STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES OF INDIA
RAJASTHAN
Bharatpur
Bharatpur
was founded in the 18th century by Raja Suraj Mal. This fort was
built to withstand heavy attacks and to protect the loyal Jats. The
fort is encircled by two huge moats. Suraj Mal once marched into
Delhi & carried away the gates of Agra Fort in order to strenghtn his
fort. It is known as "Lohagarh (Iron Fort) for even cannonballs were
unable to pierce the impregnable walls of the fort.
Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas are some
of the monuments of importance within the fort.
The palace
which is a blend of Rajput and Moghul styles houses a museum in the centre
wing, where numerous artefacts can be seen some dating back to the 2nd
century AD. There are two victory towers within the fort - Jawahar
Burj (as a mark of victory over the Moghuls) and Fateh Burj (celebrating
the victory over the British).
The
Keoladeo Ghana National Park lies about 5 kms south-east of Bharatpur.
(about 176 kms away from Delhi, and 50 km west of Agra). It is a
vast expanse covering 29 sq kms. It was originally created by the
Maharaja of Bharatpur for private hunting. It is a low lying marsh and
serves as a sanctuary for a wide variety of birds, around 300 species out
of which around 120 species breed here. The thory babul trees with
their tops above the water hold the nests of the visiting migratory birds.
This sanctuary serves as the winter home for migrants from Central Asia
and Siberia, including the Siberain Crane ( travels 6,400 kms from their
breeding grounds, in Siberia), an endangered species.
Some of the other
rare birds are greylag geese, the bareheaded goose from China and winged
beauties from Afghanistan, Central Asia and Tibet. The native birds
include pelican, ibis, egret, painted stork and darter. Other animals
found here are the blue bull, spotted deer, python, porcupine, nilgai,
hyena, sambhar and wild boar.
Though the
sanctuary is open throughtout the year, the season time is between October
& February. The breeding season is between August and October.
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