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Keoladeo
National Park
 Location:
In the north Indian state of Rajasthan
Tourist Attractions:
Resident and migratory birds.
Other Attractions:
Bharatpur Govenment Museum, Bharatpur Palace, Lohagarh Fort, Deeg Palace.
Best Sites:
The water bodies.
Nearby Tourist Destinations:
Jaipur, Alwar, Ajmer, Shekhawati, Delhi, Agra.
Best Season to Visit:
October to March.
Once the royal hunting preserve of the princes of Bharatpur, this 29 kms park is one of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world, inundated with 400 species of water birds. Exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan, Central Asia, Tibet as well as Siberian cranes from Arctic, graylag geese from Siberia and bar headed geese from China. Colonies of cormorants, spoon bills, storks, egrets, herons, pelicans, ebis and grey herons can be spotted all over the park.
Park Population
 The park supports a population of 375 species of birds, numerous mammals and reptiles. With the onset of winter, migratory birds from all over world come here. They arrive by August and leave in February. Visitors include Coot Snipes, Spanish Sparrow, Red Crested Porhard, Rosy Pelican and Flamingo. The special attraction, however, remains the arrival of the rare Siberian Crane. The park is also rich in Pythons, Spotted Deer, Sambhars, Blue Bull, Black Buck, Jackals, Otters, Fishing Cats, Monitor Lizards.
Nearby Attractions
Nearby places of interest is the Government Museum, Bharatpur, which gives a glimpse of past splendour. Not far from the museum is the Bharatpur Palace, which is an excellent blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture. There is the Lohagarh Fort, which remained invincible despite several attacks by the British. Just 32 kms from Bharatpur, is the Deeg Palace. This strong and massive fort was the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and has many palaces and gardens.
Park Trips
There are well-defined forest trails, which can easily be covered on foot or on a cycle or you can also hire a rickshaw that are available on hire. Boats are also available on hire. A early morning boat trip or a late evening one is quite a rewarding experience to check out the hidden treasures of Bharatpur.
Accommodation
There are numerous accommodation facilities near the Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary). The hotels here range from heritage to luxury and deluxe and budget category. All the hotels are well appointed with world class facilities and services. The sanctuary can be conveniently visited from all the accommodations available.
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.
Best Time to Visit
The Keoladeo National Park is open throughout the year. August-October is the breeding season, so the birds are best left alone then. The best season for visiting this place is between October to February when the migratory birds come to visit this park from all over the globe.
Base - Bharatpur
Though one of the country's most well- managed, and well-represented parks as far as the variety of wildlife and birdlife is concerned, it is astonishingly easily accessible, located close to the township of Bharatpur, and barely an hour's drive from Agra. and only a little more from Jaipur. Delhi too is reasonably close.
Getting There
 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 : An excellent network of roadway services connects Bharatpur to all the major cities of the Rajasthan and its neighbouring states like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana. Bharatpur is well connected by road from Agra (55-kms), Delhi (176-kms) and Jaipur (176-kms), all of which have airport facilities too.
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