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WILDLIFE
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
(Keoladeo National Park)
 This
is truly a fantasy of feathers. It is the bird kingdom, where time
takes wing. Welcome to the Keoladeo Ghana National Park at Bharatpur
in Rajasthan. Spread over an area of little over 232 sq kms, Keoladeo
derives its name from the Shiva Temple in the heart of the sanctuary.
Formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, ornithologist Salim
Ali, is credited for bringing this park to public notice.
Flora in Bharatpur More than 300 species of birds are found in
this small wildlife park of 29-sq-kms of which 11-sq-kms are marshes
and the rest scrubland and grassland. Keoladeo, the name derives
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.
A Man Made Natural World
While many of India's parks have been developed from the hunting
preserves of princely India, Keoladeo, popularly known as Bharatpur
Wildlife Sanctuary, is perhaps the only case 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 this annual vagary
of nature. The depression created by extraction of soil for the
dam was cleared and this became the Bharatpur Lake.
At the beginning of this century, this lake was developed, and
was divided into several portions. A system of small dams, dykes,
sluice gates, etc., was created to control water level in different
sections. This became the hunting preserve of the Bharatpur royalty,
and one of the best duck - shooting wetlands in the world. Hunting
was prohibited by mid-60s. The area was declared a national park
on 10 March 1982, and accepted as a World Heritage Site in December
1985.
Major Wildlife Attractions
The major attractions of tourists visiting the park are the numerous
migratory birds, who come from as far away as Siberia and Central
Asia and spend their winters in Bharatpur, before returning to their
breeding grounds. Migratory birds at Bharatpur bird sanctuary include,
several species of Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks,
Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Buntings,
Larks and Pipits, etc.
Other Travel Attractions
Bharatpur Govenment Museum : One of the major attention
grabber after the Bharatpur sanctuary is Government Museum of Bharatpur,
which provides a glimpse of the past royal splendour of Bharatpur.
Bharatpur Palace : Not far from the museum is the Bharatpur
Palace, an marvellous structural blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture.
Lohagarh Fort : The invincible Lohagarh Fort, which remained
unconquered despite several attacks by the British regime.
Deeg Palace : Situated just 32-kms away from Bharatpur is
the Deeg Palace. A strong and massive fortress, Deeg Palace was
the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and houses numerous
beautiful palaces and gardens.
Coverage Area- 29 sq-kms
Best Time to Visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary is open throughout the year, still
the ideal visiting months are from August-November for resident
breeding birds and October- February for migrant birds.
How to Get there
Air : The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is
56-kms from Bharatpur.
Rail : Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with all
the major cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra.
The Bharatpur railway station is 6-kms from the park
Road : An excellent network of roadway services connects
Bharatpur to all the major cities of the Rajasthan and its neighbouring
states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana. Bharatpur is well connected
by road from Agra (56-kms, 5 hours), Delhi (176-kms, 5 hours) and
Jaipur (176-kms, 6 hours), all of which have airport facilities
too.
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