Arguably the most uniquely designed, one of its kind, heritage Forest Rest House in India is the Supkhar bungalow in Kanha tiger reserve. Built in 1910, it was once the hunting lodge of the Viceroy of British India.The tall pyramid-like thatch roofing is this bungalow's hallmark.

The entire thatch is replaced every 3 years. No other forest bungalow in India, to my knowledge, has been able to retain this design over the years (I do know of a few other such tall thatched forest bungalows that once existed in India before being tiled up with a 'pakka' roof).

The thick grass matting, and the even thicker chuna-surkhi walls, keep it incredibly cool inside the bungalow during summers even as the hot sun bakes everything outside. On the other hand, the bungalow is warm and cozy when Kanha's freezing winters come knocking.

The quaint bungalow is unique due to other reasons as well. It is one of the only two FRHs I know of which still retain the huge British-era antique pulley-drawn hand-pankhas in working condition (& the only FRH that has two of them, in parallel, in the one room)

(Pankha = Fan)

The bungalow is set in a Pine & Sal grove at the edge of the extensive Supkhar meadow, grazed by hundreds of wild ungulates, stalked by tigers & leopards. And yes, big cats casually strolling around the FRH is a usual affair.

(A tiger pugmark with the bungalow in the background)