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Bharatpur Travel Guide

Bharatpur - The Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan, was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733 AD, it was once an impregnable well fortified city, carved out of the region formerly known as Mewat. The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and Dholpur has played an important part in the history of Rajasthan.

The legends say that the place was named as Bharatpur after the name of Bharat, the brother of Lord Rama, whose other brother Laxman was worshipped as the family deity of the Bharatpur rulers, Laxman's name is engraved onthe state arms and the seals.

The city and the fort have been believed to be founded by Rustam, a Jat of Sogariya clan. Maharaja Surajmal took over from Khemkaran, the son of Rustam and established the empire. He fortified the city by building a massive wall around the city.

The interesting aspect of the Bharatpur history is the domination of Jats in the region since 17th century, leader like Churaman and Badan Singh brought the Jats together to mould them into a force to reckon with.

Suraj Mal has been the greatest ruler who made them a formidable force and played a very important role in the Indian history during 19th century.

Today Bharatpur is better known for the Keoladeo Natinal Park, a unique bird place, delight of ornithologists.

A paradise for the avian world, and the pilgrimage for the bird lovers, it was known as the best duck shooting resort in the British empire. But was declared a reserve for birds in 1956 and later upgraded to National Park. UNESCO has listed it as a world heritage site. The geographical location is ideal as it is on the main North-South avian route of India.

Although small in size, 29 sq km. Only, it boasts to house more than 375 species of beautiful birds, and more than 132 of them breed inside the Keoladeo Ghana National Park and nearly every year new ones are added to the list.

The sanctuary not only attracts birds from India but also from places like Europe, Siberia, China and Tibet Before monsoons hundreds of these exotic birds roost and nest building activities start on the babool and kadam trees of the park. Water coming through the Ajan Bandh starts filling the various ponds and lakes of the Park.

Must See in Bharatpur
Keoladeo Ghana National Park : The 18th century Bharatpur Bird Sancttuary, which is also known as the Keoladeo Ghana National park, is famous as the most important bird breeding and feeding habitat of the world. The park also shelters the rare species of the migratory birds along with its permanent residents, and the species like Siberian Cranes, Storks, Moorhens, Herons, Egrets and Cormorants are among a few to name. Besides these birds, the sanctuary is also inhabited by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.

Other Attractions
Lohagarh : Also known as the Iron fort, Lohagarh is one of the major historical attractions of Bharatpur. The fort, which was built by Maharaja Suraj Mahl in the 18th century CE, comprises small palaces inside, which though in ruins, symbolises the magnificent work of art carried on by the Indian architects. Besides the Ashtadhatu gate serving as the entrance of the fort, the fort has two standing towers, Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj, which commemorates the strength of the fort and bravery of the Rajputs shown during frequent attacks by the Mughals and the British.

Bharatpur Museum : One of the major attractions of Bharatpur after the famous sanctuary, the Bharatpur museum is a major source to have a date with the past royal glory of the place. The museum, which lies in the former meeting hall or 'durbar' of the Maharaja(ruler), displays well preserved sculptures dating back to as old as 2nd century CE, wall paintings, weaponry and old photographs of the royal family. However, the most treasured artifacts in the museum are the 7th century carving of the Hindu deity Shiva and His wife, Goddess Parvati, and a 10th century fine carving of the God Shiva in the form of 'Nataraja' - a cosmic dancer.

Nehru Park : A beautiful garden, the Nehru Park, lies close to the Bharatpur museum. The park, full of colourful flowers and green grass lawn, attracts the visitors with its exquisite beauty.

Deeg Palace : Located 32 kilometers away of Bharatpur, the Deeg Palace is a strong and massive fort, which acted as the summer resort for the rulers of Bharatpur. Now also it houses numerous beautiful palaces and gardens, which make it an ideal place to visit.

Ganga Temple : Dedicated in the honour of the Goddess Ganga, the Ganga temple was built during the reigns of Maharaja Balwant Singh and his successor, Maharaja Brijendra Singh in the 19th-20th centuries. The two storied temple made of sandstone, comprises ornately carved arches and black and white floor and is still venerated by the Hindus of the area.

Best Months to Visit
The best time to visit Bharatpur is during the months of October, November, February and March.

Travelling in The City
One can take up several means of transportation like taxis, cycle-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws to move from one place to another in Bharatpur.

How to Get There
By Air : The nearest airport is at Agra(56 km), which is a domestic airport and directly connected to cities like Delhi and Jaipur.

By Rail : Bharatpur, which lies on the Delhi-Mumbai broad gauge trunk route line, is well connected with frequent and regular rail services with Delhi, Agra, Mathura, Jaipur and Kota.

By Road : A good network of roads connect Bharatpur to other major destuch as Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Sariska by regular and frequent bus and taxi services.