Navegaon National Park

Navegaon National Park is a national park located in the Gondia district of Maharashtra, India. Navegaon, a popular forest resort in the Vidarbha region, the eastern most part of Maharashtra, was built in the 18th century. The picturesque lake set amidst lush green hills at Navegaon, has a watch-tower beside it. One can get a bird's eye view of the surrounding forest and marvel at the exciting wildlife from the watch-tower which consists of a deer park, Dr. Salem bird sanctuary, and three exotic gardens. The Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Navegaon is home to almost 60% of the bird species found in entire Maharashtra. Every winter, flocks of beautiful migratory birds visit the lake—a rare treat for the eyes. The national park has diverse type of vegetation ranging from dry mixed forest to moist forest. The forest type is 5 A/C3. Southern tropical dry deciduous forest.

The most unique experiences of the Navegaon National Park that you will have are going on a jungle safari, staying in a tree top house and riding a sail boat in the lake. The name "Navegaon" comes from the word Nave + gaon (Nave means new in Marathi and Gaon means village). This area also known as Navegaon Bandh locally (bandh means dam in english) because of the presence of the water body. Mostly trible people leaves here and this area was under Gond Kings in the old days.

Strolling down the lanes of history, we can find traces of the existence of the Kohali Community as far back as 1300 A.D. and beyond. Even in that primitive era, the Kohali community was recognized as geologists in a broader sense, as geophysics may have been in its infancy in our land. This community had developed skills, by inheritance, in excavation and stone- construction work. Archives shows, that the grandiose temples at Jagannath-puri and Bhubneshwar, the picturesque lakes of Kashmir and Rajasthan, were constructed by the Kohali community. This can be corroborated from documented reports in the Book, " Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talav " a Gandhi Pratisthan Publication, New Delhi.

This tribe, in search of a vacation, migrated to Central India, concentrating in areas known today as Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Bhandara and Gondia Districts, where their population density is pretty high. But as William Blake the poet says that the wheels of fortune must turn, so fortune had in store, something surprising for this industrious community would change the course of their destiny.

Rani Durgawati, after her marriage to king Dalpatshah the powerful Gond Kings, plunged into the affairs of the state. The welfare of her subjects, become her paramount concern. Agriculture was the source of livelihood, and agriculture depends on whims of Lord Indra and his supply of water. To supplement resources, reservoirs, lakes (known as tank or talavas in local dialect) were essential.

This far-sighted consort of king Dalpatshah, chose these hardy sons of the soil, the Kohalis, to take up this venture. So, in the year 1300 A.D., the great exodus of the Kohalis began in right earnest. They were awarded large farming tracts as incentives, for constructing tanks, canals and waste weirs for storage and supply of water. They were also conferred with the title of 'PATEL' or PATIL'. As the zamindari and malguzari system was not in vogue, these Patels/Patils were entrusted with the job of collecting agricultural cess. Agricultural development being the main item on the agenda of the queen, two brothers viz. Kolhu and Chimna Patil of the Kohali community, were delegated with the task of constructing a lake (at Navegaon) in the year 1300.

From here begins the saga of Madhaorao Patil’s ancestors Kolhu & Chimna, scions of Bija Patil Dongarwar. This diligent brother-duo, first made alternate arrangements to resettle the displaced inhabitants of 12 villages, that were going to be affected by the construction of lake and that is today’s Navegaon village. Hundreds of labourers were employed in construction of the lake and dam-wall. Mode of payment to labourers was in the form of conches and mollusc shells. Herds of cattle were pressed into service, to trample the freshy excavated and water-sprinkled soil dumped for the dam-wall, to provide solidity. Water stored in the reservoir, would be provided free of cost to all farmers.

After completing the dam, to express their gratitude to God, a fish of the ‘Wadis’ species was caught and adored with 30 Tolas of Gold ornaments and again released in the tank. This fish was reported to be sighted for several years, resplendent in all its ornaments. While constructing the dam, a temple of God Hanuman was simultaneously constructed. Here, the lookers on the construction site, first paid obeisance daily, before commencing the work. For accumulation of water, a 200 yard sloping waste weir was built which also facilitate Eel fish from the back-waters of the sea to enter the lake by rivulets for spawning. The Govt took over the management of this dam in 1951. They dismantled this waste-weir and reconstructed another waste-weir in the form of water-fall.
Entry Timings: 4.00 am to 7.00 pm. During the rest hour's entry in the national park is strictly prohibited.