Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Popularly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Keoladeo Ghana National Park in Rajasthan, is one of the best bird sanctuaries in India. Avid bird watcher's travel to Rajasthan, India, from all over the world to see the variety of native and migratory birds in Bharatpur. Its former name is derived from the Bharatpur Fort and the latter one is derived from Keoladeo, the name of an ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord Shiva, which occupies the central position in the park. 'Ghana' means dense, referring to the thick forest cover here. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is unique in being the one of the two only havens of the migratory Siberian Cranes of Siberia in the world. The bird sanctuary also nurtures the indigenous water-birds as well as migratory water birds and waterside birds, along with the fauna like Sambhar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.
A combination of marshes, scrubland and the grassland, the bird sanctuary has more than 300 species of birds and thus is considered to be an ideal place for bird watching. Unlike other wildlife sanctuaries in India that were developed from the former hunting reserves; Bharatpur bird sanctuary was voluntarily created from a natural habitat of birds by the efforts of Maharaja. In 1760, an earthen dam (Ajan Dam) was constructed by him to solve the problem of drinking water and the depression due to that dam became the Bharatpur Lake. The bird sanctuary was declared a national park on 10 March 1982, and as a World Heritage Site in December 1985. The best time to visit the bird sanctuary is from August-November for watching the resident breeding birds and October-February for watching the migrant birds. Migrant birds travel to Rajasthan, India, from central Asia to spend the winter at Baharatpur.
Major Wildlife Attractions in Bharatpur
Bharatpur is mainly known as the winter haven of the numerous migratory birds flying from Siberia and Central Asia to India. These migratory birds include Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc. The first migrants, the cranes arrive from the high plateaux of central Asia, Mongolia and Siberia. The Nilgai (blue bull), Sambhar, Jungle cat and Mongoose spend the summer season here, as you'll see when you travel to Rajasthan, India.
Tourist Attractions in Bharatpur
The Government Museum of Bharatpur presents a glimpse of the past royal splendour of Bharatpur. The Bharatpur Palace is a marvellous structure blending together the Mughal and Rajput architecture. The Lohagarh Fort has retained its glory even after several attacks by the British regime. Deeg Palace, 32-kms away from Bharatpur, is a strong and massive fortress, which was once the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur. The well-defined forest trails can be covered on foot or on a cycle-rickshaw, an experience you can enjoy when you travel to Rajasthan, India.
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