Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary: A Bird-Watcher’s Paradise

After experiencing the historical magnificence of India at Agra, ask your travel guide to take you on a tour to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, also known as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Originally the area around the Bharatpur Lake was used as duck-hunting grounds by the royal families. Duck-hunting was prohibited in the 60s. In 1982 it was declared a National Park and it acquired the status of a World Heritage Site three years later.

It is a tourist attraction of a different kind. You will get to see a plethora of wildlife out here. This place is an ornithologist’s delight. You can find a variety of native as well as migratory birds. This is a world-class bird sanctuary. Apart from birds, you can get to see the Sambar, Nilgai, Chital and the Wild Boar.

You can find birds of more than 300 genetic varieties in the Bharatpur bird Sanctuary. There are birds from the local areas as well as migratory birds coming faraway places. Birds from Central Asia and even Siberia migrate to this national park during the winter months. You can get to see some rare varieties of birds if you are lucky enough. Pelicans, Cranes, Eagles, Hawks, Pitpits, Wagtails, Buntings, Larks, and Flycatchers–each bird is special in its own way. You can get to see the migratory birds from October to February and the local ones from August to November.

Your Bharatpur vacation package should also include trips to the Bharatpur Government Museum, the Bharatpur Palace, Lohagarh Fort, and Deeg Palace. You will come to rediscover some of the historical glory of Bharatpur in the museum. The unique combination of the Hindu and Muslim aesthetics is exemplified at the Bharatpur Palace. A visit to the LohaGarh Fort will make you understand why the otherwise habitual conquerors, the British, could not capture it even after trying for a number of times. The Deeg Palace which is about 32 kilometers from Bharatpur is a paradise on earth with its gorgeous palaces and gardens. It was the summer resort of the royals of Bharatpur.

Bharatpur can be reached by train from Agra, Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. Agra is the nearest station about 32 kilometers away. There is a direct flight to Bharatpur. You have to first land at the Agra airport and then ask your travel agent to book a cheap ticket for you by railway or roadway to this place, if you have budget constraints.