Betla National Park

Betla National Park sits within the Palamau Tiger Reserve in Latehar and Palamu districts, one of India's original nine Project Tiger reserves designated in 1973, giving it genuine conservation history predating most other Indian tiger parks. Its name is an acronym reflecting its key species — bison, elephant, tiger, leopard, and axis deer — and the park's Betla Fort, an atmospheric ruin standing within the reserve itself, adds historical interest alongside the wildlife draw, a combination rarely found together in Indian national parks. Betla National Park suits wildlife and heritage travelers together — jeep and, where available, elephant safaris move through dense Chota Nagpur plateau forest offering possible sightings of the park's namesake species, while a stop at Betla Fort and the nearby Palamau Fort ruins adds genuine historical substance to a trip otherwise focused on wildlife.