Sprawling over an area of 232 sq km, the Keoladeo National Park was formerly known as the Bhartapur Bird Sanctuary. The marshes of Keoladeo, was the private hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Bharatpur. It was developed in the late 19th century by creating small dams and bunds (ponds) in an area of natural depression to collect rainwater and by feeding it with an irrigation canal. Over the years, the lakes attracted great numbers of waterfowl and the Maharajas held grand shoots with family, friends and visiting dignitaries. Two-thirds of the park lies under water, the extent and volume depending on the intensity of the rains.

Bharatpur is a city in Rajasthan state of India. It was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733. Located in Mewat region, Bharatpur was once an impregnable, well-fortified city, and the capital of a kingdom ruled by Jat maharajas. The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and Dholpur has played an important part in the Jat history of Rajasthan. Located 50 km west of the city of Agra (the city of the Taj Mahal), it is also the administrative headquarters of Bharatpur District.

The town was named Bharatpur after Bharata, a brother of Lord Rama, whose other brother Laxman is the family deity of the erstwhile royal family of Bharatpur. The name 'Laxman' was engraved on the arms, seals and other emblems of the state.

The city and the fort of Bharatpur have been believed to be founded by Rustam, a Jat chieftain belonging to the Sogariya clan. With the decline of the mughal empire in the early 17th century, the Jats established a state in the Mewat region south of Delhi, with its capital at Deeg. Leaders like Gokula, Raja Ram, Churaman and Badan Singh brought the Jats together and moulded them into a force to be reckoned with.

Maharaja Suraj Mal was the state's greatest ruler; he made the state a formidable force in the region. Suraj Mal took over the site of Bharatpur from Khemkaran, a son of Rustam, and established it as the capital of his state. He fortified the city by building a massive wall around it.

During the British Raj, the state covered an area of 5,123 sq.km.; its rulers enjoyed a salute of 17 guns. The state acceded unto the dominion of India in 1947. It was merged with three nearby princely states to form the 'Matsya Union', which in turn was merged with other adjoining territories to create the present-day state of Rajasthan.

Bharatpur is situated between 26° 22' to 27° 83' North Latitude and 76° 53' to 78° 17' East Longitude. It is situated 100 meters above the sea level. It is 184 km. away from Delhi in South-East. Northern Border of the district touches district Gurgaon of state Haryana, Eastern Border touches district Mathura, Southern Border touches district Agra of state Uttar Pradesh and district Dholpur of Rajasthan. It touches district Dausa in south-west and district Alwar in the North-West.

Keoladeo National Park

The Flora

The park derives its name from the temple of Keoladeo (Shiva) and ‘ghana’ which locally means dense, implying the nature of the vegetation. The one-third of the park is covered by dry deciduous forests (with Acacia, Ber, Kadam and Khajur trees) and extensive grasslands. On the raised ground outlining the wetlands grow a profusion of Acacia trees, where the resident water birds nest, often in large mixed colonies, a spectacular sight during the monsoon.

TheAvifauna

Keoladeo is famous as one of Asia’s finest birding areas, with over 380 resident and migrant species, including the Common, Demoiselle and the rare Siberian Cranes. 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 Fauna

It is also an excellent place to observe mammals like Golden Jackal, Striped Hyena, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Nilgai, Sambar, Blackbuck and wild Boar. The park is also rich in Pythons, Spotted Deer, Otters, Monitor Lizards, etc.

Other Attractions

Nearby places of interest are the Government Museum, Bharatpur which gives a glimpse of past splendour. Not far from the museum is the Bharatpur Palace which is an excellent blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture. There is the Lohagarh Fort which remained invincible despite several attacks by the British. Just 32 km from Bharatpur, is the Deeg Palace. This strong and massive fort was the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and has many palaces and gardens.

Leopard Park Trips

Covering about 29 sq km, the park has well-defined treks which can be easily covered on foot or on a cycle or you can also hire a rickshaw (the best way). They 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 boat trip early in the morning or late evening is quite a rewarding experience. Do not forget to carry a binocular for watching the birds.

Best Season to Visit

Best months are August-November for resident breeding birds and November-March for migrant birds.

By Air

Agra (56 km, 5 hours), Delhi (176 km, 5 hours) and Jaipur (176 km , 6 hours), all of which have airports.

By Rail

The Bharatpur railway station is 6 km from the park.

By Road

Bharatpur is well connected by road from all the major destinations of Rajasthan and neighboring states.