Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary - भरतपुर पक्षी अभयारण्य

Bird - Wildlife in India Welcome to the bird paradise of India, where beside the locals, you'll be able to witness the migrants such as the Siberian Cranes that cover half the globe to make Bharatpur sanctuary their nesting place for winters.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is situated in the desert state of Rajasthan. It is one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in India and is like a heaven for bird lovers. Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary is also the only sanctuary of India that was created artificially. Maharaja of Bharatpur got an artificial lake and dam constructed to store the water brought by the annual floods in this area. This dam gradually turned into an ecosystem, where the maharaja started coming for hunting. In the year 1982, this hunting preserve was awarded the status of a national park.

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. The national park serves as home to over 300 species of birds, both resident and migratory. One can also find a number of wild animals inhabiting the park. Bharatpur bird sanctuary is also known by the name of Keoladeo Ghana National Park, after the Lord Shiva temple situated inside its premises. The best time to visit the park is from August to November (for watching resident birds) and October to February (for watching migratory birds).

About Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary Bharatpur

One of the finest bird parks in the world, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana National Park) is a reserve that offers protection to faunal species as well. Nesting indigenous water- birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.

Flora in Bharatpur

More than 300 species of birds are found in this small wildlife park of 29-sq-kms of which 11-sq-kms are marshes and the rest scrubland and grassland. Keoladeo, the name derives from an ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, which stands at the centre of the park. 'Ghana' means dense, referring to the thick forest, which used to cover the area.

The terrain of the Bharatpur National Park is made up of scrubland and grassland, along with marshes. One can also find large-scale cultivation of acacias inside the park, which was carried out under an afforestation program.

A Man Made Natural World

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. Hunting was prohibited by mid-60s. The area was declared a national park on 10 March 1982, and accepted as a World Heritage Site in December 1985.

Major Wildlife Attractions

The major attractions of tourists visiting the park are the numerous migratory birds, who come from as far away as Siberia and Central Asia and spend their winters in Bharatpur, before returning to their breeding grounds. Migratory birds at Bharatpur bird sanctuary include, several species of Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc.

Other Travel Attractions

Bharatpur Govenment Museum

One of the major attention grabber after the Bharatpur sanctuary is Government Museum of Bharatpur, which provides a glimpse of the past royal splendour of Bharatpur.

Bharatpur Palace

Not far from the museum is the Bharatpur Palace, an marvellous structural blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture.

Lohagarh Fort

The invincible Lohagarh Fort, which remained unconquered despite several attacks by the British regime.

Deeg Palace

Situated just 32 km away from Bharatpur is the Deeg Palace. A strong and massive fortress, Deeg Palace was the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and houses numerous beautiful palaces and gardens.

Best Time to Visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary is open throughout the year, still the ideal visiting months are from August-November for resident breeding birds and October- February for migrant birds.

Trips within Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary

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.

Bird Species

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary of India serves as the second home of the Siberian Cranes in winters. A large number of birds also visit the sanctuary from Central Asia as well as other parts of the world. These include Ducks, Larks, Wagtails, Eagles, Cranes, Flycatchers, Hawks, Geese, Wheatears, Shanks, Pipits, Pelicans, Stints, Buntings, Warblers, Ducks, etc.

Wildlife

The wild animals found inside Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary of Rajasthan include Sambar, Chital, Jackal, Nilgai, Hyena, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Wild Boar, Blackbuck, etc.

How to Reach

By Air

The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is 56 km from Bharatpur.

By Rail

Bharatpur railway station is well linked to almost all the key cities of India.

Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with all the major cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra. The Bharatpur railway station is 6-kms from the park

By Road

There is a good road network connecting Bharatpur with the other parts of the country.

An excellent network of roadway services connects Bharatpur to all the major cities of the Rajasthan and its neighbouring states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana. Bharatpur is well connected by road from Agra (56-kms, 5 hours), Delhi (176-kms, 5 hours) and Jaipur (176 km, 6 hours), all of which have airport facilities too.

Lodges & Resorts in Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Bharatpur Forest Lodge - IWPL18 book now
Laxmi Vilas Palace - IWPL19 book now

General Information

Best Time: August to November (resident birds)
October to February (migratory birds)
Nearest Access : Bharatpur
Main Wildlife Found : Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Boar, Migratory Birds
Main Attractions: Resident and migratory birds, Sambar, Hyena, Nilgai, etc

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