This is no tiger story.
Every tourist who ventures into a tiger reserve is obsessed with spotting the big cat. But only a few are equally curious about birdlife or the lesser-known mysteries of the forest. In our quest to tick off charismatic, endemic, or rare species, we often miss what the wild truly has to offer—its hidden secrets. As a forest guard once told me, “There are layers to every jungle. The deeper you go, the more they open up.” He was right. Every spot in the forest has a story to tell. Here are a few I’ve encountered on my travels.
Earlier this year, I spent a week exploring Satpura Tiger Reserve. It's an expansive park, especially rewarding for those interested in prehistoric cave art. Although many sites lie deep within the forest and are inaccessible to tourists, one ancient temple complex is open to exploration. Located in the Madhai zone, Jhinjhini Mahal is a striking set of ruins you can visit on foot after disembarking from your safari jeep. Not much is known about these temples. One version dates them to the 7th century, while another attributes their construction to King Bahutsingh during the Kalachuri period of the Chedi rulers in Central India (9th–10th century CE).
Over the past two decades, I’ve visited Kaziranga multiple times—both for work and leisure. On a recent visit, I explored a lesser-known area: the north bank of the Brahmaputra. This zone is crucial to the park’s long-term conservation strategy, expanding the reserve’s footprint and enhancing connectivity with other protected areas in Assam.
Though not yet part of the regular tourism circuit, I saw rhinos and elephants wandering through lush riverine grasslands. Near the forest range office stands a small temple dedicated to the bear god. Known locally as the Bhalu temple, it is believed to be at least 500 years old. Villagers once came here to pray after losing cattle to the forest.
The Ramayana finds a prominent place in both Kanha and Bandhavgarh. Long ago, a boy named Shravan, devoted to his blind parents, carried them in baskets on a bamboo pole across forests to fulfil their wish for a pilgrimage to Kashi. One evening, he went to fetch water from a pond in the forest. That very moment, Dashrath—King of Ayodhya—was hunting and mistook the sound of water being drawn for that of a wild animal. He shot his arrow. When he realised he had accidentally killed a boy, he was devastated. The heartbroken parents cursed the king, who would eventually die grieving the loss of his son, Ram.
The site where this incident occurred is marked today by a small earthen bund called Shravan Tal inside the Kanha reserve. Nearby lies Shravan Chita, where he was cremated. The soil here is oddly barren and distinct in colour, visible along the Bamni–Dadar–Keraghat jungle road.
Bandhavgarh, about 230 km away, is also steeped in mythology and history. The Bandhavgarh Fort is linked not only to Lord Ram—who is said to have gifted it to his brother Lakshman—but also to Mauryan rulers, the Mughal emperors Humayun and Akbar, and the mystic poet Kabir. The name Bandhavgarh derives from bandhav (brother) and garh (fort). Amidst the ruins of arches, temples, and idols lie 39 man-made caves with inscriptions in Pali and Brahmi dating back to the first century, along with ancient cave paintings. These remain poorly documented.
While Ranthambore Fort draws the crowds, few know of the two lesser-known forts hidden within the reserve’s folds. One of them is Khandar Fort, dramatically perched on a hill near the Chambal River. Tourists rarely venture this far, but the fort stands as a majestic echo of Rajputana legacy. Its weathered ruins house Jain temples dedicated to Chaturbhuja and Gobind Devji, alongside royal chhatris and two grand stepwells—Ramkund and Laxmankund—that reveal the ingenuity of ancient water-harvesting practices.
The second, Utigir Fort, lies deeper within the Keladevi Sanctuary. Now a modest shelter for shepherds, it once belonged to the princely state of Karauli and served as a venue for tiger hunts orchestrated by the Raghunathpur hunting company. Though largely forgotten, Utigir’s scale and architectural finesse rival those of both Ranthambore and Khandar, lending it an air of faded grandeur.
But the forests of Rajasthan are not just steeped in history—they are also haunted by legend. One such tale surrounds Rana Hamir of Mewar, who was betrayed in battle when a bribed mahout under Alauddin Khilji’s command raised a black flag, falsely signalling the king’s death. Mistaking the sign, his people prepared for the worst. The women of the royal household committed jauhar, and Queen Padmawati is said to have leapt into a ravine near a well—now a place where tigers are sometimes seen drinking in summer, lending a spectral calm to the site. Enraged by the betrayal, Hamir killed the treacherous mahout, had his face carved into stone at the fort’s entrance, and then, in an act of grim devotion, beheaded himself before Lord Shiva.
Another legend lingers over Kankwari Fort in the Sariska reserve. Here, during a bitter succession battle, Mughal emperor Aurangzeb exiled his brother Dara Shikoh. Guarded by a thousand soldiers, Dara was kept under strict watch to prevent escape. Today, the fort, framed by hills and meadows, stands silent—a solitary reminder of power, betrayal, and the fragility of royal bonds.
Corbett holds a special place for every wildlife lover in India—not just for its tigers but for its tales. One lesser-known story is about Pir Baba, who is believed to protect people and animals. His mazaars are tucked away in three locations—Pir Kalu Shah Baba at Paater Pani, Mor Ghaati, and Fatto—far from tourist routes. Forest guards and mahouts offer gur (jaggery) as a symbolic sacrifice every winter, seeking protection in the dense sal forests. I have done so many times. In return, I’ve found the courage and will to keep venturing into the wild.
India’s tiger reserves hide countless ruins and legends. Discover them in "Hidden Treasures: India’s Heritage in Tiger Reserves, Vol 1" by Bharat Lal and S P Yadav—a new book exploring forts, temples, and forgotten stories across 28 reserves in 16 states.