Bharatpur
- The Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan, Bharatpur was the premier Jat State in
Rajasthan. Badan Singh established and founded the fort and palaces of Deeg
in 1725. Seven years later, Raja Badan Singh adopted son Maharaja Suraj Mal
in 1733 AD laid the foundation nearby of the fort of Bharatpur. It was a formidable
structure called Lohagarh (iron fort), which lived up to its reputation, 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.
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.
They maintained considerable autonomy though they were allied to the Mughals;
this was largely due to their prowess in the battle and their marriage alliances
with the Rajputs. Their fort in Bharatpur even withstood attacks from the
British in 1805 and 1825 but later they signed a treaty of friendship with
the East India Company. It merged with the union of India at independence.
Today Bharatpur is better known for the Keoladeo Natinal Park, . Bharatpur
is well-known for it world heritage listed bird sanctuary Keoladeo Ghanna
National Park. Park a unique bird place, delight of ornithologists. Once the
hunting preserve of the princes of Bharatpur, today, it is ranked among the
world's best bird sanctuaries. Every year, this park is visited byover 400
species of water birds which include exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan,
Central Asia, Siberia and Tibet. The graylag and bar headed geese are among
the important visitors but the star of this sanctuary is the rare Siberian
crane. If you're a bird lover, then this is you paradise, but even if you
just have a passing interest in birds you cannot fail to be impressed by the
mind-boggling variety of birds that arrive in this park. 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.
How to reach Bharatpur
By Air
Agra 56 km is the nearest airport. Now these days Agra airport is not opretional.
By Bus
A network of bus services links Bharatpur with several cities within and outside
the State.
By Train
Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with several cities on Delhi-Mumbai
trunk route, Jaipur and Agra. Some important train connections are : Golden
Temple Mail (Mumbai-Bharatpur-Jammu-Tawi); Intercity express (Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bharatpur);
Paschim Express (New Delhi-Bharatpur-Mumbai).
Getting around
Bharatpur has auto-rickshaws, cycle-rickshaws and tongas. A fantastic way
of zipping around is by bicycle, which costs Rs 20 to Rs 50 per day (the more
expensive ones are in better condition).
Facts about Bharatpur
Location: Situated in Northeast of Rajasthan.
Distance: New Delhi (184 km), Jaipur (176 km), Mathura 39 km), Alwar
(117 km)
STD Code: 05644
Population: 1.6 millions
Area: 22 sq km.
Language: Hindi, English & Bharatpuri
Altitude: 250 metres
Clothing: Summer light tropical (cotton) for summer & Light woolen
for winter.
Weather
In Summer: 45 C (Max) - 25 C (Min)
In winter: 22 C (Max) - 8 C (Min)
Rainy Season : from July to Mid Sept, and very humid (upto 90%)
Rainfall: 62 cms.
Our suggestion: Best time to come: Oct to March
::
Click
here for Reservation
Copyright©,