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Bharatpur bird sanctuary

An ornithologist's paradise, Bharatpur is also known as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. The name comes from the Keoladeo, another name for Lord Shiva who has a temple dedicated to him within the park. The sanctuary is home to sambar, chital, nilgai and boar. Once, the star of the place used to be the Siberian crane, which had made the sanctuary its home during the winter months. But today, sadly not a single bird migrates to the sanctuary.

The park was created by the Maharaja of Bharatpur. In 1760, the earthen Ajan Dam was constructed to stop the annual flooding of Bharatpur.

The depression that was left behind from all the digging became the Bharatpur lake. A great part of the park is made up of marshes and the rest, scrubland and grassland. The `Ghana' refers to the dense forests that once covered the area.

At the beginning, small dams, dykes and sluice gates were introduced to the lake to make it worthy of a royal hunting preserve.

Bharatpur soon became famous as the best duck-shooting wetlands in the world. Hunting was prohibited by the mid-1960s, by the then maharaja and the area gained National Park status in 1982. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 1985.

You can hire cycles or rickshaws to go around. Rickshaw pullers are quite knowledgeable and can help you spot some fine species of birds. Boats are also available for hire. Most important, don't forget to bring your binoculars

Also visit: Bharatpur Government Museum

* Bharatpur Palace that is a marvellous blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture.

* The Lohagarh Fort, the Deeg Palace (32 km) that was the resort of the rulers of Bharatpur.

Area: 29 sq.km.

Wildlife: The 300 species of birds, including water birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds. The migratory birds include species of cranes, pelicans, geese, ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, stints, wagtails, warblers, wheatears, flycatchers, buntings, larks and pipits.

Best time to visit:

The park remains open throughout the year but the best time would be between August and November for resident birds and October to February for the migratory birds.

How to get there:

Road: Agra (56 km) Delhi (176 km) and Jaipur (176 km)

Rail: Bharatpur railway station (6 km)

Air: Agra (56 km)

Where to stay: The forest lodge within the sanctuary and at several hotels and motels.

Contact: Tourist Information ph: 05644 222542,

Dy. Chief Wildlife Warden 05644 222777

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