Bharatpur National Park
The name
'Keoladeo' is derived from the name of an ancient Hindu temple
devoted to Lord Shiva in the sanctuary's central zone while the Hindi term 'Ghana'
implies dense, thick areas of forest cover. The coverage area of this national
park is 29 sq-kms. One of the finest bird parks in the world, Bharatpur Bird
Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana or Bharatpur National Park) is a reserve that offers
protection to faunal species as well. Nesting indigenous water- birds as well
as migratory water birds and waterside birds, this sanctuary is also inhabited
by Sambar, Chital, Nilgai and Boar.
Historical Snippets
While many of India's parks have been developed from the hunting preserves
of princely India; Keoladeo, popularly known as Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary,
is perhaps the only case where the habitat has been created by a Maharaja. In
earlier times, Bharatpur town used to be flooded regularly every monsoon. In
1760, an earthen dam (Ajan Dam) was constructed, to save the town, from this
annual vagary of nature. The depression created by extraction of soil for the
dam was cleared and this became the Bharatpur Lake.
At the beginning of this century, this lake was developed, and was divided into
several portions. A system of small dams, dykes, sluice gates, etc., was created
to control water level in different sections. This became the hunting preserve
of the Bharatpur royalty, and one of the best duck - shooting wetlands in the
world.
This spectacular bird sanctuary is historical in its own way. The Maharaja of
Bharatpur is credited for its creation in 1890, though conservation was the
last thing on his mind. He got a large area enclosed with embankments and further
divided it with earthen dams called 'bunds' creating a large number of marshes
and lakes. Thus, Bharatpur is mainly an artificial creation. The government
banned the indiscriminate shooting of birds in 1965. Conservation efforts originally
started by Dr. Salim Ali received a further impetus when the area was deemed
a national park in March 1982. In 1985, Bharatpur was accepted as a World Heritage
Site.
Prime Attractions of Bharatpur National Park :
» Flora and Fauna - 'Ghana' means dense, referring to the thick
forest, which used to cover the area. Bharatpur hosts a variety of bird species
from across the globe. Close to 380 species of birds are found in this 29 sq
km stretch, approximately 10 sq km of which comprises of marshes and bogs. Rest
of the area comprises of scrublands, grasslands and more than 44,000 trees that
are used for nesting by birds each year. This rather intriguing blend of marshes,
woodland and flora found here represents and, at the same time, substantiates
the density and diversity of the region's forest cover.
Main wildlife found are Sambar, Chital, Nilgai, Boar, Migratory Birds. The major
attractions of tourists visiting the park are the numerous migratory birds,
who come from as far away as Siberia and Central Asia and spend their winters
in Bharatpur, before returning to their breeding grounds. Migratory birds at
Bharatpur bird sanctuary include, several species of Siberian Cranes, Pelicans,
Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears,
Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc.
Some 377 species have been spotted at Bharatpur Sanctuary, making it one of
the most inviting destinations in the world for ornithologists, amateurs and
nature lovers. Various species of indigenous water birds, waterside birds, migratory
water birds, land migratory birds, and domestic land species are found here.
There are approximately 56 different families of birds, of which the Passeriformes
(156 species) and Charadriformes (56 species) dominate. One-third of birds at
Bharatpur are migrants, many of whom spend their winters before returning to
their breeding grounds in the Arctic and Central Asia.
The bird most popular among tourists and ornithologists is the Siberian crane.
According to field experts, this bird is known to travel distances of up to
6,500 km migrating from the Ob River basin region (Aral mountains, Siberia).
Conservationists are working hard to protect the Siberian crane species as they
are on the verge of extinction. Apart from Feredunkenar in Iran, Bharatpur Sanctuary
is the only place where the Siberian crane migrates. The Siberian Cranes arrive
in December and stay until early March. According to ornithologists, unlike
its Indian counterpart the Siberian crane feeds on Cypress Rotents grass (an
underground aquatic root). The intriguing fact is that Siberian Siberian Cranes
have a mixed diet of vegetation, fish and other small creatures back home, but
they adopt a vegetarian diet during their stay in India.
Safaris :
Bharatpur national park is a bird watcher's paradise. Bird Watching Trips are
very exciting. The park, with its rich Bio-geographic diversity, is home to
more than 380 species of birds - about quarter of the total species found in
the entire Indian subcontinent! It is Considered one of the true bird parks
of the world. Migratory birds at Bharatpur bird sanctuary include, several species
of Siberian Cranes, Pelicans, Geese, Ducks, Eagles, Hawks, Shanks, Stints, Wagtails,
Warblers, Wheat ears, Flycatchers, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc. The numerous
water bodies provide an ideal habitat for Ducks and Waders which are migratory.
The park forms a natural crossroad and meeting ground for avian species from
high altitude areas, plains and eastern and western regions. Because of this
unique location, the bird population is Pretty high throughout the year, with
winter visitors, summer visitors, altitudinal migrants, passage migrants and
local migrants. The park is an avid bird watcher's destination.
There are well-defined forest trails, which can easily be covered on foot or
on a cycle or you can also hire a rickshaw that 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 early morning boat trip or
a late evening one is quite a rewarding experience to check out the hidden surprises
of Bharatpur.
Best Time to Visit :
Bharatpur National park is open throughout the year, still the ideal visiting
months are from August-November for resident breeding birds and October- February
for migrant birds.
During summers (April-June), the temperature ranges from 38°C to 45°C.
The onset of monsoon (July-August) lowers the temperature to about 27°C.
Winter (October-March) season peaks after Christmas with temperatures falling
below 10°C. Ground fog in the winter persists rather erratically on unspecified
periods in January.
How to Get there
Air - The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is 56-kms
from Bharatpur.
Rail - Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with all the
major cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra. The Bharatpur
railway station is 6-kms from the park
Road - An excellent network of roadway services connects Bharatpur
to all the major cities of the Rajasthan and its neighboring states like Delhi,
Uttar Pradesh, Haryana. Bharatpur is well connected by road from Agra (56-kms,
5 hours), Delhi (176-kms, 5 hours) and Jaipur (176-kms, 6 hours), all of which
have airport facilities too.
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