- Also called:
- Shivpuri National Park
Madhav National Park
What is the history of Madhav National Park?
What types of vegetation and wildlife are found in Madhav National Park?
What are some man-made structures in Madhav National Park?
Madhav National Park, natural area in northern Madhya Pradesh state, central India. It is located about 70 miles (110 km) south of Gwalior on the main road between Mumbai and Agra, just northeast of the city of Shivpuri. The park’s environs, consisting of hills and valleys in the Vindhya Range, originally made up the private game preserve of the Sindhia rulers of the former princely state of Gwalior. The national park was established in 1958 and named after Madhav Rao Sindhia (also called Madho Maharaj), a progressive ruler of the Sindhia family who is credited with modernizing Gwalior. The park extends over 637.61 square miles (1,651.39 square km) of forested land and has a core area of 144.88 square miles (375.23 square km).
Flora and fauna
The park’s vegetation includes mixed forests of sal (Shorea robusta), teak (Tectona grandis), and khair (Acacia catechu), interspersed with grassland. Leopards, langurs, jackals, mouse deer, wild pigs, four-horned antelope, chital, sambar, jungle fowl, quail, and bustards, among other animals, inhabit the park. Although tigers once roamed the park, they had reportedly disappeared from the area by the early 1970s. However, subsequent reintroduction programs were successful, and Madhav National Park became India’s 58th tiger reserve in 2025.
Human-made structures
Madhav Rao Sindhia had begun to develop the forested land as a tourist and game resort. Accordingly, two artificial lakes—Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar—were built in 1918, before the land had been designated a national park. These lakes are now important wetland habitats for the resident fauna and also attract tourists. Sakhya Sagar has been designated a Ramsar site—a wetland of international importance—and supports more than 70 species of birds. At the highest point of the park lies George Castle, built for King George V’s overnight stay during his visit to India in 1911.
