About the city
Tourists make a beeline for Bharatpur in winter, when the Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary is full of exotic, foreign winged visitors who migrate here from across the globe. The other seasons too have their own attractions. Spring is the time for courtship and nesting, when all the species become lovebirds. The rains are for breeding and rearing young, with nests across the parklands brimming with mottled and speckled eggs of many colours. But there's no doubt that it's in the late, deliciously cold winter that the quantum of birdsong rises to a raucous crescendo. Once the hunting ground of the Maharaja of Bharatpur, the scrub, swamps and marshes of the 29-sq km Keoladeo Ghana was later turned into a bird sanctuary, and now ranks among the most visited in India. This is manifest in the huge fan club of homo sapiens who migrate here in winter as well to give their feathered buddies a rousing welcome.
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Places in and around
To take in the essence of the park, divide your trips over the different times of the day. First experience the early-morning birdlife and exquisite birdsong (larks, thrushes, warblers, kingfishers); take in spectacular sightings of large flocks of waterbirds in broad daylight (ducks, geese, pelicans, flamingos, painted storks, herons); and catch the elusive birds at dusk (night herons, bitterns and owls). Justice can only be done with a combination of long cycle rides, walks and waits. Make it a point to carry binoculars and a copy of Dr Salim Ali's Birds of Bharatpur a Checklist.
An early morning sojourn into the park means being at the main gate by 6.30 am. Get a ticket and find yourself a guide. No motor vehicles are allowed inside and the most sensible options available if you don't want to exert yourself are cycle-rickshaws and bicycles. There are a lot of paths to be explored in the sanctuary, but the maximum sightings are on the paths bordering the swamps. Chalk out a particular route for yourself for the morning trip reach the main tank, Sapan Mori, and then turn right towards the Keoladeo Temple. Along this route you will be delighted by encounters with the star visitors, the Great White Siberian Cranes, if it's winter.
This is the time to catch anything that is basking in the bright sun and one of the most spectacular sights is not of birds, but the pythons. Head for Sapan Mori again, this time going left towards the pythons sunning ground. Keep silent and soon you will see these majestic creatures lazily lying around in loose coils near their holes. The Mansarovar and Hansarovar marshes and the swamps and lakes of Bharatpur constitute one of the most important heronries in the world. For this, Keoladeo is a World Heritage Site. The park all but guarantees good sightings of the slender-necked purple heron, the petite brown pond heron, the common grey heron and several other species. You will see long-toed jacanas walking magically across the water, and large flocks of pelicans and flamingoes fishing in the deeper waters. It's a challenge to identify the many types of ducks and geese, so concentrate on their form and colour with your binocs. High on the tree-tops, the pink-headed painted storks roost and squabble loudly. In addition to birds, there are also sambhar, chital, nilgai and mongoose in the park. At the Tourist Reception Centre, boat rides can be booked if there is enough water in the lakes and the boating season is on. This is a unique experience as one can get much closer to the birds and is an ideal opportunity for keen photography. Entry fee Indians Rs 25, foreigners Rs 200; Guide (per hr) Rs 75; Video cameras Rs 200; Bicycle hire Rs 30 per day; Cycle-rickshaw Rs 50 per hr; Boat ride Rs 100 per person, per hour; Timings 6 am to 6 pm
Lohagarh Fort
Built by Raja Suraj Mal in the 18th century, Lohagarh, or Bharatpur a flamboyant amalgamation of Mughal and Rajput architecture proved impregnable over the years. There is a government museum in the Fort which exhibits the art and culture of the region, including various inscriptions and sculptures dating back to the 2nd century AD. Timings 10 am to 4.30 pm; Fridays and gazetted holidays closed
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