Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is one of the best spots for bird watching. It is also called as the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. This park is a forest reserve, which stands as a favorable ground for numerous local and migration birds. The park gets its name from the Lord Shiva temple, located inside the reserve. Apart from birds, you can find small mammals like sambar, nilgai, boar, chital and others.
It started as a royal hunting ground during early 19th century. Later, it became a duck-shooting hunting ground. In the end of 20th century, the region was declared as a national park and became home to more than 370 species of birds. Top birds to spot in the park are cranes, pelicans, eagles, stints, wagtails, hawks, geese, ducks, larks, pipits, flycatcher, bunting and others.
Settling indigenous water-feathered creatures and also transient water flying creatures and waterside winged creatures, this haven is likewise possessed by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, and Boar. While a large portion of India’s park has been produced from the chasing predicament of royal India, Keoladeo, famously known as Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary, is maybe the main situation where the environment has been made by a maharaja. In prior times, Bharatpur town used to be flooded frequently every monsoon.
In 1760, an earthen dam (Ajan Dam) was developed, to spare the town, from this yearly idea of nature. The sorrow made by extraction of soil for the dam was cleared and this turned into the Bharatpur Lake. Though the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is open around the year, but still, the best time to visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is from August to November to witness the resident birds and from October to February to get the sight of migratory birds. Most of the migration birds visit from central Asia and Siberia.
History of Bharatpur Sanctuary
The park has been to exist for about 250 years now. Earlier it was a hunting ground for the British officials and the Maharajas. The location was famous for hosting a duck shooting event for the viceroys even well into the 1850s. Following its declaration as a bird sanctuary on March 13, 1976 hunting was prohibited and became a punishable offense. On 10 March 1982, the government declared it a national park.
UNESCO declared a world heritage site in 1985 due to the dedication and systematic planning and execution by the authorities. However, the national park been a topic for the clash between the government and the locals of the area, especially the cattle farmers. The Rajasthan government’s decision of banning cattle grazing in the area was highly criticized. After the initial resentment, the area is now a popular tourist hotspot in addition to being an important ecological resource.
Flora And Fauna Of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Flora: Flowering beauties of the sanctuary Bharatpur wildlife sanctuary is an amazing oasis of tranquillity between the otherwise crowded getaways of Agra and Jaipur. The forest here is a semi-arid biotype with significant vegetation. Given that the forest here is a dry deciduous type, the place is dotted with medium size trees and shrubs.
Kadam, Jamun, and Babul trees cover a major portion of the northeast region of the park. Forests in the park comprise of Babul with a small amount of Kandi and Ber. Pilu is the only hardwood plant that grows in the forests of Keoladeo National Park. The aquatic vegetation of the park is rich and suffices the food requirement for waterfowl.
Fauna: Known for migratory birds and wild animals Bharatpur Sanctuary is one of Asia’s finest birding areas, with over hundreds of resident and migrant birds. Once a duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajas, Keoladeo now sees a lot of birds such as cranes, pelicans, geese, ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, stints, wagtails, warblers, wheatears, flycatchers, buntings, larks, and pipits.
The 29 sq km area of the bird sanctuary, Bharatpur is not just known for birds. It is also a great place to watch mammals like the golden jackal, jungle cat, nilgai, sambar, and wild boar. It’s a treat to watch them play, pounce and move around freely in their natural habitat. During the month of winter, pythons can also be found moving around sluggishly.
Bird Safari At Bharatpur National Park
Bird safari makes for the most surreal experience at Bharatpur sanctuary. In fact, it is one of the best things to do in Rajasthan for nature lovers. To catch the live action from some of the rarest birds in the world stay punctual and plan a visit when birds from neighbouring countries migrate to spend the winter season there. As mentioned above, the best months to visit the Bharatpur wildlife sanctuary are August to November and October to March.
Bharatpur wildlife sanctuary has spread over 29 sq km with well laid-out forest trails and can be easily covered on foot, a rickshaw, or a cycle. However, motor vehicles are not permitted inside the sanctuary premises. Add lots of excitement to your birding tour by going for an early morning or late evening boating trip. Make the most of your photography skills by taking candid shots of birds flying around.
Timings: 8 am – 5 pm all days; to get the best value of your time, plan an outing early in the morning or immediately after the sunset
Best Time to Visit Bharatpur
Bharatpur is located on the brim of Thar Desert. Thus, the land has a warm climate, always. The marshy landform increases the temperature. Even the peak winter is not too cold here. The summer starts in March and ends in June. The temperature can easily go as high as 48 degree. It is harder to spot birds during this season.
Migration birds leave the region by the beginning of March. Spotting certain types of animals is easier during summer. The park is usually deserted during this season.
Monsoon starts in July and ends in September. The land is marshy and thus, it become very sticky and slippery during monsoon season.
The rainfall is relatively lower in this region. The mild rains fill the marshy land with water, making it look like a river with small islands in it. This makes the place more preferable for breeding. The middle of monsoon season marks the beginning of bird watching season. However, monsoon season is the time to spot only local birds. This is the season for boat safari.
Winter starts in October and ends in March. Winters are relatively pleasing. Winter welcomes migration birds from surrounding regions. The region is cool, pleasing and spotting animals is easier during this season. Winter is the peak tourism season of Bharatpur bird sanctuary.
How to Reach Bharatpur :
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is among the most popular bird sanctuaries in the world. This UNESCO world heritage site is a must-visit tourist destination for the bird lovers. Being one of the popular tourist destinations in Rajasthan, the place is well connected to the other nearby towns and cities of India through roadways, railways and airways. Here is the detailed info about how to reach Bharatpur via air, rail and road-
By Air : The nearest airport to the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is the Agra airport which is around 54 km away from the sanctuary. There are regular flights to Agra from Delhi, the capital of India. Tourist can reach Agra and then reach Bharat taking through the road or rail. Another nearest airport is the Delhi International Airport, which is around 219 km from Bharatpur. Delhi is well connected to Bharatpur through the roadways and railways.
By Train : The nearest railway station is the Bharatpur Railway Junction which is located at the distance of 5 km from the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. There are numerous regular trains are available to reach Bharatpur from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Kota and other major stations in North India. There are direct and connecting trains from all the other cities and towns in India so reaching Bharatpur through railways from any corner of India is easy.
By Road : Bharatpur Sanctuary is well connected with Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Delhi, Agra, Mathura, etc. through the well-maintained roads. Tourists can reach Bharatpur either by hiring cab/taxi or by the state-run or private-run buses.
FAQ’s about Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary:
Q. What is the best time to visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary?
A. The best time to visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary between August and November to enjoy seeing resident birds and to watch migratory birds you can visit during October and March.
Q. What is Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary famous for?
A. The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is famous for watching thousands of migratory birds. They arrive in the winter months. You will get to see more than 230 birds’ species in the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
Q. How much time does it take for Bharatpur bird sanctuary?
A. On a normal day, it takes about 2-3 hours to reach Bharatpur bird sanctuary. If you wish to enjoy sightseeing the area then it might take a little longer.
Q. Where is Bharatpur sanctuary situated?
A. The Bharatpur sanctuary also called the Keoladeo Ghana National Park is situated in Rajasthan. Precisely, the sanctuary is located between Agra and Jaipur which is about 190 km from New Delhi.
Q. What can I buy in Bharatpur?
A. You will come across several things in Bharatpur which you would love to buy. Bharatpur in Rajasthan is known for handcrafted items. Some of them are precious stones, hand crafted jewellery , handicraft clothes, semi-precious stones, carved marbles, antiques, and brass items.