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Introduction of Bharatpur |
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Bharatpur
is about 55 km from Agra, it is the eastern gateway to Rajasthan.
Bharatpur is a small city and famous for its bird sanctuary - the
Keoladeo Ghana National Park which is one of the best National Park in
Asia. Today Bharatpur is ranked among the world's best bird
sanctuaries which was once the hunting ground of the princes of
Bharatpur. In 1956, this reserve was tuned into a sanctuary, though
the Maharaja was allowed to hunt in this reserve till 1972. In 1981
the sanctuary was designated as a national park. Every year this park
is visited by over 400 species of water birds including the exotic
migratory birds from Central Asia, Afghanistan and Tibet and the rare
Siberian cranes from Siberia. The rare Siberian cranes come every
year to spend the winter in the warmer climate of Bharatpur. Inspite
of Bird Sanctuary Bharatpur is also well-known for its historical
palaces and forts like the Lohagarh Fort, Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj.
Bharatpur is also known as Lohagarh and Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan. |
Keoladeo Ghana National Park |
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History of Bharatpur |
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Bharatpur
was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733 AD. Bharatpur along with
Dholpur and Deeg holds a prominent place in the history of Rajasthan.
The history of Bharatpur outlines the rise and fall of Jat power in
eastern Rajasthan. These Jats were active during the late 17th century
and the rulers like Suraj Mal, Churaman and Badan Singh governed this
region. Maharaja Suraj Mal took over from Khemkaran, the son of Rustam
and established the Bharatpur town in 1743.. He fortified the city by
building a massive wall around the city. He also built the Lohagarh
Fort in the year 1732. This fort took about 60 years to complete and
is still the focal point of the town. This fort shaped the history of
Bharatpur. Finally in 1806 Dholpur came under the Jat rulers when it
was handed over to Kirat Singh of Gohad. Dholpur thus became a
princely state a vassal of the British.
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. |
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Tourist Attraction in Bharatpur |
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The main
tourist attraction in Bharatpur is the Bharatpur Bird sanctuary.
Bharatpur Bird sanctuary is also known as
Keoladeo Ghana National Park,
it was established in 1956. Every year this park is visited by over
400 species of water birds including the striking migratory birds from
Central Asia, Afghanistan, Tibet and the rare Siberian cranes from
Siberia. This sanctuary is ranked among the world's best bird
sanctuaries. Other prominent places in Bharatpur are the Jawahar Burj,
Kishori Mahal, Government Museum, Ganga Mandir, Laxmi Vilas Palace,
Nehru Bagh, Laxman Mandir, Fateh Burj and Lohagarh Fort.
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Painted Stork |
Sambar |
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Great
Egret |
Group
Painted Stork |
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Lohagarh Fort |
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Lohagarh
Fort (Iron fort) is located in Bharatpur in the State of Rajasthan. It
was founded by Bharatpur Jat rulers. Maharaja Suraj Mal used all his
wealth and power to a good cause and built several palaces and forts
across his kingdom, one of them is the Lohagarh Fort (Iron fort), it
was one of the strongest ever built in Indian history. The unreachable
Lohagarh fort could withstand repeated attacks of British forces led
by Lord Lake in 1805 when they laid siege for over six weeks. Having
lost over 3000 soldiers, the British forces had to strike and retreat
a compromise with the Bharatpur ruler. Lohargal Fort is very different
from the other forts in Rajasthan state, there is no splendor
associated with the fort but it generates an aura of magnificence and
strength.
The fort is enclosed with moat which was previously filled with water
to ward off the enemy attacks. The sandy fortifications were
strengthened by sandy battlements thus the enemy guns proved of no
avail. Some interesting monuments in the fort are Mahal Khas, Kothi
Khas and Kishori Mahal. Moti Mahal and towers like Jawahar Burj and
Fateh Burj were erected to honor the victory over the Mughals and the
British army . The Gateway has paintings of huge elephants. There are
two gates in the fort, one is in the north which is known as
Ashtdhaatu (eight metalled) gate while the other one is facing the
south which is called Chowburja (four-pillared) gate. |
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Construction of the Fort |
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Lohagarh
Fort was founded by Bharatpur Jat rulers, true to its name it stood
solidly in front of many British attacks and frustrated them to ends.
