Keoladeo Ghana Wildlife National Park, Bird Sanctuary, best time to visit, park timings, charges, how to get Keoladeo Ghana, important tips information, Map of Keoladeo Ghana Wildlife National Park

Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary

Keoladeo National Park is situated in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. It is also known as Bharatpur bird sanctuary. Keoladeo National Park /wildlife Sanctuary is famous as bird's paradise, with over 380 resident and migrant species of birds, including the Common, Demoiselle and the rare Siberian Cranes. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park is also an excellent place to spot mammals like Golden Jackal, Jungle Cat, Striped Hyaena, Sambar, Fishing Cat, Nilgai, Blackbuck and wild Boar. In 1981, Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary was given the status of National Park. The name Keoladeo has been derived from a nearby ancient Hindu temple, devoted to Lord Shiva.

Attractions in Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary
The main attractions for tourists visiting the Keoladeo Ghana Park are the migratory birds, which come from as far away as Siberia and Central Asia to spend their winters in Bharatpur, before returning back to their breeding grounds. Some of the migratory birds that visit Keoladeo /Bharatpur bird sanctuary include several species of Cranes, Hawks, Pelicans, Geese, Shanks, Ducks, Eagles, Warblers, Stints, Wagtails, Buntings, Wheatears, Flycatchers, Larks, Pipits etc. Besides the migratory and resident birds, other tourist attractions in Keoladeo Ghana bird sanctuary include the Bharatpur government Museum, Lohagarh Fort and Deeg Palace.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park Trips
To move around in the Keoladeo Ghana National Park, there are well-defined forest trails, which you can cover on foot or on a bicycle. You can also hire a rickshaw and explore the bird sanctuary at ease. The best time to visit the Park is either early morning or in the evening.

The park is open throughout the year. Best months are August-November for resident breeding birds and November-March for migrant birds.

Bharatpur is well connected by road from Agra (56 km, 5 hours), Delhi (176 km, 5 hours) and Jaipur (176 km , 6 hours), all of which have airports. The Bharatpur railway station is 6 km from the park.

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 places of interest are 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 km 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.

The Keoladeo National Park is not very large being 29 sq km. There are well-defined treks which can easily covered on foot or on a cycle or you can hire a rickshaw (the best way). They are available on hire. Rickshaw pullers have been trained by the park management in bird watching and are quite knowledgeable. Boats are also available on hire. A boat trip early in the morning or late evening is quite a rewarding experience. Do not forget to carry a binocular for watching the birds.

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 woolens during winters. Rainfall is less but sufficient.

Best Time to Visit

All through the Year

Park Timings

Park Charges (in Indian Rupees)