Vijay ji and I, along with our team, were attending a three-day wild bee conservation seminar in Ghaziabad. The seminar focused on an in-depth analysis of the impacts of climate change on bees and wildflowers. A team of around 110–120 researchers and scientists from India and abroad were leading the seminar. On the third day of the seminar, i.e., May 20, we received a call from our Ashok Bhai, who is associated with the Prime Minister’s Van Dhan Yojana and was in Bichhiya, Madhya Pradesh.
The Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana of the Government of India is one of the key schemes dedicated to tribal communities. It helps them in the production, procurement, and marketing of various types of wild honey, medicinal herbs, and forest-based foods that are found in their regions.
Ashok ji informed us that this year, the forests of Bichhiya had an excellent abundance of beehives, and the honey harvesting work was beginning from May 22. Considering the time factor, we planned to leave at 3:00 a.m. on May 21. The first day’s journey was to take us from Ghaziabad to Jabalpur, covering 806 kilometers.
Since our discussions on bee conservation went on late into the night, it took us quite a while to fall asleep, and instead of leaving at 3:00 a.m., we could only start at 5:00 a.m. Our journey thus began from Ghaziabad, taking the Yamuna Expressway through Mathura – Agra – Dhaulpur, where Madhya Pradesh begins, with Morena being the first district.
We had already informed Raghu, who is based in Bahraich and is the head of our harvesting team, to prepare a group of 8–10 people along with the necessary equipment to set out for Mandla–Bichhiya within 1–2 days.
From here, the Chambal Valley begins. The Chambal Valleys of Madhya Pradesh are a natural and historical heritage, known for their winding roads, rugged hills, and deep ravines. For decades, these difficult terrains were ruled by bandits, which lends the region a mysterious and intriguing image.
From there, we traveled via Gwalior – Dabra – Datia and reached Jhansi. By this point, we had driven 440 kilometers.
Near Jhansi, we stopped at a roadside dhaba to have our first meal of the day and took a short rest, preparing ourselves for the next 400 kilometers ahead. Moving onward, we traveled alongside the Betwa River—known as the heart of Bundelkhand—and reached Lalitpur.
In Lalitpur, we met our old friend, Sanjeev ji, who had earlier served as a Forest Ranger in Katerniaghat Forest, Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh. He suggested that instead of taking the usual route, we continue via Sagar and then pass through the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve (established in 2023). This reserve is located near the districts of Sagar, Damoh, and Narsinghpur, and is the seventh tiger reserve of Madhya Pradesh. Spread over 1,414 sq. km, it has a core area of 925 sq. km.
He told us that if we took that path towards Jabalpur, we would encounter truly captivating landscapes.
In the course of our conversation, we asked him why he doesn’t leave Lalitpur and return to Katerniaghat. To this, he replied with a heart-piercing proverb.
"झांसी गले की फांसी, दतिया गले का हार ।
ललितपुर ना छोड़िए, जब तक मिले उधार।।"
Hearing this, we all laughed heartily. By then it was nearly 3:00 in the afternoon. After embracing him and bidding farewell, we left Lalitpur for Sagar and from there took the route through the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.
The road was truly enchanting, filled with beautiful scenery. Since the reserve was newly established, there were no tourists, and along the 40-kilometer stretch of the track, we were driving completely alone. When we arrived, we discovered that the cheapest government rest house and the most affordable safari were available right there—where for just ₹2,000 you could hire a jeep.
Along the roadside, we saw many beehives, which made our hearts tempted, but since it was a forest conservation belt, we couldn’t touch them. We captured some of the hives in our cameras. On the way, we came across a wolf strolling leisurely, and later we encountered a large number of langurs. We fed them chickpeas and stood with them for quite a while.
Further along, we came across a very beautiful village with a truly captivating view. In that secluded spot, we spent about 40–45 minutes enjoying nature. Talking to several villagers and observing their simple way of life with so few facilities left us amazed.
By the time we crossed the Tiger Reserve, it was already 7:00 in the evening, and around midnight we reached Jabalpur. There, we checked into a guest house with a room charge of ₹800. We quickly ate rotis and dal fry, and due to exhaustion, fell asleep the moment we lay down on the bed.