Lohagarh Fort means 'Fort of Iron', and the fort was what its name
suggested; almost impregnable. It was protected by deep moats on all
sides, it was said that it could fall "only when a crocodile swallowed
up all the water of the moat." It's obvious that the Jats did not
believe in negligence. So, while lesser forts gave way more easily,
Lohargarh stood firm, giving Bharatpur the security it needed.
The fort is situated on an artificial island in the middle of the
town with a somewhat forlorn look about it. Yet it is the focal point
of Bharatpur today, just as it was of the town's history in the past.
Lohagarh was probably inspired by the Mahi Durg (mud fort) as
described in ancient Sanskrit scriptures. Founded by Maharaja Suraj
Mal in 1732, it was completed only 60 years later. The strong point of
this fort were its thick outer mud walls which lovingly absorbed all
the firing from the British and Mughal armies. The cannon balls would
sink into the mud only to be collected later and fired back at the
enemy! These wonderful walls were about 7 km in length and took as
many as eight years to complete. But sadly, the walls were broken down
by the British when they took over the fort in 1826, though portions
of the inner walls still remain. |
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Fort Museum |
Today most
of the fort is occupied by a museum and government offices. One thing
which strikes one immediately about the architecture is the lack of
ostentation; Lohargarh is definitely much simpler as far as paintings,
carvings, and other decorations go. There is almost no room for
unnecessary ornamentation with its emphasis on security and security
only. It is functional and modest, which is perhaps something to do
with the Jat way of life. Some of the residential chambers have some
decorations but only very little.
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Fort Palace |
Inside the fort there are three palaces, Kamra Palace, the Palace of
Badan Singh and Mahal Khas. Some interesting monuments in the fort are
Kothi Khas, Mahal Khas and Kishori Mahal. Moti Mahal and towers like
Fateh Burj and Jawahar Burj were erected to honor the victory over the
British and the Mughals army.
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Lohagarh Fort |
Water
Canel Outside of Fort Wall |
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Museum |
Kishori Mahal |
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How to Reach Bharatpur |
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By Rail:
Bharatpur is directly connected with several cities on Delhi-Mumbai
route with regular train services. Rail services also connects
Bharatpur with Agra and Jaipur.
By
Road:
A network of bus services links Bharatpur with several cities within
and outside Rajasthan.
By Air:
The nearest airport from Bharatpur is Agra which is about 55 km. |
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You will visit
“Bharatpur”
during the below Tours of Rajasthan. |
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31 Days Rajasthan Tour
(Including Bharatpur)
31 Days / 30 Nights
Delhi - Alwar - Deeg - Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri - Agra - Dholpur -
Ranthambore - Tonk - Bundi
- Jhalawar - Kota - Bijolia - Chittorgarh - Dungarpur - Banswara -
Udaipur - Rajsamand -
Nathdwara - Kumbhalgarh - Ranakpur - Mount Abu - Rohetgarh - Jodhpur -
Jaisalmer - Bikaner -
Nagaur - Mandawa - Sikar - Jhunjhunu -Jaipur - Delhi
28 Days Rajasthan Heritage
Tour (Including Bharatpur)
28 Days / 27 Nights
Delhi - Agra - Fatehpur Sikri - Bhandarej - Jaipur - Mandawa - Bikaner
- Gajner - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Rohetgarh - Deogarh - Ranakpur -
Mount Abu - Udaipur - Dungarpur - Chittorgarh - Kota - Ranthambore -
Bharatpur - Delhi
24 Days Forts and Palaces Tour
(Including Bharatpur)
24 Days / 23 Nights
Delhi - Agra - Fatehpur Sikri - Bhandarej - Jaipur - Mandawa - Bikaner
- Gajner - Jaisalmer - Osian - Jodhpur - Ranakpur - Mount Abu -
Udaipur - Kota - Ranthambore - Bharatpur - Delhi
11 Days Wildlife Tour (Including Bharatpur)
11 Days / 10 Nights
Delhi - Sariska - Jaipur - Ranthambore - Bharatpur - Fatehpur Sikri -
Agra – Delhi
Rajasthan Buddhist Tour (Including Bharatpur)
23 Days / 22 Nights
Delhi - Samode - Nawalgarh - Khimsar - Osian - Jaisalmer - Pokaran -
Jodhpur - Rohet - Daspan - Bera - Ranakpur - Deogarh - Udaipur -
Dungarpur - Bijapur - Kota - Raj Mahal - Pachewar - Jaipur - Bhandarej
- Karauli - Bharatpur - Delhi |
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Map of
Bharatpur |
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