Kanha National Park — Khatia Gateway

Kanha National Park is one of India's largest and most well-managed tiger reserves, spanning Mandla and Balaghat districts in Madhya Pradesh. The Khatia Gateway is its principal and most accessed entry point near Khatia village. Notable for dense sal forests, meadows and streams, the park is renowned for Bengal tigers and the endemic hard-ground barasingha. Established in 1955 and included in Project Tiger in 1973, it inspired Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.

Visitors entering via Khatia Gateway can expect organized open-jeep safaris into core zones (Kanha, Kisli) with forest guides. The landscape features sal and bamboo forests, grassy meadows, streams and the Bamni Dadar plateau. Sightings may include Bengal tiger, leopard, hard-ground barasingha, wild dog, sloth bear and diverse birds. The gateway area has a booking counter, interpretation centre, parking and nearby lodges. Safaris operate in morning and afternoon slots with fixed routes and timed entry.