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
Season :
The park is open throughout the year. Best
months are August-November for resident
breeding birds and November-March for migrant
birds.
Access :
Bharatpur is well connected by road from
Agra
(56 km, 5 hours), Delhi
(176 km, 5 hours) and Jaipur
(176 km , 6 hours), all of which have airports.
The Bharatpur
railway station is 6 km from the park.
Park Population:
The park supports a population of 375 species
of birds, numerous mammals and reptiles.
With the onset of winter, migratory birds
from all over world come here. They arrive
by August and leave in February. Visitors
include Coot Snipes, Spanish Sparrow, Red
Crested Porhard, Rosy Pelican and Flamingo.
The special attraction, however, remains
the arrival of the rare Siberian Crane.
The park is also rich in Pythons, Spotted
Deer, Sambhars, Blue Bull, Black Buck, Jackals,
Otters, Fishing Cats, Monitor Lizards.
Nearby Attractions
:
Nearby places of interest are the Government
Museum, Bharatpur
which gives a glimpse of past splendour.
Not far from the museum is the Bharatpur
Palace which is an excellent blend of Mughal
and Rajput architecture. There is the Lohagarh
Fort which remained invincible despite several
attacks by the British. Just 32 km from
Bharatpur, is the Deeg Palace. This strong
and massive fort was the summer resort of
the rulers of Bharatpur and has many palaces
and gardens.
Park visits:
The Keoladeo Park is not very large being
29 sq km. There are well-defined treks which
can easily covered on foot or on a cycle
or you can hire a rickshaw (the best way).
They 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 boat
trip early in the morning or late evening
is quite a rewarding experience. Do not
forget to carry a binocular for watching
the birds. |
