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On the Agra-Jaipur highway, Bharatpur was a Royal hunting retreat. The town is
also known as Rajasthan¹s eastern gateway. 'Bharatpur Palace houses a large
number exhibits from the early 15th century. Bharatpur, however is more famous
for its proximity to Kaladeo Ghana National Park which has the largest
concentration and variety of birdlife in all of Asia. By Road Bharatpur is
located 56 kms from Agra and 200 kms from Jaipur on the Jaipur-Agra highway.
By Air The nearest airport is Agra (60) km).
Famous for the Keoladeo National Park, a unique bird sanctuary with more than
354 species of birds, -a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other attractions are the
Lohagarh or iron fort, the palace, Purana Mahal, Deeg fort and the museum.
The sanctuary was created 250 years ago and is named after a Keoladeo -Shiva
temple within its boundaries. Initially, it was a natural depression; and was
flooded after the Ajan Bund was constructed by Maharaja Suraj Mal, the then
ruler of the princely state of Bharatpur, between 1726 to 1763.
The bund was
created at the confluence of two rivers, the Gambhir and Banganga. The park
was a happy hunting ground for the maharajas of Bharatpur, a tradition dating
back to 1850, and duck shoots were organised yearly in honor of the British
viceroys. In one shoot alone in 1938, over 4,273 birds such as mallards and
teals were killed by Lord Linlithgow, the then Governor-General of India.
After India's independence, the rulers of the princely states were allowed
shooting rights until 1972. In 1982, grazing was banned in the park, leading
to violent clashed between the local farmer and Gujjar communities and the
government.
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