Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary or Keoladeo Ghana National Park is a world famous bird sanctuary in Rajasthan. It is about 200 kms from Delhi. The sanctuary becomes a paradise of birds during winter. It is home to over 230 species of birds.

Ornithologists from all over the world visit Ghana bird sanctuary. It is a major tourist center in Rajasthan attracting lakhs of visitors every year. Ghana Bird Sanctuary is a protected World Heritage Site.

One of the most interesting things about the Keoladeo Ghana National Park is that it is a man-made wetland designed to protect Bharatpur from frequent flooding. Earlier this used to be a site for grazing cattle and hunting waterfowls. The park is spread over an area of 29 square kilometers. It comprises stretches of dry grasslands, woodlands, swamps and wetlands. In addition to the birds, the Ghana bird sanctuary has an amazing variety of snakes, turtles, lizards and several other species of invertebrates. Every year thousands of birds especially waterfowls visit this sanctuary for breeding. This is where the Siberian cranes used to spend the winter. Sadly they have become extinct.

There is a Shiva Temple inside the sanctuary. That is how it got the name Keoladeo. This was a low lying land and flooding was frequent. Earlier the park used to be a hunting ground for the Maharajas of Bharatpur. Hunting is no longer permitted here. The area became a bird sanctuary in 1976. Today it is a reserve forest owned by the governments of Rajasthan and India. In 1982, the government also banned cattle grazing in the park. This had led to some clashes between the cattle farmers and the government.

Getting there

The nearest airports are Jaipur and Delhi. There are daily flights to these places. Bharatpur is about 200 kms from Delhi. From Delhi / Jaipur you can board a train to Bharatpur. The Bharatpur railway station is about 5 kms from the bird sanctuary. Bharatpur is also well connected by roads. You can drive all the way from Delhi.

The park has an amazing variety and diversity of plant life. There are over 379 species of flowering plants. Much of Rajasthan is dry and arid. That is exactly what makes the Ghana Bird Sanctuary special. It is a spot of dense vegetation.

Migratory birds are the biggest attraction of this park. They come from faraway places like Central Asia to spend their winter here. Once the winter gets over, they will return to their breeding grounds to come back again next year.

Visitors can walk or cycle along the elevated embankments. This is a great way to watch the bird life. There are several well-defined forest trails that you can access on a cycle or a jeep. Boating facilities are also available. Take a boat ride early in the morning or late in the evening to discover the hidden gems of Bharatpur.