Category: Travel, Outdoors, Science & Nature

The tussle between Kanha National Park and Pench National Park has attracted attention of wildlife aficionados and literary critics since a long time when the issue of the true inspiration of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book was raised. Kipling, however, never went to Kanha, but the jungles full of sal trees, meadows, and vast variety of wildlife were very similar to the jungle setting he used in his stories. The opposite side of the argument is that Pench National Park, where Kipling spent time during his childhood, has riverine forests and diverse fauna which is said to have inspired him. Both parks are home to tigers, leopards, deer, and birds, thus turning them into the most famous wildlife touring places in India. In the end, Kanha stands for the visual aspect of Kipling's jungle, while Pench National Park represents the emotional and historical bond, thus keeping the mystery alive for nature and literature lovers.