Monday, October 6, 2008

Bharatpur

Know More About Bhartpur
Deeg Palace


Iron Fort


Government Museum





Bharatpur Palace

Swamps At Keoladeo National Park



Kingfisher


Central Asian Egret


Coot


Rose Billed Pelicans


Spot Billed Ducks

The region of Bharatpur in Rajasthan is regarded as the Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan. Bharatpur is internationally famous for its Keoladeo Ghana National Park, one of the top-graded bird Sanctuaries in Asia.
Location:
Bharatpur is located at a distance of 55 kms from Agra, 22 kms from Fatehpur Sikri, 32 kms from Deeg, 39kms from Mathura, 176 kms from Alwar and 184 kms from Jaipur .
Connectivity :
Air: Agra Airport is the nearest airport that has flights for Delhi, Bombay, Varanasi and Lucknow.
Rail: Agra, Bharatpur is also connected to Mathura, Sawai Madhopur and Kota by the main Delhi - Bombay line.
Road: Bharatpur is well connected by road with Agra, Delhi, Mathura and Jaipur. There are regular bus services that operate for all major cities.
History:
Maharaja Suraj Mal founded Bharatpur in 1733 AD and was a well bastioned city. According to a popular legend, Bharatpur derives its name from Bharat, the brother of Lord Rama who was one of the incarnations of Vishnu. Bharatpur was under the dominion of the Jats in the 17th century.
Places to See in Bharatpur :
Lohagarh(Iron) Fort:
The colossal iron edifice was built in the early 18th century by Maharaja Suraj Mal. It miraculously withstood the ravages of time and even sustained the numerous British attacks. The fort consists of three palaces namely - Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas.
Government Museum:
This museum is the repository of traditional artefacts, delicately carved sculptures and ancient inscriptions that speak a lot about the region's cultural heritage.
Bharatpur Palace:
The magnificent imperial building reflects the fusion of Mughal and Rajpat architectural styles with majestic apartments and exquisitely designed floor tiles exhibiting fascinating patterns. The ancient exhibits displayed in the museum at the centre of the palace inspire awe of the beholder.
Keoladeo National Park:
The Bharatpur National Park (Keoladeo Ghana National Park) or-as many people prefer to call it-the 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.
While many of India's parks have been developed from the hunting preserves of princely India; Keoladeo, popularly known as Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary, is perhaps the only case where the habitat has been created by a Maharaja. In earlier times, Bharatpur town used to be flooded regularly every monsoon. In 1760, an earthen dam (Ajan Dam) was constructed, to save the town, from this annual vagary of nature. The depression created by extraction of soil for the dam was cleared and this became the Bharatpur Lake.
At the beginning of this century, this lake was developed, and was divided into several portions. A system of small dams, dykes, sluice gates, etc., was created to control water level in different sections. This became the hunting preserve of the Bharatpur royalty, and one of the best duck - shooting wetlands in the world.
The park, with its rich Bio-geographic diversity, is home to more than 380 species of birds - about quarter of the total species found in the entire Indian subcontinent! It is considered one of the true bird parks of the world. Migratory birds at Bharatpur bird sanctuary include, several species of Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheat ears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc. The numerous water bodies provide an ideal habitat for Ducks and Waders which are migratory. The park forms a natural crossroad and meeting ground for avian species from high altitude areas, plains and eastern and western regions.
There are well-defined forest trails, which can easily be covered on foot or on a cycle or you can also hire a rickshaw that are available on hire. Rickshaw pullers have been trained by the park management in bird watching and are quite knowledgeable. Boats are also available on hire. A early morning boat trip or a late evening one is quite a rewarding experience to check out the hidden surprises of Bharatpur.
Places of Worship:
Ganga Mandir, Laxmi Mandir, Jama Masjid, St.Luke's Church and Gurudwara.