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The only Jat kingdom in the state, the rock hard mud fortifications of its fort proved invincible even under repeated siege. The fort houses early remnants of artifacts and sculpture, while the modern palace outside is a sprawling structure. However, Bharatpur is better known as a bird sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana National Park).

Administrative Setup:The district is composed of three sub-divisions, viz., Bharatpur, Deeg and Bayana. These sub-divisions have been further divided into ten tehsils namely, Bharatpur, Nadbai, Kumher, Bayana, Roopbas, Weir, Deeg, Kaman, Nagar and pahari and nine panchayat samitis.                 

Keoldav National Park

Total Area : 28.73 sq kms
Best time to visit : Throughout the year.
Breeding season : Aug-Oct
Migrants : Oct-Feb.
Nearest Town : Bharatpur
How to get there : Rail-Bharatpur (2 km)   Air-Agra (50 km),  
 Air-jaipur(176 kms)       Air-Delhi (176 kms)

Species found : Siberian crane, cormorant, stork, spoon bill, quail, coot, heron, teal, tern, sambar, chital,blackbuck, wild boar,civet etc.

General information Just 176 kms from Delhi is a very special wilderness the KeoladeoGhana National Park, one of the finest water-bird sanctuaries in the world. The lake and wetland was artificially created by the Maharaja Jasvant Singh of Bharatpur in the 19th century. By building small dykes and dams and diverting water from an irrigation canal, he converted this low lying area into a fine wild fowl shooting preserve. In a few years, the new wetland surrounded by marginal forests was able to support thousands of water birds.Commonly referred to as Bharatpur, the Park is a delight for bird watchers. Over 375 species of birds are found here and raised paths, camouflaged by babul trees and undergrowth make viewing easy. A quiet ride by boat in the early hours of the morning is also un unforgettable experience. There fare mixed heronries on the half submerged babul trees and the cacaphony is unbelievable as painted storks, open bills, spoon bills,egrets, comorants, white ibis and multitudes of others, tend their young Jacanas with their iridescent colours and elegant tail feathers and purple moorhen can be seen delicately treading over the floating vegetation. Every year Bharatpur waits with bated breath for the arrival of the Siberian cranes. There are only two wintering places for this rare species one in Iran and the other Bharatpur and these beautiful birks with their distinctive red beaks and facial patches, fly over 6400 kms from their summer retreats in Siberian cranes with a young one made an appearance in Bharatpur after a lapse of three years. Colourful kingfishers, graceful pelicans rare Siberian cranes and trans- continental fliers- the migratory water - fowl are amongst the 375 species of birds found in the Keoladeo National Park. The most spectacular nesting is that of the egrets, storks, herons and cormorants which make over 10,000 nests every year. This makes outstanding bird havens of the world. The most prominent water fowl coming to this park are bareheaded and greylag geese. Ducks also create a lot of fluttering in the lakes. The ducks usually found here are pintail, widgeon, common shelduck, shoveler, garganey, teal, mallard pochard etc.Attracted by the influx of the water fowl the predatory birds-tawny eagles, spotted eagles short-toed eagles imperial eagles and fishing eagle also arrive. They all forms the apex of the biological pyramid of the sanctuary and complete the avian food chain of the ecosystem. There are large herds of the nilgai, chital, wild boar and fear cows in addition to a few herds of sambar.The best way to see the park is on foot. A boat trip early in the morning or in the evening is quite a rewarding experience.Rent a BI-cycle (or a rickshaw if u prefer), a pair of binoculars and get set for the time of your life. Nothing could be as exhilarating as romancing the feathered friends.

Government Museum:The Government Museum of Bharatpur contains a very rich collection of artifacts. Exquisitely carved sculptures, weapons of the war and ancient inscriptions can be admired in the Government Museum located in the Palaces. All these items speak volumes about the rich heritage, art and crafts of the region.
Timings : 10 AM to 4 PM.(Closed on Friday)

Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj:A few of the eight imposing towers still stand erect within the glorious ramparts of the Fort. Especially two of them - Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj are of special interest. These were built by Maharaja Suraj Mal to commemorate his victories over the Mughals and British respectively.

