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sanctuary is
a quiet and serene place to watch rare Indian and foreign
birds. This bird sanctuary was established in 1956. The area
was declared a national park on 10 March 1982. Every year this
sanctuary is visited by over 400 species of water birds
including the exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan, Central
Asia and Tibet and the rare Siberian cranes from Siberia. This
sanctuary is ranked among the world's best bird sanctuaries.
More than 300 species of birds are found in this small
national park of 29 square kms out of which 11 square km area
is covered by marshes and the rest are scrubland and
grassland.
History of Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
The name Keoladeo is derived from an ancient Hindu temple,
devoted to Lord Shiva, which stands at the centre of the park.
'Ghana' means dense, referring to the thick forest, which used
to cover the area. Keoladeo is the only place 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 the floods. Later the depression created by
extraction of soil for the dam was cleared and this became the
Bharatpur Lake. The Keoladeo Ghana National park was the royal
hunting preserve of the royal Bharatpur family and one of the
best duck shooting wetlands in the world. The hunting was
prohibited by mid 60s.
Major Attractions in Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
The major attraction in the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary are the
numerous migratory birds, which come from as far away as
Siberia, Russia and Central Asia and spend their winters in
Bharatpur, before returning to their breeding grounds. Some of
these migratory birds are Siberian crane, herons, ibis,
pelicans, egrets, painted storks, darters, Brahminy ducks and
geese. Besides the migratory birds, some local birds like
Spoonbills, Cranes, Herons, Egrets, Storks, Flamingoes,
Cormorants, Kingfishers, Blue Jays, Shrikes, Orioles, Paradise
Flycatchers, Parakeets, Eagles, Hawks, Harriers, Stints,
Wagtails, Warblers, Wheatears, Buntings, Larks and Pipits,
etc. can also be seen in this park. Various animals like Wild
Boar, Sambhar, Chital, Nilgai, Mongoose, Otter, Jackal, Fox,
Hyena, Porcupine, Rock Python, Leopard, Jungle Cat and Fishing
Cat can also be seen in the park.
Best Time to Visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is open throughout the year, but the
ideal visiting months are from August to November for resident
breeding birds and October to February for migratory birds.
The tourists can visit this sanctuary either on foot or on
Rickshaws or hire a Bicycle. Rickshaw pullers have been
trained by the park management in bird watching and are quite
knowledgeable. |
