Bharatpur, a small town of Rajasthan, nestles Keoladeo National Park, the
site listed as UNESCO World Heritage. Famous as, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary,
it lies between two of India's most historic cities, Agra and Jaipur. It is
situated about 190 km from the national capital of Delhi. The name
'Keoladeo' of the sanctuary is derived from the name of an ancient Hindu
temple devoted to Lord Shiva.
Bharatpur is mainly an artificial creation to conserve birds, after
government banned the indiscriminate shooting of birds in 1965. The area was
deemed a national park in March 1982, while in 1985, Bharatpur was accepted
as a World Heritage Site.
Places to see :
Some
377 species can be spotted at Bharatpur Sanctuary, making it one of the most
inviting destinations in the world for ornithologists, amateurs and nature
lovers. One-third of birds at Bharatpur are migrants, many of whom spend
their winters before returning to their breeding grounds in the Arctic and
Central Asia.
Best time to visit the sanctuary is between October and February when many
migratory birds can be seen, including the endangered Siberian Crane.
Tourists can enjoy to see the Saras Cranes (the largest bird) and several
other species of cranes-corcomorants, egrets, darters, herons, storks,
geese, ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, stints, wagtails, wheatears,
flycatchers, buntings, larks, spoonbills, kingfishers, owls and pipits, who
have made Bharatpur their temporary abode.
There are approximately 56 different families of birds, of which the
Passeriformes (156 species) and Charadriformes (56 species) dominate.
How to reach :
Bharatpur is on the Agra-Jaipur highway, just a 2-hour journey by bus from
Agra (55 km) and 4-5 hours journey from Delhi. The nearest rail junction is
Bharatpur, which is well connected to Delhi, Bombay, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and
many other parts of India. Private as well as state transport buses link
Bharatpur with other parts of Rajasthan.