Lohagarh Fort:The Lohagarh or the Iron Fort, true to its name stood solidly in front of many British attacks, and frustrated them to  ends.It faced the British onslaught four times and after a long siege they had to withdraw, but Lord Lake, however was successful in capturing it in 1804. It is very different from the other forts in state, there is no flamboyance associated to fort but it generates an aura of strength and magnificence. The fort is surrounded with moat which was previously filled with water to ward off the enemy attacks. The sandy ramparts were strengthened by sandy battlements, thus the enemy guns proved of no avail.Some interesting monuments in the fort are Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas. Moti Mahal and towers like Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj were erected to commemorate the victory over  the Mughals and the British army . The Gateway has paintings of huge elephants. Raja Suraj Mal Jat, the founder of Bharatpur and only Jat ruler in Rajasthan, built the massive iron fort in 18th century.

Bharatpur -the Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan:was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733 AD, it was once an impregnable well fortified city, carved out of the region formerly known as Mewat. The trio of Bharatpur, Deeg and Dholpur has played an important part in the history of Rajasthan. The legends say that the place was named as Bharatpur after the name of Bharat, the brother of Lord Rama, whose other brother Laxman was worshipped as the family deity of the Bharatpur rulers, Laxman's name is engraved onthe state arms and the seals. The city and the fort have been believed to be founded by Rustam, a Jat of Sogariya clan. Maharaja Surajmal took over from Khemkaran, the son of Rustam and established the empire. He fortified the city by building a massive wall around the city. The interesting aspect of the Bharatpur history is the domination of Jats in the region since 17th century, leader 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.

Deeg:34 Km) from Bharatpur North of Bharatpur is this beautiful garden town, the gardens have been laid with great care and precision, the sparkling fountains andmeticulous palaces add to he beauty of this idyllic retreat of the princes of Bharatpur. The tourist enjoy the charming settings of this agricultural town,along with the well preserved palace pavilions and gardensThe town of Deeg is strewn with massive fortifications, stunningly beautiful gardens, magnificent palaces and the colorful bazaars.Created in pale yellow sandstone and set around the large, formal gardens, these palaces and the fort are architectural masterpieces due to their beauty and symmetry .

Some very interesting buildings can be observed like:

GOPAL BHAVAN :Completed in 1760, an imaginatively designed building complex with beautifully laid gardens at its entrance and the rear overlooks the Gopal Sagar which is flanked with smaller pavilions Sawan and Bhadon.The formal gardens face a raised terrace with an arch of lustrous marble installed on a pedestal in the form of swing. This exquisite swing is a war trophy brought in by the famous Jat king Raja Suraj Mal from the Mughal court in Delhi.The spacious and well proportioned Banquet Hall has a double row of graceful pillars. The rear of the chamber is further divided by a charming sunken pool with fountains.

BENGAL CHAMBER:It houses the dining room, and has sloping arches, with comfortable cushions along the outer edges forming the seating area. The walls of the royal Chess Room has trellis design and are painted in soft red.

SURAJ BHAVAN:To the east of the main building, this palace has balconies overhanging the water. The entire palace in marble is like an airy pavilion with fine ornamentation within the apartments.

NAND BHAVAN:It is a larage audience hall. KRISHNA BHAVAN, and the ingeniously designed water works of KESHAV BHAVAN, with open twelve pillared pavilion are of great interest.

PURANA MAHAL:It is the oldest palace, planned as a spacious rectangle encircled by compartments and chamber, it has a collection of some very fine Rajput and Mughal schools.

DEEG FORT:The fort stands majestically over a slightly elevated point, built by Raga Suraj Mal. The fort is surrounded by impressive moats, armpits and gateways, the interiors are mostly in ruins now, but the watch tower still stands in the ruins keeping an eye over the City and Palace; over it is placed a gun captured from Agra fort.

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Major Crops and Their Production:The major crops of the district are wheat, gram, jowar, bajra, pulses, groundnut, mustard, rai, etc.Production: 1999-00 (Tonnes)- Wheat 5,41,411- Rapeseed and Mustard 2,03,454 -Bajra 1,43,124 -Pulses 79,927 -Gram 45,502 -Jowar 31,004 -Sugarcane 12,662 -Barley 10,216 -Paddy 9,119 -Red chillies 4,516- Sesamum 1,716 -Maize 110 -Groundnut 83

Minerals:Production: 1999-00 -(Tonnes) -Bajari 2,338 -Brick Earth 1,02,725 -Churt 1,376 -Fire Clay 1,284 -Masonary Stone 1,22,824 -Sand Stone 35,107 -Silica Sand 4,870 -Soap Stone 1,418

Electricity: There are six grid sub-stations (GSS) in Bharatpur district.

