Adventure
Tour & Taste
Relaxing
Educational
Ancient & Historical

For a Mumbaikar, a three-hour long drive from Nagpur’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport under the simmering October sun can feel unexpectedly longer. The landscape is sparse. Driver Manoj Bhakre describes it as a low-traffic period. It is a pleasant surprise for those who carry Saki Naka in their daily memories. 

We are on our way to Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, a 150-square kilometer forest reserve in the heart of Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district. The sanctuary sprawls across the Patanbori and Pandarkwada ranges and remains fairly hidden from the glare of the common wildlife Instagrammer. It is the Tadoba-Andhari reserve, located four hours across on the NH930 that remains more popular. Starting with just a few cubs, Tipeshwar has now evolved into a sanctuary that houses close to 20 tigers along with a healthy population of sambals, chitals, Hanuman langurs and nilgais. The current ruler, a forest ranger informs us, is Zanjeer—the new male who has taken over the region. The name, he suggests, reflects the angry young man that he is.