur railway station on Jamalpur Bhagalpur section is the nearest railway station as also the nearest road link on NH 80. From Bariarpur there is a direct road to Haveli Kharagpur. There are private taxi services from Haveli Kharagpur to Bhimbandh. One can also take taxi from Jamui railway station.

Road Route: Bariarpur - galimpur - Kharagpur - Gangta - Bhimbandh - Jamui.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gir National Park</span> Forest, national park, and wildlife sanctuary in India

Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Sasan Gir, is a forest, national park, and wildlife sanctuary near Talala Gir in Gujarat, India. It is located 43 km (27 mi) north-east of Somnath, 65 km (40 mi) south-east of Junagadh and 60 km (37 mi) south-west of Amreli. It was established in 1965 in the erstwhile Nawab of Junagarh's private hunting area, with a total area of 1,410.30 km2 (544.52 sq mi), of which 258.71 km2 (99.89 sq mi) is fully protected as a national park and 1,151.59 km2 (444.63 sq mi) as wildlife sanctuary. It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munger</span> City in Bihar, India

Munger, formerly spelt as Monghyr, is a twin city and a Municipal Corporation situated in the Indian state of Bihar. It is the administrative headquarters of Munger district and Munger Division. Munger was one of the major cities in Eastern India and undivided Bengal during Mughal period and British Raj. It is one of the major political, cultural, educational and commercial center of Bihar and Eastern India. Munger is situated about 180km from east of capital city Patna, about 480km west of Eastern India's largest city Kolkata and 1200km from country's capital New Delhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satpura Tiger Reserve</span> National park in India

Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) also known as Satpura National Park is located in the Narmadapuram district of Madhya Pradesh in India. Its name is derived from the Satpura range. It covers an area of 524 km2 (202 sq mi). Satpura National Park, along with the adjoining Bori and Pachmarhi wildlife sanctuaries, provides 2,200 km2 (850 sq mi) of unique central Indian highland ecosystem. It was set up in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamui district</span> District of Bihar in India

Jamui is a district among 38 districts of Bihar state, India. The district was formed on 21 February 1991, when it was separated from Munger district. It is located at a longitude of 86° 13'E and the latitude is 24° 55'N.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munger district</span> District of Bihar in India

Munger district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state in eastern India. The city of Munger is the administrative headquarters of this district. The district is a part of Munger Division. Its literacy rate of 73.3% is higher than the state literacy rate of 63.8%, but lower than national rate of 74.04%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in India

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary in Wayanad, Kerala, India with an extent of 344.44 km2 (132.99 sq mi) and four hill ranges namely Sulthan Bathery, Muthanga, Kurichiat and Tholpetty. A variety of large wild animals such as gaur, Indian elephant, deer and Bengal tiger are found there. There are also quite a few unusual birds in the sanctuary. In particular, Indian peafowl tend to be very common in the area. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala. It is bestowed with lush green forests and rich wildlife. This wildlife area houses some of the rare and endangered species of both flora and fauna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nagzira</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Tirora, India

Nagzira National Park is a national park in the Bhandara and Gondia districts of Maharashtra state in India. It harbours many fish species, 34 species of mammals, 166 species of birds, 36 species of reptiles and four amphibian species. This national park’s invertebrate fauna includes a number of butterflies and other insect species. Large wild mammals present include the Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, gaur, sambar, nilgai, chital, wild boar, sloth bear, Indian muntjac, Indian spotted chevrotain and dhole. It receives nearly 30,000 tourists annually.

Haveli Kharagpur is a town and One of the three subdivision in Munger district in the indian state of Bihar. Historically it was the centre of the medieval Kharagpur Raj chieftaincy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Karnataka</span>

The state of Karnataka in South India has a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It has a recorded forest area of 38,720 km2 which constitutes 55 of the geographical area of the state. These forests support 25% of the elephant population and 20% of the tiger population of India. Many regions of Karnataka are still unexplored and new species of flora and fauna are still found. The mountains of the Western Ghats in the western region of Karnataka are a biodiversity hotspot. Two sub-clusters of the Western Ghats, Talacauvery and Kudremukh, are on a tentative list of sites that could be designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks which fall outside these subclusters were included in the Nilgiri biosphere reserve in 1986, a UNESCO designation. In the Biligiriranga Hills the Eastern Ghats meet the Western Ghats. The state bird and state animal of Karnataka are Indian roller and the Indian elephant. The state tree and state flower are sandalwood and lotus. Karnataka is home to 524 tigers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andhra Pradesh Forest Department</span>