Water: The important rivers of the district are Banganga, Gambhir and Rupard flowing only in the rainy season. Bharatpur Feeder and Gurgaon Canal are also extending the irrigation facilities in the district.Minor irrigation projects are Khurrampur canal, Ballabgarh canal, Lalitamundia canal, Lalpur canal, Pathera canal, Ramesh Swami canal, Dharsoni canal etc.

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Road Transport: The National Highway No.11 connecting Agra, Jaipur and Bikaner passes through Bharatpur. Its total length within the district is about 71 kms. The total road length is 1,985 kms.
An excellent network of roadway services connects Bharatpur to all the major cities of the Rajasthan and its neighbouring states.

Rail Transport: The total rail length in the district is 262 kms out of which 207 kms., is broad gauge and 55 kms., is meter gauge. Bharatpur, Bayana and Nadbai the important business centres of the district are well connected by railways.
Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with all the major cities of India such as Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Agra.

Air : The nearest airport is situated at Agra, which is 56-km from Bharatpur.

Communication Facilities: (No.) Post offices 276, Telegraph offices 58, Telephone exchanges 34, Public call offices 815

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Brij Festival (Feb - March) :Bharatpur lies close to the Brij - the birth place of Lord Krishna and childhood. Ras Leela depicting the life of Krishna is performed by the professionals selected by the Rai community during the festival.

JASWANT EXHIBITION (Sept-Oct). :A big carnival is held during Dussehra. Bdussehra symbolises the victory of good over evil. Lord Ram defeated the demon king Ravana on these day.

GANGAUR FESTIVAL (Mar - Apr) :Festival of maidens and married women, dedicated to Gauri, the incarnation of Goddess Parvati. A gracious procession is taken out, married women pray for the prosperity and long life of their husbands, while young girls seek blessings for a good life partner.

TEEJ (July - Aug) :Festival of swings marking the advent of monsoons. Swings are hung from the trees and decorated with flowers. Young girls sing songs of love and the rain.

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CLIMATE

Climate and Rainfall:
Climate :Mean Max. Mean Min.
Summer : 45.0° C      37.0° C
Winter :    31.7° C      7.0° C

Rainfall : 69 cms.

Clothing : Summer :Light Tropical

Winter :Light Woolen

Best Season : October-February

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Area:5,066 sq.kms. (1.48 of the State

Location:Bharatpur district lies in the most eastern part of the the State. It forms boundaries with Gurgaon district of Haryana in the north and north-east. Mathura and Agra lie in the east. Dholpur district lies in its south and Sawai Madhopur, Dausa and Alwar district in the west.

Latitude : 27.15 N

Longitude : 77.30 E

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Once upon a time A golden age dawned upon the old city of Bharatpur, traditionally the home of Jats. Otherwise the tillers of the land, the Jats establish their pre-eminence in the region long before the before the emergence of rajputs. Uniting under the able leadership of rulers like Badan Singh and Suraj mal, the Jats expanded their territory far beyond its original boundaries. Such was the might of the Jats that Bharatpur came to be known as the impregnable city. The beautiful palace and gardens at Deeg and the Bharatpur fort, both built by Surajmal, symbolized the coming of age of the Jat state. Soon, nobody dared question the Jats’ prowess in battle.A British general, Lord Lake, thought otherwise and paid dearly with his life for his decision to besiege the Lohagarh Fort. At Deeg, the maharaja’s men successfully took on the might of a combined mughal and Martha army of 80,000. Growing from strength to strength, the Jats even dared to attack the Red Fort in Delhi, the ultimate icon of power!In the years that followed,the maharajas of Bharatpur became known mainly for one thing; the bird lands they carefully developed in the marshes just outside Bharatpur and the spectacular duckshoots-perhaps among the most famous in the world-that they hosted for visiting British Dignitaries(and fellow Maharajas). These splendid bird-lands have now been converted into a remarkable National park, one of the wonders of the natural world.Bharatpur as a town is not overly attractive,but it is useful jumping-off point for a region that is rich and quite undiscovered,a region dotted with the old forts and palaces of the Jat kings, Deeg, with its pleasure palaces, of course,almost as much of a "must see" as Agra's Tajmahal, but there after also interesting places such as Dholpur, Karauli, Govardhan and Bayana, for which Bharatpur is a convenient springboard

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