Bandhavgarh has a very deep-rooted importance of it's own in the history and mythology of India. Looming high over the entire park and located in the heart of it's core area, is a fort dating back to the mythological era of Rama and Hanuman from the Hindu epic Ramayana. It is said that the two monkeys who created the "setu", or bridge, between India and Lanka to enable Rama to cross over and vanquish the demon king, Rawana, were also the architects of the Bandhavgarh fort. This fort was used by Rama and Hanuman on their journey back to their kingdom from Lanka. This fort was later handed over by Rama to his brother Lakshmana who came to be known as the "Bandhavdhish", lord of the fort.

This title is still used by the Maharaja of Rewa, who even presently owns the fort. It is thus necessary to procure his permission before entering the fort. This permission can however be obtained locally. In the northern areas of the park is where you will come across the oldest indicators of bygone eras. These are caves dug into sandstone and carry "brahmi" inscriptions dating back to the 1st century BC. The Chandela kings of bundelkhand, who are famous for the Khajuraho Temples built by them, also ruled Bandhavgarh. The ancestors of the Maharaja of Rewa were the Baghela Kings who started their rule here in the 12th century. Bandavgarh was the capital of their dynasty till 1617 after which it moved to Rewa, which was 120 km to the North. Due to this moving of the capital, Bandhavgarh went through a period of neglect in the times to follow. This was in one way a boon for the present forest present there.

Once this area got taken over by forest cover, the animals in the area too began to multiply. The negative aspect to this was that the royal family and their guests started using it as a hunting reserve. This continued until the Maharaja decided to hand it over, minus the area inside the fort, to the government.

At Bandhavgarh you can find most deciduous forest, as at Kanha National Park. At higher altitudes, the flora tends to move towards mixed forests. With the highest density of tigers, Bandhavgarh is one of the most important wildlife sanctuaries in India for the wildlife preservers and enthusiasts. The park is also home of the white (albino) tiger. There are a number of other rare species moving around in Bandhavgarh National Park like sloth bear, gaur, sambar, chital, muntjac, nilgai, chinkara, and wild pigs. There are also interesting cave shrines scattered around the park, with Brahmi inscriptions dating from the first century B.C. You can visit the remains of the Bandhavgarh Fort believed to be 2,000 years old.

The Bandhavgarh fort, enclosing an area of 560 acres, is an awesome sight. Its stands at a height of 800 meters, 300 meters higher than the surrounding area. A visit to this fort is very highly recommended. There are two means of getting to it's entrance. The first is a jeep track and the second is a footpath. The steep rocky jeep track is not recommended for the faint hearted. The footpath, which also rises at quite a sharp gradient, is the preferred alternative by most visitors. This footpath begins from the left of a spot known as "Shesh Saya".