Ganga Mandir Bharatpur

Bharatpur, Ganga Maharani Temple was built back in 1845 by the ruler of the city, Maharaja Balwant Singh. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Ganga. The temple has a huge idol of Goddess Ganga with a large image of a crocodile. Holy Ganga Water is distributed to all the devotees as Prasad. The temple is known to signify the purity and holiness of Maa Ganga.

The temple has two entrance gates, while Lord Krishna stands holding the mountain of Giri Raj on one side; there are statues of Laxmi Narayan ji and Shiva Parvati on the other gate. The temple is considered immensely sacred and people from all over the country visit the temple to seek the blessings of Maa Ganga.

The temple is remarkable for its beautiful architecture. Ganga Maharani Temple features a unique mix of South Indian, Mughal and Rajputana form of architecture. The walls and pillars of the temple are decorated with beautiful carvings.

Best Time To Visit:-
Ganga Maharani Mandir is a must-see site in Bharatpur. Due to its fame, it is visited by hundreds of visitors and devotees throughout the year. Therefore, it can be visited during any season of the year without any restrictions.
No entry fee is charged from visitors at Ganga Mandir. Photography is prohibited inside the temple premises.

Reaching There:-
A well-established network of the roadways and railways has increased the comfort for the people to reach Ganga Mandir easily. The local buses and taxis are the best mode for reaching the temple conveniently.
Nearest Railway Station- Bharatpur Junction
Nearest Airport- Bharatpur Airport

Architecture of Temple

This two-storeyed temple is a happy mix of various tiles of architecture and a rare one from the architectural point of view. Artistic carving work has been done on pillars and temple panels. On the main gate on one side is a statue of Lord Krishna holding the Giri Raj Mountain in his hand while on the other side are Shiva Parvati and Laxmi Narayan Ji. As a special feature of the temple is that the king and queen could have the first sight of Ganga Maharani and even today a window in their royal palace opens exactly towards the temple of Shri Gangaji and the darshan of Shri Ganga can be held by the king or the queen.

Best Time To Visit:-

Ganga Maharani Mandir is a must-see site in Bharatpur. Due to its fame, it is visited by hundreds of visitors and devotees throughout the year. Therefore, it can be visited during any season of the year without any restrictions. No entry fee is charged from visitors at Ganga Mandir. Photography is prohibited inside the temple premises.

Monuments in Bharatpur

Monuments in Bharatpur The history of Bharatpur dates back to 5th century BC, when the Matsya kingdom flourished here. The Matsyas were allies of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war. Legends say that the origin of the name Bharatpur is traced to Bharat, younger brother of Lord Ram. Laxman, the other brother, was given the most prestigious position as that of the family deity of the ruling family of Bharatpur. His name also appears in the state seals and coat-of-arms.

In the early 18th century, Maharaja Suraj Mal captured the fort of Bharatpur by vanquishing Khemkaran, the rival chieftain and laid the foundation for Bharatpur. The valiant Maharaja was very keen to expand the cities and is credited with building the numerous forts and palaces that dot the kingdom, including the Pleasure Palace Complex at Deeg.

Bharatpur Tourism is also home to one of the world's best-known bird watching destinations, Keoladeo Ghana National Park (KNP). 250 years ago, the then ruler built embankments that allowed flooding of this land, turning it into a marsh. Named after the dense jungle that surrounded an old Shiva Temple, this 29 square kilometre man-made wetland is renowned for migratory birds – ducks, geese, waders, raptors, flycatchers and more. In winter, avid birders and ornithologists flock to the park to observe and study the feathered beauties. With more than 370 recorded species, KNP used to also host the Siberian crane. It is a World Heritage Site.