Blog Details

Tiger Raksha Bandhan In Pench Villages

•  Adeeb Sahil
•  August 26, 2025

Pench National Park

Pench jungle safari

Raksha Bandhan is a popular festival in India that celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters. Sisters tie a rakhi, which is a special thread, on their brothers’ wrists on this festival. The brother promises to protect his sister in return. This festival is celebrated a little differently in the Pench region of Madhya Pradesh. Here, the promise is not just to each other but also to wild animals. Villagers and forest officers make a promise to protect tigers.

This event is not just for show. It is a real effort to bring local people and forest staff together to save tigers. In Pench National Park and the surrounding areas, tigers face danger from poaching and from people entering their homes in the forest. This special celebration is a new step to make sure humans and tigers can live safely in the same area.

Where It Happens

The celebration happens at Pench National Park, which is found in Madhya Pradesh state. Pench National Park is a protected forest known for having many tigers. It is also famous for the Pench jungle safari, where visitors can see wildlife, including tigers, in their natural habitat. Around the park, there are many villages. Most people in these villages belong to tribal communities. These communities have been living close to the forest and wildlife for many years.

The Tiger Raksha Bandhan is celebrated in 130 villages inside and near the Pench Tiger Reserve. These villages are located in the buffer zone, which is the area between the main tiger habitat and the outer human areas. The people here live closest to the tigers and other animals, so their role in protecting the wildlife is very important.

How The Event Works

The way the event happens is simple but meaningful. Forest department staff wear tiger masks. The masks represent the tigers they are speaking for. The team visits each village to meet people. They tie rakhis on the wrists of villagers, just like in the traditional festival.

When the rakhi is tied, the villagers make a promise. They promise to protect tigers and to tell the forest department if they see any danger, such as poaching or illegal activities in the forest. This year, around 15,000 rakhis were made for the event, along with 15,000 tiger masks for the forest staff to wear.

This is done face to face, one person at a time, which makes the promise feel personal. Many villagers say that this makes them feel more responsible for protecting the tigers living near them.

Why This Is Done

The main aim of Tiger Raksha Bandhan is to stop poaching, make people more aware of the importance of tigers, and create a friendly relationship between humans and animals. Poaching is one of the greatest threats to tigers in India. It happens because of the illegal wildlife trade and sometimes because of conflicts between humans and tigers.

By asking people to make a personal promise to protect tigers, the event makes local communities part of the conservation work. Instead of being separate from the forest, the people become active guardians. This helps reduce problems between humans and tigers and gives both a better chance to live together in peace.

Awareness Activities

Along with the rakhi-tying event, the forest department also runs awareness programs in the villages. In these sessions, they explain that tigers usually do not attack people unless they feel scared or are disturbed in their own area. Most problems happen when people go deep into the forest, which is the tiger’s home.

The department also shares important facts. In the last five years, there have been 2,274 reported attacks on tigers in Madhya Pradesh. Many of these incidents involve harm caused by humans. This shows the need for everyone to be careful and to protect the tigers instead of harming them.

These awareness sessions are made simple so that everyone, even those with less formal education, can understand the message. The goal is for every person in the Pench area to know how to live safely near tigers and help keep them safe.

Other Safety Measures

Apart from cultural events like Tiger Raksha Bandhan, there are other steps to keep tigers safe. A 29-kilometre section of Highway 44 was adjusted by the National Highway Authority of India. This part of the road runs from Mohgaon to Khawasa, passing through the buffer zone of Pench National Park.

The new design of the road is made so that light and noise from vehicles do not disturb the animals. It also helps prevent accidents where animals could be hit by vehicles. This is important for tigers, leopards, and other wildlife. These road safety changes work together with the promises made by villagers to protect the tigers.

Growth Of The Event

Tiger Raksha Bandhan started on a small scale in 2022. That year, only 5 villages took part. But in just a few years, the idea has grown. By 2025, 130 villages were part of the celebration. This shows that more and more people are ready to take part in protecting tigers.

In 2025, the event became even more joyful. Sweets were given out during the celebrations, making it feel like a real festival for the community. Many people now look forward to the event each year, not only to celebrate but also to renew their promise to protect the wildlife of Pench National Park.

Tiger Population

There are many tigers living inside Pench National Park right now. According to the 2022 tiger census, there were 123 tigers in the reserve. Since then, several cubs have been born. The tiger count in 2025 is expected to be above 150 animals.

This increase shows that the steps taken to protect tigers are working. Both cultural events, like Tiger Raksha Bandhan, and practical steps like road safety improvements are helping to keep the tiger population safe and healthy. For visitors coming for a Pench jungle safari, this also means there is a better chance of seeing a tiger in the wild.

Voices From The Area

Officers of the forest say this event helps people feel near to tigers. They believe that when people care about animals, they will help protect them.

Bablu Patel, the head of the Forest Development Committee, says tigers usually don’t hurt humans unless they feel in danger. He says tigers are important to the district and must be saved for future generations. Protecting tigers also means keeping the area’s culture and identity safe.