Shikargah
Shikargah, from Persian shikārgāh meaning shikār hunting + gāh ground, is often described as a hunting ground where 'qamargah' or encircling of game occurs, an overtone of war exercise performed within a controlled arena of flora and fauna to create easier shooting and camping…
Shikargah isn’t a polished tourist precinct; it’s the sort of sprawling, loosely fenced hunting reserve that still exists on the fringes of Uttar Pradesh’s orange orchards and Madhya Pradesh’s teak belt, where the term still carries its Persian roots—‘ground of the hunt’. The only way to experience it is to book through a legacy rifle club in Lucknow or via a government‑run safari operator in Jabalpur; walk‑ins will be turned away at the gate and left to fend for themselves on the dusty track that snakes between teak stand‑alone and a scattering of ancient stepwells. The real draw is the early‑morning drive at sunrise, when the mist lifts off the fields of sorghum and a convoy of jeeps rattles past herds of nilgai, blackbuck and, if you’re lucky, a lone gaur. Bring a sturdy pair of boots, a wind‑proof jacket and, if you’re not a licensed shooter, a good binocular set—most of the day’s activity is “watch, wait and whisper”. Skip the evening “shoot‑the‑sunset” picnics that flank the reserve’s periphery; they’re overrated and attract noisy crowds that spoil the quiet. The best months are November to February, when the heat retreats and the terrain is hard enough to support a stable vehicle. A single night in a basic government lodge at the base camp is sufficient, but if you crave comfort, the heritage bungalow at Kumbalgarh, a three‑hour drive away, offers a decent reprieve. Two days is honest; more than that turns the experience into an extended wildlife‑watching holiday rather than a true shikargah.
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