Holidays Travel India » Wildlife In India» Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

GENERAL INFORMATION
Area : 232sq.km/2,873 hectares
Established : 1956 as a bird sanctuary, 1981 as a national park



Introduction
The Keoladeo Ghana National Park or Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary lies between two of India's most historic cities, Agra and Jaipur. This north Indian sanctuary is situated in the country's northwestern state of Rajasthan, about 190 km from the national capital of Delhi. The name . Keoladeo. is derived from the name of an ancient Hindu temple devoted to Lord Shiva in the sanctuary. s central zone while the Hindi term 'Ghana' implies dense, thick areas of forest cover.

History(Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary)
Description :
The marshes of Keoladeo, more popularly known as Bharatpur, was the private hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Bharatpur. It was developed in the late 19th century by creating small dams and bunds in an area of natural depression to collect rainwater and by feeding it with an irrigation canal. Over the years, the lakes attracted great numbers of waterfowl and the Maharajas held grand shoots with family, friends and visiting dignitaries. Two-thirds of the park lies under water, the extent and volume depending on the intensity of the rains. The remaining one-third of the park is covered in dry deciduous forests (with Acacia, Ber, Kadam and Khajur trees) and extensive grasslands. On the raised ground outlining the wetlands grow a profusion of Acacia trees, where the resident water birds nest, often in large mixed colonies, a spectacular sight during the monsoon.

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

Bharatpur National Park(Population)
Keoladeo Ghana National Park or Bharatpur hosts a variety of bird species(Siberian crane etc) from across the globe. Close to 380 species of birds are found in this 29 sq km stretch, approximately 10 sq km of which comprises of marshes and bogs. Rest of the area comprises of scrublands, grasslands and more than 44,000 trees that are used for nesting by birds each year. This rather intriguing blend of marshes, woodland and flora found here represents and, at the same time, substantiates the density and diversity of the region. s forest cover.

Climate(Bharatpur National Park)
During summers (April. June), the temperature of the national park varies from 38°C to 45°C. In The Month of monsoon the temperature to about 27°C. In Winter season the temperature of the park falls below 10°C.

Season:
The park is open throughout the year. Best months are August-November for resident breeding birds and November-March for migrant birds.

How to Get There
Rail:The nearest rail junction is Bharatpur, which is well connected to Delhi, Bombay, Ahmedabad Jaipur and many other parts of India.
Road:Bharatpur is on the Agra Jaipur highway, just a two-hour journey by bus from Agra (55 km) and an hour from Fatehpur Sikri.

Where To Stay
RTDC Jhoomar Baori Forest Lodge, RTDC Hotel Kamdhenu, Maharaja Lodge (Taj Group), Sawai Madhopur Lodge, PWD Rest House, and Jogi Mahal which lies within the park premises, are some of the available means of accomodation.