Gandhisagar, The Second Home For Cheetahs, Is A Hidden Gem In MP That You Must Visit

India is set to welcome the third batch of African Cheetahs before the end of 2023. And unlike the past two batches of big cats translocated from Namibia and South Africa, the third batch of Cheetahs will not be housed in Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park (KNP).

In September, SP Yadav, Additional Director General of Forests at the Environment Ministry and the chief of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had said that the next batch of cheetahs will be imported from South Africa and introduced into Madhya Pradesh¡¯s Gandhi Sagar wildlife sanctuary.

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Where is Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary?

Spread across Mandsaur and Nimach districts in northwestern Madhya Pradesh, close to the border of Rajasthan, the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary was one of the two sites prepared to welcome the next batch of Cheetahs.

"The site preparation at the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is going in full swing. I'm expecting that it will be completed by the end of November or December," Yadav had said.

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Spread across an area of 368.62 km2, Gandhi Sagar was notified as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1974.

Wildlife in Gandhi Sagar

The sanctuary is home to a wide range of wildlife, including deer, Nilgai, leopards, hyenas, jackals, langurs, wild dogs, otters, and crocodiles, apart from several species of birds.

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Gandhi Sagar Dam

Besides the wildlife sanctuary, the area is also home to the Gandhi Sagar Dam in Mandsaur District, one of the four major dams built on the Chambal River.

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Gandhi Sagar Floating Festival

Recently, Madhya Pradesh Tourism organised the second edition of the Gandhi Sagar Floating Festival to attract tourists from across the country.

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The Gandhi Sagar Floating Festival was held from October 27 to 1st November on the backwaters of Gandhi Sagar. Visitors were offered a holistic experience, including adventure activities like kayaking, jet skiing, hot air ballooning, speed boating, parasailing and traditional art and cultural events.

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Tourists were provided accommodation at the Gandhi Sagar Forest Retreat (Tent City) in well-equipped and all-weather tents.

Other places to visit in Gandhi Sagar

Gandhi Sagar is also home to several ancient religious sites, including Chaurasigarh temple, Chaturbhujnath temple, Taxakeshwar temple, the Bhadkaji rock paintings, Narsinghjhar and Hinglajgarh Fort.

How to reach Gandhi Sagar?

The nearest railway station from Gandhi Sagar is Bhawani Mandi Rajasthan. The nearest airport from Gandhi Sagar is Udaipur, which is just over 200 kms away. You can also reach Gandhi Sagar via road from Indore.

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