Bharatpur located in Rajasthan and also known as Keoladeo Ghanna National Park, is well-known for it world heritage listed bird sanctuary. This is one of the few places in the world where you can hope to sight hundred of different species of birds in just a few days. Over 400 species different birds have been identified in the park and you see them all over the place. Many tourists travelling to this destination have rate it as the highlight of their visit. It is just 55 kilometres from Agra and 176 kilometres from Jaipur.

Three hundred and seventy seven species of birds have already been spotted in the wildlife sanctuary. What a whooping number! In case you plan to visit the terrific city of the Taj Mahal and wish to combine the trip of amazing Agra with the avian kingdom of Bharatpur then the winter months are the best bet. With luck on your side you may spot probably fifty or even hundred varieties of the birds. The period from August till November is the time of the indigenous water birds. The migratory birds from central Asia, Mongolia and Siberia start arriving from October. Bharatpur is a wonderful wintering haunt of the likes of the Siberian Crane till the month of March.

The interesting aspect of the Bharatpur history is the domination of Jats in the region since 17th century. Leaders like Churaman and Badan Singh brought the jats together to mould them into a force to reckon with. Suraj Mal has been the greatest ruler who made them a formidable force and played a very important role in the Indian history during 19th century.

Fauna
Migratory birds at Keoladeo include, as large a bird as Dalmatian pelican, which is slightly less than two meters, and as small a bird as Siberian disky leaf warbler, which is the size of a finger. Other migrants include several species of cranes, geese, ducks, eagles, hawks, shanks, warblers, wheatears, flycatchers, pipits, etc. But of all the migrants, the most sought after is the Siberian Crane or the great white crane.

Climate
Bharatpur is located on the fringes of the Thar desert. This marshy land has very warm climate. Summers are invariably hot and winters are not very cold. Carry light cottons during summers and woollens during winters. Rainfall is less but sufficient.

Sightseeing

• Kamra Palace
  It was Built by Jats between 1730 and 1850.On the west of the fort is the government museum.It has well-stocked gallery of sculptures and statues. From the roof of the palace you can enjoy the great views of the surrounding countryside.
• Lohagarh Fort
  Built on the early 18th century by Maharaja Suraj Mal, the founder of Bharatpur, the 'Iron Fort' is located in the town. The fort has three palaces Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas built in a fusion of the Mughal and Rajput styles. Two towers, Jawahar Burj, Fateh Burj commemorate Suraj Mal's victory over the Mughals and the British.

How to reach

• Air
  The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is 56 kms from Bharatpur.
• Rail
  Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with all the major cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra. The Bharatpur railway station is 6 kms from the Park.
• Road
  A network of roadway services connects Bharatpur to all the major cities of the Rajasthan and its neighbouring states like Delhi, Uttaranchal and Haryana.