One of the finest bird parks in the world, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
(Keoladeo Ghana 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.
The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is one of the best and famous wildlife sanctuaries in India. It is the only wildlife sanctuary in India
that is artificially made by a Maharaja. One of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is located in
Bharatpur city of Rajasthan and also known as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Indigenous water birds and many migratory water birds
can be seen in this sanctuary along with larger animals such as Sambhar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.
The foundation of this Bharatpur wildlife sanctuary was laid in 1760 when the Maharaja
of Bharatpur made an artificial lake and the dam at this very site
to store the water brought by the annual floods in this area. Over
300 bird species are found in this 29-sq-kms-wildlife park of
divided into the stretches of marshes, scrubland and grassland. It
got its name as Keoladeo Ghana Park on account of an ancient Hindu
temple at the centre of the national park devoted to Lord Shiva. The
term 'Ghana' is derived from Hindi, which means dense and refers to
the thick forest, which covers the entire area. Bharatpur became a
national park on 10 March 1982, and was given the status of a World
Heritage Site in December 1985.
Jacanas with their
iridescent colors and elegant tail feathers and purple moorhen can
be seen delicately treading over the floating vegetation. While
harriers and fishing eagles circle overhead in search of prey, the
pied kingfisher hovers dramatically over the water in a flurry of
wings. There are varieties of storks and cranes and the local sarus
crane is elegant in a livery of grey and red. Every year Bharatpur
waits with coated breath for the arrival of the Siberian cranes.
There are only two wintering places for this rare species -one in
Iran and the other Bharatpur and these beautiful birds with their
distinctive red beaks and facial patches, fly over 6400 km from
their summer retreats in Siberia, to get to them. In 1996, there was
great jubilation as a couple of Siberian cranes with a young one
made an appearance in Bharatpur after a lapse of three years.
Flora11-sq-kms
of the 29 sq kms of the sanctuary is covered by the marshy land and
the rest of the area is covered by scrubland and grasslands.
FaunaPythons,
Spotted Deer, Sambhars, Blue Bull, Black Buck, Jackals, Otters,
Fishing Cats and Monitor Lizards are the various animals found in
the city.
How to Reach
- By Air
The nearest airport from Bharatpur
National Park is Agra (55 km).
- By Rail
The Bharatpur railway station is only at
6 Km from the park and is well connected by rail services to
major cities of India including Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and Agra.
- By Road
Bharatpur is well connected by roads to
all the major cities of the Rajasthan and its neighboring states
like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
