Rajasthan Travel Guide

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo National Park)
This is truly a fantasy of feathers. It is the bird kingdom, where time takes wing. 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.

Declared a National Park in 1983, this 29 sq km park is one of the world's greatest heronries. Its shallow, fresh water marsh attracts thousands of migratory birds. Over 10,000 nests of egrets, darters, cormorants, grey herons and storks hatch nearly 20,000 to 30,000 chicks every year. There is an infinite variety of migratory birds. Mammals like the sambhar, black buck, chital, nilgai, fishing cat, otter and mongoose also roam freely here. The park supports a population of 375 species of birds, numerous mammals and reptiles. With the onset of winter, migratory birds from all over world come here. They arrive by August and leave in February. Visitors include Coot Snipes, Spanish Sparrow, Red Crested Porhard, Rosy Pelican and Flamingo. The special attraction, however, remains the arrival of the rare Siberian Crane. The park is also rich in Pythons, Spotted Deer, Sambhars, Blue Bull, Black Buck, Jackals, Otters, Fishing Cats, Monitor Lizards.

Most Popular Sights to Visit
Bharatpur Govenment Museum : One of the major fascination after the Bharatpur sanctuary is Government Museum of Bharatpur, which provides a glimpse of the past royal splendour of Bharatpur.

Bharatpur Palace : Bharatpur Palace, very close to the museum is an marvellous structural blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture.

Lohagarh Fort : The fortified Lohagarh Fort, which remained unconquered despite several attacks by the British regime.

Deeg Palace : Situated only 32-kms away from Bharatpur is the Deeg Palace. A massive fortress, Deeg Palace was the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and houses numerous beautiful palaces and gardens.

The Park:: The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary or Keoladeo Park is not very large being less than 30 sq km. There are set treks, which can be easily covered on foot or on a cycle or you can even hire a rickshaw. Boats are also available on hire. A boat trip early in the morning or late evening is a prized experience. Do carry a binoculars to get a clear view of the birds.

Best Time to Visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
The Keoladeo National Park is open throughout the year. The best season for visiting this place is between October to February when the migratory birds come to visit this park from all over the globe.

How to Approach

Sky Way : The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is 56-kms from Bharatpur.

Trackway : 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

Expressway : 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