Andhra Pradesh Forest Department is one of the administrative divisions of Government of Andhra Pradesh. It is headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Head of Forest Force. The primary function of this department is protection, conservation and management of forests in the Andhra Pradesh State. The Forest Department is organised into 12 territorial circles and 43 divisions. In addition, one Senior Officer of the rank of Deputy Conservator of Forests functions as Planning and Extension Officer in each district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flora of Bihar</span> Aspect of the Indian state

The Indian state of Bihar contains sub-Himalayan foothills and mountains with moist deciduous forests. Rainfall may exceed 1600 millimeters per year. Common trees include Shorea robusta (sal), Toona ciliata, Diospyros melanoxylon (kendu), Boswellia serrata (salai), Terminalia tomentosa (asan), Terminalia bellirica (bahera), Terminalia arjuna (arjun), Pterocarpus marsupium (paisar), Madhuca indica (mahua).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary</span> Dolphin sanctuary in Bhagalpur, India

Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary is located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar, India. The sanctuary is a 60 kilometers stretch of the Ganges River from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district. notified as Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary in 1991, it is the protected area for the endangered Gangetic dolphins in Asia. Once found in abundance, only a few hundred remain, of which half are found here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary</span>

Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary is a wildlife sanctuary located in Eturnagaram village in Mulugu district in Telangana, India. It is located 100 km (62 mi) from Warangal and 250 km (160 mi) from Hyderabad. It is a integrated tribal development town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary</span>

Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 15°30′23″N74°23′30″E in Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka state in India. The sanctuary covers an area of 866.41 km2 (334.52 sq mi).

Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Kaimur District and Rohtas District of Bihar. It is the largest sanctuary in the state and extended in area of 1,504.96 km2 (581.07 sq mi) in plateaued landscape of Kaimur Range. It was established in 1979. The major forest types are Tropical Dry Mixed Deciduous, Dry Sal Forests, Boswellia Forests and Dry Bamboo Brakes. It is home to rare and endangered flora and fauna. Rohtasgarh Fort and Shergarh Fort are also located in these forests. It also has numerous Megaliths, Rock painting of prehistoric age and stone inscription from a bygone era. The Government of Bihar has planned to developed it into Tiger Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, India

Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, covering about 1,197 km2 (462 sq mi), is the largest wildlife sanctuary of Madhya Pradesh state in India. This wildlife sanctuary is a part of 5500 km2 of forested landscape. It is located in the centre of the state covering parts of Sagar, Damoh, Narsinghpur, and Raisen Districts. It is about 90 km from Jabalpur and about 56 km from Saugor.

Gautala Autramghat Sanctuary is a protected area of Maharashtra state, India. It lies in the Satmala and Ajantha hill ranges of the Western Ghats, and administratively is in Aurangabad District and Jalgaon District. The wildlife sanctuary was established in 1986 in an existing reserved forest area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Chandigarh, India

The Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is a 2600 hectare nature preserve located in the Shivalik Hills of Chandigarh, India, near Sukhna Lake. The area was officially declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1998. The sanctuary is open for a select number of visitors, and an entry pass is required, which is issued by the Forest Department Office. The reserve is typically not open to the public during the rainy season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munger University</span> State University in Bihar

Munger University is a state university and was established on 18 March 2018 through bifurcation of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur. The university started operating academically from the 2018–19 academic year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary</span> Wildlife sanctuary in Maharashtra, India

Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary is the name given to the protected forests on both sides of the Painganga River which divides Yavatmal district and Nanded district, Maharashtra, India. The Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary was established on January 1, 1996. It covers an area of about 325 sq. km. in the Pusad forest, in which teak is the main tree. Supervision and direct control is in the hands of the sub-conservator (wildlife) Pandharkavada, reporting to the Government of Maharashtra.

References

  1. "Wildlife Sanctuaries in Bihar, National Parks of Bihar". Mapsofindia.com. 2013-04-05. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
  2. "Wildlife Sanctuaries". Archived from the original on 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  3. "Sri Krishna Vatika". Archived from the original on 2009-04-10. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
  4. 1 2 "Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary Munger - Bhimbandh Wildlife Sanctuary Bihar India". Bharatonline.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-16. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
  5. Archived July 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. Main fauna of Bhimband Archived April 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Main flora of Bhimband Archived April 10, 2009, at the Wayback Machine