Once you are done going on a boat and jeep safari, you can say that you have seen most of the species on that piece of land as well as water; now it’s time you explore the area around this sanctuary and experience and feel the villages that are present in and around this sanctuary. The village safari will provide you with an insight into the lives of the people living in those rural villages. Take a stroll through those villages to see the lifestyle of the villagers; you can watch them do pottery, make handicrafts, make different cloths and after you are done, you can stop by at the small stores in the villages that sell sweets, jiggery, locally made handicrafts etc. In fact, the pride of the people here in their homes and culture is worth emulating. The village tour will take you into the many bylines, each of which have some fantastically carved doors that make for Instagram-worthy images. And if you thought Chambal was all about dacoits, think again, there is much more to explore here. The classical name of Chambal mentioned in ancient texts is “Charmanvati”. “Charman” means skin or hide of the animals. One story attribute it to a King called Rantideva who sacrificed many animals here and turned the river red.

A more mundane explanation maybe that the hides were dried on the banks of this river in large number and maybe this was a flourishing trade. In any case, blood and violence remained attached to this region even during the historical times. In the Middle Ages too, this area was known for lawlessness, but they caught publicimagination in the 20th century as the stories of the bandits made its way to popular culture through books, news reports, and Bollywood films.