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BHARATPUR BIRD SANCTUARY
One of the best bird parks in the world, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana National Park) is a reserve that offers shelter to animals as well. Along with nesting native water- birds, migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also populated by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and the Boar. Over 300 species of birds are found in this little wildlife park of 29-sq-kms out of which 11-sq-kms is marshes and the rest is grassland. Keoladeo, the name is derived from an ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, which stands at the centre of the park. 'Ghana' means dense, that refers to the thick forest, which used to cover the area.
Whilst many of India's parks have been developed from the hunting preserves of princely India, Keoladeo, widely known as Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary, is possibly the only case where the habitation has been created by a maharaja. In earlier days, Bharatpur town used to be inundated repeatedly every monsoon. In 1760, an earthen dam (Ajan Dam) was built to save the town from this annual rage of nature. The depression created by the extraction of soil for the dam was cleared and this became the Bharatpur Lake.
History
At the start of this century, this lake was developed and was separated into several portions. A system of small dams, sluice gates, etc., was created to manage water levels in different sections. This became the hunting ground of the Bharatpur royalty, and one of the top duck shooting wetlands in the world. Hunting was forbidden by mid-60s. The area was declared a national park on 10 March 1982, and acknowledged as a World Heritage Site in December 1985.
Places of Interest
Bharatpur Government Museum
One of the prominent places after the Bharatpur sanctuary is Government Museum of Bharatpur, which gives a preview into the past royal grandeur of Bharatpur.
Bharatpur Palace
Not very far from the museum is the Bharatpur Palace, a wonderful architectural blend of the Mughal and the Rajput era.
Lohagarh Fort
The insurmountable Lohagarh Fort, which remained unconquered in spite of several attacks by the British regime, is an interesting place to see.
Deeg Palace: Situated just 32-kms away from Bharatpur is the Deeg Palace. A strong and enormous fortress, Deeg Palace was the summer way out for the rulers of Bharatpur and is house to numerous beautiful palaces and gardens.
Best Time to Visit
Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary is open all through the year; however the ideal visiting months are from August-November for inhabitant breeding birds and October- February for migrant birds.
Travel Information
Air: The nearest airport is situated at Agra, 56-kms from Bharatpur.
Rail: Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with all the major cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra.
Road: A first-rate network of roadway services connects Bharatpur to all the major cities of Rajasthan and its neighboring states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.