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BHARATPUR BIRD SANCTUARY / KEOlADEO NATIONAL PARK
At a distance of 27 km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station and 58 km from Agra. From New Delhi it is approximately 200 kms, 3.5 hours.
The Keoladeo National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is situated in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. It is among the top places to visit from Delhi and Agra Cities.
Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India is a famous avifauna sanctuary that hosts thousands of birds, especially during the winter season. It is also a major tourist centre with scores of ornithologists arriving here in the hibernal season. It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971. It is also a declared World Heritage Site. Every year thousands of migratory waterfowl visit the park for wintering and breeding. The sanctuary is one of the richest bird areas in the world and is known for nesting of resident birds and visiting migratory birds including water birds.
Time to Visit – Though the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is open around the year, but the best time to visit Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is from August to November to witness the resident birds and from October to February to get the sight of migratory birds
Location- Near Bharatpur In Rajasthan
Timings- 6 AM to 6 PM . Entry to the park is stopped an hour before the closing time.
How to Reach Bharatpur
The Keoladeo Ghana National Park or-as many people prefer to call it-the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary lies between two of India’s most historic cities, Agra and Jaipur.It is easy to reach Bharatpur by air, rail or road.
By Air – The nearest airport is Agra, which is about 58 kms from Bharatpur. Agra has daily flights for Delhi, Bombay, Varanasi (via Khajuraho) and Lucknow.
By Train – Bharatpur is on the main Delhi – Bombay line with regular connections to Mathura, Sawai Madhopur and Kota on the same route. It is also connected with Agra.
By Road – Bharatpur is well connected by road with Agra, Mathura, Delhi and Jaipur. Regular bus services operate for all major cities. The road distance to important places from Bharatpur are: Agra 58 kms ,Fatehpur Sikri 25 kms Mathura 40 kms Delhi 200 kms ,Jaipur 180 kms.
The Basics-
You should reach the main gate around half an hour early to complete the formalities for entry.
Do not hit or disturb the birds inside the premises of the sanctuary.
Carry a water bottle along with you so that you remain hydrated.
Wear comfortable shoes as you will have to walk a lot while exploring the sanctuary.
Be a Good citizen by not littering the sanctuary.
Must carry you binocular to spot a bird .
Be sure to use sunscreen , sunglasses , Medicines.
Don’t forget to carry your camera for beautiful pictures for your memories
Don’t pluck flowers or trees while roaming around the jungle.
Entrance Fees-
Over and beyond the safari charges and vehicle charges, tourists have to pay an entrance fee to get past the gate.
For Indians – INR 50
For foreigners – INR 400
Cost of camera – Nil
Cost of video camera entry – INR 200
Cost of commercial movie camera entry – INR 6000 for Indians and INR 10,000 for foreigners
Cost of feature film movie camera entry – INR 40,000
Safari and Charges-
There are three types of safaris provided in the park, horse carriage ride, jeep ride and cycle rickshaw ride. Jeep safari is chosen by those who visit to venture deep into the forest and spot animals. You can find jeeps from the entrance of the park. It is usually not preferred by birdwatchers as the sound of the vehicle can scare the birds. If you are planning to choose to ride in a jeep, you are allowed up to 1.7 km inside the park.Jeep safari starts when the park opens and closes during the park’s closing time.
Walking tour, cycle tour and cycle rickshaw tours starts 8 in the morning and ends by 5 in the evening. The iconic safari of the park is the cycle rickshaw safari. The drivers know the park in and out and are excellent guide for your trip. If you are visiting the park to spot birds and have a peaceful nature filled vacation, choose cycle rickshaw rides. There are only 100-125 rickshaws available in the park. Thus, it is important to visit early in the morning during peak tourism season.
Cost of cycle rickshaw safari – INR 50 per hour, INR 1200 per day – only two people can be accommodated in one cycle rickshaw. It is important to choose licensed rickshaws.
Cost of jeep safari – cost of jeep varies with the service provider. Entrance fee for jeep is INR 50.
Cost of cycle (self-driven) – INR 50 per cycle for the whole day (visitors should deposit their original ID proof while hiring the cycle)
Horse driven carriage safari ride – INR 150 per hour per carriage– six people can ride in a carriage at a time
Guide fee – INR 200
Registration for all safari trips halts an hour before the closing time. Boat rides are available during seasons when the water level is very high. The cost of boat rides changes every year, depending on the season and demand (usually available only during peak monsoon season).
The bird sanctuary is not the only attraction of Bharatpur. There are lot of other places also which could be seen while your visit in Bharatpur .
Banke Bihari temple , Government museum , Lohagarh fort, Ganga mandir , Laxman temple
If one needs to stay overnight , don’t be disappointed , there are quite number of good hotels are nearby , to be named few are
Hotel Sunbird,/ The Bagh Resort / Bird’s Inn / Hotel Sonar Haveli / Swaraj Resort / Hotel Surya Vilas Palace / Hotel Dhanraj Palace / Suroth Mahal / KadambKunj Resort
Shopping- Bharatpur in Rajasthan is known for handcrafted items, for example there are precious stones, hand crafted jewellery , handicraft clothes, semi-precious stones, carved marbles, antiques, brass items etc.
Travel expands the mind and fills the gap.
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