Keoladeo Ghana National Park

Keoladeo National Park is situated in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. It is also known as Bharatpur bird sanctuary. Keoladeo National Park /wildlife Sanctuary is famous as bird's paradise, with over 380 resident and migrant species of birds, including the Common, Demoiselle and the rare Siberian Cranes. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park is also an excellent place to spot mammals like Golden Jackal, Jungle Cat, Striped Hyaena, Sambar, Fishing Cat, Nilgai, Blackbuck and wild Boar. In 1981, Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary was given the status of National Park. The name Keoladeo has been derived from a nearby ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord Shiva.

The Flora And Fauna

The sanctuary hosts a small wintering population of the rare Siberian Cranes. Other species include the ruddy shelducks, gulls, northern shovelers, northern pintails, coots, garganey, tufted ducks and common pochard.

Major Wildlife Attractions

The main attractions for tourists visiting the Keoladeo Ghana Park are the migratory birds, which come from as far away as Siberia and Central Asia to spend their winters in Bharatpur, before returning back to their breeding grounds. Some of the migratory birds that visit Keoladeo /Bharatpur bird sanctuary include several species of Cranes, Hawks, Pelicans, Geese, Shanks, Ducks, Eagles, Warblers, Stints, Wagtails, Buntings, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Larks, Pipits etc. Besides the migratory and resident birds, other tourist attractions in Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary include the Bharatpur government Museum, Lohagarh Fort and Deeg Palace.

Park Trips

To move around in the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, there are well-defined forest trails, which you can cover on foot or on a bicycle. You can also hire a rickshaw and explore the bird sanctuary at ease. The best time to visit the Park is either early morning or in the evening.

Best Time To Visit

Keoladeo Ghana Bharatpur is open throughout the year for visitors, although winter is definitely the best time to visit. Summers are too hot and monsoons too wet for comfort, but the months between October and February are very suitable for a trip. Besides the fact that the weather’s good at this time, the park’s migratory birds arrive during the winter.

How To Reach

Air : The Delhi airport is about 5-6 hours from the Bharatpur bird sanctuary.

Rail : Bharatpur is connected with regular train services with all the major cities of India such as Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Mumbai. The Bharatpur railway station is 6 Km from the bird sanctuary.

Road : An excellent network of road services connects Bharatpur to all the major cities of Rajasthan and neighboring states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Bharatpur is well connected by road from Agra (55-km), Delhi (176-km) and Jaipur (176-km).

Entry Requirement

All visitors to Keoladeo Ghana, Bharatpur need to obtain an entry permit from the Warden or Ranger at the entrance to the park. Foreigners need to pay an entry fee of Rs 200; Indians pay Rs 25. Extra charges are levied for cameras and photographic equipment.

Accommodation

Fortunately for tourists, accommodation is not a problem in Bharatpur. The town (not the park) has a number of guest houses, forest lodges and hotels, including some luxurious heritage properties. Besides the accommodation in the town, there are two forest lodges and two restaurants within the park. The restaurants are however, extremely basic and it’s advisable to bring your own food if you plan to spend the entire day within the park.

Accommodation tariffs range from anywhere between Rs 50 for a fairly bare-bones room in one of the forest lodges, to up to Rs 3500 for a room in the Laxmi Vilas Palace resort. Realistic prices for a comfortable if not luxurious room would be about Rs 200- 400 per night.

Further information on Keoladeo Ghana can be obtained from the Deputy Chief Wildlife Warden at the Forest Rest House (Tel: 22777).

Facts & Figures

Area 29 sq km
Best Time To Visit All through the Year
Location Bharatpur in Rajasthan
Nearest Access Bharatpur is the nearest Railhead
Main Wildlife Found Resident and Migratory Birds

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