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Introduction
of Bharatpur |
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Bharatpur
- the eastern gateway to Rajasthan is about 55 km from Agra. Bharatpur is
a small city and famous for its bird sanctuary - the Keoladeo Ghana
National Park. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park is one of the finest
National Park in Asia. Once the hunting ground of the princes of
Bharatpur, today the Bharatpur is ranked among the world's best bird
sanctuaries. In 1956, this reserve was tuned into a sanctuary, though the
Maharaja was allowed to hunt in this reserve till 1972. In 1981, the
sanctuary was designated as a national park. Every year the rare Siberian
cranes come to spend the winter in the warmer climate of Bharatpur. Every
year this park is visited by over 400 species of water birds including the
exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan, Central Asia and Tibet and the
rare Siberian cranes from Siberia. Bharatpur is not only famous for its
Bird Sanctuary but also for its historical forts and palaces like the
Lohagarh Fort, Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj. |
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History of Bharatpur |
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Bharatpur
along with Deeg and Dholpur holds an important place in the
history of Rajasthan. The history of Bharatpur traces the rise
and fall of Jat power in eastern Rajasthan. These jats were
active during the late 17th century and the rulers like Churaman,
Badan Singh and Suraj Mal dominated this region. Bharatpur was
founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733 AD. Maharaja Suraj Mal
took over from Khemkaran, the son of Rustam and established the
empire. He fortified the city by building a massive wall around
the city. He also built the Lohagarh Fort or the Iron Fort in
the year 1732. This fort took about 60 years to be completed and
is still the focal point of the town. This fort shaped the
history of Bharatpur. The place was named as Bharatpur after the name of Bharat, the
brother of Lord Rama, whose other brother Laxman was worshipped
as the family deity of the Bharatpur. |
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Tourist Attraction in Bharatpur |
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The
main tourist attraction in Bharatpur is the Bharatpur Bird
sanctuary. This bird sanctuary which is also known as Keoladeo
Ghana National Park was established in 1956. Every year this
park is visited by over 400 species of water birds including the
exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan, Central Asia and Tibet
and the rare Siberian cranes from Siberia. This sanctuary is
ranked among the world's best bird sanctuaries. Other places are
the Lohagarh Fort, Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj. |
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How to get there |
By
Air:
The
nearest airport is Agra which is about 55 km.
By Rail:
Regular
rail services connect Bharatpur with several cities on
Delhi-Mumbai trunk route. Rail services also connects
Bharatpur with Jaipur and Agra.
By Road:
A
network of bus services links Bharatpur with several
cities within and outside Rajasthan. |
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Map
of Bharatpur |
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Major
Tourist Attractions in and around Bharatpur |
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Lohagarh Fort |
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Also known
as Iron Fort, it was built by Jat king Suraj Mal. It is called iron fort because it
remained invincible during attacks by foreigners. The fort
has three palaces within its precincts - Kishori Mahal,
Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas. |
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Deeg
Palaces
(34km) |
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A
strong and massive fortress, Deeg Palace was the summer
resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and houses numerous
beautiful palaces and gardens. |
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Museums
in Bharatpur |
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Bharatpur
Government Museum |
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Bharatpur Government Museum is located in the centre of the
famous Lohagarh Fort. The Bharatpur Museum houses a rich
collection of archaeological wealth of the nearby areas and as
well as from the old Bharatpur State. This museum exhibits some
of the sculptures found during the excavation of old villages
e.g. Noh, Mailah, Bareh, Bayana etc. ranging from the Kuslian
period. |
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Keoladeo Ghana
National Park, Bharatpur |
Bharatpur
Bird Sanctuary commonly known as Keoladeo Ghana
National Park is one of the finest bird parks in the
world. The
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is the famous and easily
accessible bird sanctuary in India. This is the
largest bird sanctuary in Asia. During the winters,
various migratory birds come here all the way from
Siberia and Russia, including the rare Siberian
crane, herons, ibis, pelicans, egrets, Brahminy
ducks and geese. The sanctuary is a quiet and serene
place to watch rare Indian and foreign birds. This
bird sanctuary was established in 1956.
The area was declared a national park on 10 March 1982.
Every year
this sanctuary is visited by over 400 species of water birds
including the exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan, Central
Asia and Tibet and the rare Siberian cranes from Siberia. |
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This sanctuary
is ranked among the world's best bird sanctuaries. More than
300 species of birds are found in this small national park
of 29 square kms out of which 11 square km area is covered
by marshes and the rest are scrubland and grassland. |
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History
of Keoladeo Ghana National Park |
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The
name Keoladeo is derived from an ancient Hindu temple, devoted
to Lord Shiva, which stands at the centre of the park. 'Ghana'
means dense, referring to the thick forest, which used to cover
the area. Keoladeo is the only place where the habitat has been
created by a Maharaja. In earlier times, Bharatpur town used to
be flooded regularly every monsoon. In 1760, an earthen dam (Ajan
Dam) was constructed, to save the town, from the floods. Later
the depression created by extraction of soil for the dam was
cleared and this became the Bharatpur Lake. The Keoladeo Ghana
National park was the royal hunting preserve of the royal
Bharatpur family and one of the best duck shooting wetlands in
the world. The hunting was prohibited by mid 60s. |
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Major
Attractions
of
Keoladeo Ghana National Park |
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The
major attraction in this park are the numerous migratory birds, which
come from as far away as Siberia, Russia and Central Asia and spend
their winters in Bharatpur, before returning to their breeding
grounds. Some of these migratory birds are Siberian crane, herons,
ibis, pelicans, egrets, painted storks, darters, Brahminy ducks and
geese. Besides the migratory birds, some local birds like Spoonbills,
Cranes, Herons, Egrets, Storks, Flamingoes, Cormorants, Kingfishers,
Blue Jays, Shrikes, Orioles, Paradise Flycatchers, Parakeets, Eagles,
Hawks, Harriers, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears, Buntings,
Larks and Pipits, etc. can also be seen in this park. Various animals
like Wild Boar, Sambhar, Chital, Nilgai, Mongoose, Otter, Jackal, Fox,
Hyena, Porcupine, Rock Python, Leopard, Jungle Cat and Fishing Cat can
also be seen in the park. |
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Best Time to Visit
Keoladeo Ghana National Park |
Bharatpur
Bird Sanctuary is open throughout the year, but the ideal visiting
months are from August to November for resident breeding birds
and October to February for migratory birds.
The tourists can visit this sanctuary either on foot or on Rickshaws
or hire a Bicycle. Rickshaw pullers have been trained by the park
management in bird watching and are quite knowledgeable. |
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Standard
Rooms on twin sharing basis.