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Favourite
Bird Retreat
The 55 km journey by road from Agra drives you to the town
of Bharatpur-the eastern gateway to Rajasthan. Bharatpur
is popular for its bird sanctuary-the Keoladeo Ghana
National Park - finest in Asia rich avian variety. Every
year the rare Siberian cranes come to spend the winter in
the warmer climate of Bharatpur.
Of the remnants of the royal past remains the marvellous
Bharatpur Palace housing a rich repository of a large
number of ancient exhibit that date back to the early 15th
century.
Places to Visit
Lohagarh Fort : The massive iron structure built in the
early 18th century. With its impregnable defences it
sustained itself even after a number of British attacks.
The fort was conceived and designed by Maharaja Suraj Mal,
the founder of Bharatpur. The fort has three palaces
within its precincts - Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi
Khas.
Government Museum : A rich collection of artefacts,
exquisitely carved sculptures and ancient inscriptions can
be admired in the Government Museum located in the
Palaces. All these items speak volumes about the rich
heritage, art and crafts of the region.
Keolandeo National Park: Once the royal hunting
preserve of the princes of Bharatpur, it is one of the
finest bird sanctuaries in the world inundated with over
400 species of water birds. Exotic migratory birds from
Afghanistan, central .Asia, Tibet as well as Siberian
cranes from the arctic, greyleg geese from Siberia and
bareheaded geese from China , come here in July/Aug to
spend the winters in warmer climate and they breed till
Oct/Nov.
Colonies of cormorants, spoonbills , storks, egrets,
herons, pelicans, ebis and grey herons can be spotted all
over the park. The raised paths camouflaged by babul trees
make their viewing easier.
Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj : A few of the eight
imposing towers still stand erect within the glorious
ramparts of the Fort. Especially two of them - Jawahar
Burj and Fateh Burj are of special interest.
These were built by Maharaja Suraj Mal to commemorate his
victories over the Mughals and British respectively. The
coronation ceremony of the Jat rulers of Bharatpur was
also held at the Jawahar Burj.
The Palace : This royal edifice is a fusion of the
Mughal and Rajpat architectural styles with magnificent
apartments and intricately designed floor tiles having
interesting patterns. One can marvel at the ancient
exhibits displayed in the museum in he centeral part of
the palace
Excursions
Deeg(32 km): Once the summer resort of the rulers of
Bharatpur, it served as the second capital of the region.
This interesting town is strewn with massive
fortifications , stunningly beautiful gardens, magnificent
palaces and a colourful bazaar.
Access
Air : Agra 56 km is the nearest airport.
Rail : Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with
several cities on Delhi-Mumbai trunk route, Jaipur and
Agra. Some important train connections are : Golden Temple
Mail(Mumbai-Bharatpur-Jammu-Tawi);
Intercity express(Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bharatpur); Paschim
Express(New Delhi-Bharatpur-Mumbai)
Road : A network of bus services links bharatprur with
several cities within and outside the State.
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