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History of Keoladeo Ghana National Park
The name Keoladeo is derived from an ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord
Shiva, which stands at the centre of the park. 'Ghana' means dense,
referring to the thick forest, which used to cover the area. Keoladeo is
the only place where the habitat has been created by a Maharaja. In
earlier times, Bharatpur town used to be flooded regularly every monsoon.
In 1760, an earthen dam (Ajan Dam) was constructed, to save the town, from
the floods. Later the depression created by extraction of soil for the dam
was cleared and this became the Bharatpur Lake. The Keoladeo Ghana
National park was the royal hunting preserve of the royal Bharatpur family
and one of the best duck shooting wetlands in the world. The hunting was
prohibited by mid 60s.
Major Attraction
The major attraction in this park are the numerous migratory birds, which
come from as far away as Siberia, Russia and Central Asia and spend their
winters in Bharatpur, before returning to their breeding grounds. Some of
these migratory birds are Siberian crane, herons, ibis, pelicans, egrets,
painted storks, darters, Brahminy ducks and geese. Besides the migratory
birds, some local birds like Spoonbills, Cranes, Herons, Egrets, Storks,
Flamingoes, Cormorants, Kingfishers, Blue Jays, Shrikes, Orioles, Paradise
Flycatchers, Parakeets, Eagles, Hawks, Harriers, Stints, Wagtails,
Warblers, Wheatears, Buntings, Larks and Pipits, etc. can also be seen in
this park. Various animals like Wild Boar, Sambhar, Chital, Nilgai,
Mongoose, Otter, Jackal, Fox, Hyena, Porcupine, Rock Python, Leopard,
Jungle Cat and Fishing Cat can also be seen in the park.
Best Time to Visit
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is open throughout the year, but the ideal
visiting months are from August to November for resident breeding birds
and October to February for migratory birds.
The tourists can visit this sanctuary either on foot or on Rickshaws or
hire a Bicycle. Rickshaw pullers have been trained by the park management
in bird watching and are quite knowledgeable. |