This National Park got its name from the god keoladeo an aspect of Lord shiva, enshrined within the central of the national park. The term 'ghana' is derived from Hindi, which means dense and refers to thick forest. It became a national park on 10 March 1982 and was declared a UNESCO world heritage sight in December 1985.
ARTIFICIALY MADE NATURAL WORLD
Maharaja Surajmal laid down the fondation of Bharatpur wildlife sanctuary by
constructing a dam, which was later, cleared and became the Bharatpur
Lake. It gave birth to new eco system and even today it is nestling
indigenous and migratory birds. However conservation was the last thing
on his mind and it was a royal hunting preserve of the Maharaja and was
one of the best duck-shooting wetlands in the world. In 1965 the
government banned the indiscriminate shooting of birds and the area was
declared a national park in the year 1982 and in 1985 it was accepted as
a UNESCO world heritage site. OTHER TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN BHARATPUR
- BHARATPUR PALACE
Bharatpur palace is a fine fusion of Mughal and Rajput architecture and was built by different Maharajas in various phases. The palace has magnificent apartments that are richly decorated with intricately designed floor tiles having interesting patterns. The darbar is now converted into a museum and in the central of the museum ancient exhibits are displayed. - GOVERNMENT MUSEUM
Providing a glimpse of the royal past, Bharatpur government museum is one of the major attractions at Bharatpur sanctuary. It houses a rich collection of artifacts and exquisitely carved sculptures and ancient inscriptions are attention grabbers at the museum. These speak about the royal lineage and local life. - LOHAGARH FORT
Lohagarh fort (Iron fort) built in the early 18 th century is a massive iron structure. The fort derived its name from impregnable defenses, which remained unconquered even after a number of British attacks. Within the precincts of the fort there are three palaces- Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas. - GANGA MANDIR
The Ganga mandir is a beautiful piece of architecture and the construction of this temple was started by Maharaja Balwant Singh in 1845. For the construction of this temple all the persons who were employed in the service of the state were asked to donate one month's salary for the shrine. - LAXMAN MANDIR
Laxman, brother of lord Rama is the main deity at Bharatpur and thus a beautiful Laxman Temple is constructed at Bharatpur. This beautiful temple is famous for beautiful stonework with elaborate carvings.
JAWAHAR BURJ AND FATEH BURJ
Within the glorious ramparts of the Fort, the two towers -Jawahar burj and Fateh Burj are also of special interest. These towers were built to commemorate the victories of Jats over Mughals and British and were built by Maharaja Surajmal. At Jawahar burj, the rulers of Bharatpur used to be crowned. - DEEG FORT
Deeg is at a distance of 32 km from Bharatpur and was once a second capital of the region. A strong and massive fort is at Deeg is a major tourist attraction; it was the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur. Deeg fort houses numerous beautiful palaces and gardens. The colorful bazaars of Deeg are also a great attraction.
- Air : The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is
56-kms from Bharatpur. Delhi is 184 Kms from Bharatpur.
- Rail : The Bharatpur railway station is only at 6 Km from
the park and is well connected by rail services to major cities of
India including Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and Agra.
- Road : An excellent road network connects Bharatpur to all the major towns of the Rajasthan like Agra, Jaipur, Delhi and its neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
