Bharatpur is renowned for its World Heritage-listed bird sanctuary, the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. This is one bird sanctuary that everyone will enjoy visiting. You need not be an ornithologist to appreciate the beauty of the birds of Bharatpur. In fact, many travelers rate it as a highlight of their visit to India.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
The best time to visit the park is from October to late February, when many migratory birds can be seen, including the highly endangered Siberian crane. Only two of these birds have been arriving in the park each October / November over the past decade, their numbers dwindling due to hunting over Pakistan and Afghanistan. Competition for scarce resources between local villagers and the tourist trade is also believed by some experts to have played a role.
The Maharaja of Bharatpur created this spectacular bird sanctuary as a shooting reserve, in 1890. Realizing that the large number of migratory birds that migrated to this region in winter, would make good sport, he had a large area enclosed with embankments and further divided it with earthen dams called 'bunds' creating a large number of marshes and lakes.
Thus, Bharatpur is mainly an artificial creation, with two-thirds of the park under water and the remaining land covered with grasslands and dry deciduous forests.
The diversity of birds seen here is truly amazing. Bird species seen in Bharatpur include Sarus Cranes, Demoiselle Cranes, Black-necked Storks, Painted Storks and Asian Openbill Storks, Darters, Lapwings, Pelicans, and various species of ducks, wading birds, kingfishers, owls and eagles.
Located on the national highway that connects Agra to Jaipur, Bharatpur is easily accessible from major cities in North India. The park has paved paths and tracks for cycles and cycle rickshaws, which are the preferred mode of transport within the sanctuary. The cycle rickshaw drivers are trained to point out the different species of birds to visitors. Accommodation is available nearby.
| Tour Itineraries for Bharatpur |
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