- Experience
- Importance
- Facilities
What’s this: National Park and bird sanctuary, one of Asia’s finest birding areas and a World Heritage Site
Should I Visit: Yes, its a must visit tourist place
Location: Just 3-4 kms from Bharatpur which is connected by train and road to Delhi (176 km away) and Agra (50 km away).
Attractions: The Siberian Crane, Migratory Birds
Best time to Visit: October to February
About Keoladeo National Park:
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.
Wildlife in Keoladeo National Park:
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 Hyena, 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.
Nearby Attractions :
Nearby places of interest are the Government Museum, Bharatpur which gives a glimpse of past splendor. 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.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park
Park visits:
The Keoladeo National 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.
Things to see and do
- You can easily spend hours watching the different species of birds. It is possible to get close to the birds. Pelicans, Sarus crane, painted stork, darter, parrots, eagles are some of the more charismatic species.
- Nilgai, spotted deer and smaller animals such as turtle, monitor lizard and python can be seen away from the crowds
- You can cycle all around the park. The further you go from the entrance of the park, the less crowded the park gets. However, the crowds and the birds are in the wetter northern end of the park. The southern end of the park is dry and wildlife-free even in good years
- Deeg palace nearby is a good example of Indian architecture
- Agra and Taj Mahal are only 32 kms away
