BHARATPUR
-THE FAVOURITE BIRD RETREAT
The
55 km journey by road from
Agra drives you to the town of Bharatpur-the eastern gateway
to Rajasthan.
Bharatpur is popular for its bird sanctuary-the Keoladeo
Ghana National Park - finest in Asia rich avian variety.
Every
year the rare Siberian cranes come to spend the winter
in the warmer climate of Bharatpur. 
Of
the remnants of the royal past remains the marvellous
Bharatpur Palace housing a rich repository of a large
number of ancient exhibit that date back to the early
15th century.
PRIME
TRIPS
Lohagarh Fort : The massive iron
structure built in the early 18th century.
With its impregnable defences it sustained itself even
after a number of British attacks. The fort was conceived
and designed by Maharaja Suraj Mal, the founder of Bharatpur.
The fort has three palaces within its precincts - Kishori
Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas.
Government Museum : A rich
collection of artefacts, exquisitely carved sculptures
and ancient inscriptions can be admired in the Government
Museum located in the Palaces. All these items speak
volumes about the rich heritage, art and crafts of the
region.
Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj
: A few of the eight imposing towers still stand erect
within the glorious ramparts of the Fort. Especially
two of them - Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj are of special
interest. These were built by Maharaja Suraj Mal to
commemorate his victories over the Mughals and British
respectively.
The
Palace : This royal edifice is a fusion of the Mughal
and Rajpat architectural styles with magnificent apartments
and intricately designed floor tiles having interesting
patterns. One can marvel at the ancient exhibits displayed
in the museum in the centeral part of the palace
Keoladeo National Park : Once
the royal hunting preserve of the princes of Bharatpur,
it is one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world
inundated with over 400 species of water birds. Exotic
migratory birds from Afghanistan, central .Asia, Tibet
as well as Siberian cranes from the arctic, greyleg
geese from Siberia and bareheaded geese from China ,
come here in July/Aug to spend the winters in warmer
climate and they breed till Oct/Nov.
Colonies of cormorants, spoonbills
, storks, egrets, herons, pelicans, ebis and grey herons
can be spotted all over the park. The raised paths camouflaged
by babul trees make their viewing easier.
EXCURSIONS
Deeg(32 km):
Once the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur, it
served as the second capital of the region. This interesting
town is strewn with massive fortifications , stunningly
beautiful gardens, magnificent palaces and a colourful
bazaar.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
Area : 22 sq.
km.
Altitude : 250 metres
Climate : Mean Max. Mean Min.
Summer : 45.0 c 37.0 c
Winter : 31.7 c 7.0 c
Rainfall : 69 cms
Best Season: October-February
Clothing : Summer light tropical
Winter light woollen
Languages : Rajasthani, Hindi, English
