Introduction :
» Location - The Bharatpur National Park (Keoladeo
Ghana National Park) or-as many people prefer to call it-the Bharatpur Bird
Sanctuary lies between two of India's most historic cities, Agra and Jaipur.
This north Indian sanctuary is situated in the country's northwestern state
of Rajasthan, about 190 km from the national capital of Delhi.
The
name 'Keoladeo' is derived from the name of an ancient Hindu temple devoted
to Lord Shiva in the sanctuary's central zone while the Hindi term 'Ghana'
implies dense, thick areas of forest cover. The coverage area of this
national park is 29 sq-kms. One of the finest bird parks in the world,
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana or Bharatpur National Park) is a
reserve that offers protection to faunal species as well. Nesting indigenous
water- birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this
sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.
» Historical Snippets - 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.
This spectacular bird sanctuary is historical in its own way. The Maharaja
of Bharatpur is credited for its creation in 1890, though conservation was
the last thing on his mind. He got a large area enclosed with embankments
and further divided it with earthen dams called 'bunds' creating a large
number of marshes and lakes. Thus, Bharatpur is mainly an artificial
creation. The government banned the indiscriminate shooting of birds in
1965. Conservation efforts originally started by Dr. Salim Ali received a
further impetus when the area was deemed a national park in March 1982. In
1985, Bharatpur was accepted as a World Heritage Site.
Prime Attractions of Bharatpur National Park :
» Flora and Fauna - 'Ghana' means dense, referring
to the thick forest, which used to cover the area. Bharatpur hosts a variety
of bird species from across the globe. Close to 380 species of birds are
found in this 29 sq km stretch, approximately 10 sq km of which comprises of
marshes and bogs. Rest of the area comprises of scrublands, grasslands and
more than 44,000 trees that are used for nesting by birds each year. This
rather intriguing blend of marshes, woodland and flora found here represents
and, at the same time, substantiates the density and diversity of the
region's forest cover.
Main wildlife found are Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Boar, Migratory Birds. 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 Siberian Cranes,
Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers,
Wheatears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc.
Some 377 species have been spotted at Bharatpur Sanctuary, making it one of
the most inviting destinations in the world for ornithologists, amateurs and
nature lovers. Various species of indigenous water birds, waterside birds,
migratory water birds, land migratory birds, and domestic land species are
found here. There are approximately 56 different families of birds, of which
the Passeriformes (156 species) and Charadriformes (56 species) dominate.
One-third of birds at Bharatpur are migrants, many of whom spend their
winters before returning to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and Central
Asia.
The bird most popular among tourists and ornithologists is the Siberian
crane. According to field experts, this bird is known to travel distances of
up to 6,500 km migrating from the Ob River basin region (Aral mountains,
Siberia). Conservationists are working hard to protect the Siberian crane
species as they are on the verge of extinction. Apart from Feredunkenar in
Iran, Bharatpur Sanctuary is the only place where the Siberian crane
migrates. The Siberian Cranes arrive in December and stay until early March.
According to ornithologists, unlike its Indian counterpart the Siberian
crane feeds on Cypress Rotents grass (an underground aquatic root). The
intriguing fact is that Siberian Siberian Cranes have a mixed diet of vegetation,
fish and other small creatures back home, but they adopt a vegetarian diet
during their stay in India.
Other Attractions of Bharatpur National Park :
The city center is a mere 3 km from the park and has its own fare share of
oddities, bazaars and night markets that are definitely worth a visit. Also
worth visiting is the Laxmi Vilas Palace that houses a museum. The city of
Agra, which is just 55 km from Bharatpur, has one of the most magnificent
monuments ever built-the romantic Taj Mahal, a veritable poem in stone built
by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan.
Other Travel Attractions :
» Bharatpur Government 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.
Safaris :
Bharatpur national park is a bird watcher's paradise. Bird Watching Trips
are very exciting. The park, with its rich Bio-geographic diversity, is home
to more than 380 species of birds - about quarter of the total species found
in the entire Indian subcontinent! It is Considered one of the true bird
parks of the world. Migratory birds at Bharatpur bird sanctuary include,
several species of Siberian Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks,
Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheat ears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and
Pipits, etc. The numerous water bodies provide an ideal habitat for Ducks
and Waders which are migratory. The park forms a natural crossroad and
meeting ground for avian species from high altitude areas, plains and
eastern and western regions. Because of this unique location, the bird
population is Pretty high throughout the year, with winter visitors, summer
visitors, altitudinal migrants, passage migrants and local migrants. The
park is an avid bird watcher's destination.
There are well-defined forest trails, which can easily be covered on foot
or on a cycle or you can also hire a rickshaw that are available on hire.
Rickshaw pullers have been trained by the park management in bird watching
and are quite knowledgeable. Boats are also available on hire. A early
morning boat trip or a late evening one is quite a rewarding experience to
check out the hidden surprises of Bharatpur.
Best Time to Visit :
Bharatpur National park is open throughout the year, still the ideal
visiting months are from August-November for resident breeding birds and
October- February for migrant birds.
During summers (April-June), the temperature ranges from 38°C to 45°C.
The onset of monsoon (July-August) lowers the temperature to about 27°C.
Winter (October-March) season peaks after Christmas with temperatures
falling below 10°C. Ground fog in the winter persists rather
erratically on unspecified periods in January.
General Information Tips :
» 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 neighboring
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.
Note : Do not forget to carry a binoculars for watching
the birds. Bird watching depend greatly on season, timing, and patience, so
its better to visit the sanctuary during the visiting period.
» Where to stay?
Most tourists plan day long trips to Bharatpur. However, there is good
accommodation available at the Bharatpur Forest Lodge, Forest Guest house
and Saras Tourist Bungalow. All the three have multi-cuisine restaurants.
Accommodation is also available at the Circuit House, Hotel Golbagh Palace,
Shanti Kutir, and the Tourist Lodge near the sanctuary's Mathura gate.
