Keoladeo Ghana National Park Bharatpur
Bharatpur was the best duck shooting resort of the British. After independence the state
Government declared Keoladeo as a reserve for birds, later it was upgraded as a National
Park and UNESCO recognized it as a world heritage site. Today, the park is India\'s best
water-bird sanctuary and offers unlimited oppurtunities to birdlife photographers, Bird
watchers and painters alike. With the coming of the monsoon rains the park comes alive. The
egrets, storks, darters, ibises, herons, spoonbills, and other birds get busy courting,
mating and nesting.
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. It is also an
excellent place to watch mammals like Golden Jackal, Striped Hyaena, Fishing Cat, Jungle
Cat, Nilgai, Sambar, Blackbuck and wild Boar. The park derives its name from the temple of
Keoladeo (Shiva) and ‘ghana’ which locally means dense, implying the nature of the
vegetation. During the cool winter months it is also possible to see large Indian Pythons
sunning themselves.
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
Several species are migratory visitors who journeys to the park from as far as Siberia. The
most famous of these is the Siberian Crane. There are also predatory birds like tawny
eagles, spotted eagles and fishing eagles who come here upon being attracted by the heavy
influx of water fowls.
How to Visit the Park:
Vehicles are permitted only up to
Shanti Kutir
barrier. The Forest Department\'s Van can be engaged for going upto Keoladeo temple and for
coming back.
Best Time to visit:
September to April is the best time
to visit the
park.