Keoladeo Ghana National Park

Keoladeo National Park or Keoladeo Ghana National Park formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India is a famous avifauna sanctuary that hosts thousands of birds, especially during the winter season. Over 230 species of birds are known to be resident. It is also a major tourist centre with scores of ornithologists arriving here in the hibernal season. It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1971.

Keoladeo Ghana National Park is a man-made and man-managed wetland and one of the national parks of India. The reserve protects Bharatpur from frequent floods, provides grazing grounds for village cattle, and earlier was primarily used as a waterfowl hunting ground. The 29 km2 (11 sq mi) reserve is locally known as Ghana, and is a mosaic of dry grasslands, woodlands, woodland swamps and wetlands. These diverse habitats are home to 366 bird species, 379 floral species, 50 species of fish, 13 species of snakes, 5 species of lizards, 7 amphibian species, 7 turtle species, and a variety of other invertebrates.Every year thousands of migratory waterfowl visit the park for wintering and breeding. The sanctuary is one of the richest bird areas in the world and is known for nesting of resident birds and visiting migratory birds including water birds. The rare Siberian cranes used to winter in this park but this central population is now extinct. According to founder of the World Wildlife Fund Peter Scott, Keoladeo National Park is one of the world’s best bird areas. Alongwith the Loktak Lake of Manipur, Keoladeo National Park is placed on the Montreux Record under the Ramsar Convention.

History of Keoladeo National Park
This park exists from almost 250 years and was once used as a hunting ground by the Maharajas and duck-shoots were conducted in the honour of British viceroys in the late 1850s. On 13 March 1976, the area was made a bird sanctuary and hunting was prohibited. On 10 March 1982, it was made a national park. The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, also known as Keoladeo National Park, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985 by UNESCO. Grazing of village cattle was banned in this area in 1982 because the entire forest comes under the Rajasthan Forest Act 1953 causing discontentment to local farmers and leading to many problems between them and the government. After the initial resentment, thearea is now a popular tourist hotspot in addition to being an important ecological resource.

Best Time To Visit Bharatpur National Park
From the month of August to November this is a breeding ground for resident birds, while October to February witness migratory birds making this place their home. Rest of the year is relatively quite dry and spotting a bird is rare.

How To Reach Bharatpur National Park
The Bharatpur Railway Junction is only 5 km away from the Keoladeo National Park making it the most efficient option. The Bharatpur bird sanctuary is the one of the main attraction of this place and is easily accessible by road. Special rickshaws and cycles are also available inside the National Park. No cars are allowed inside but visitors can choose to travel by rickshaws (yellow plated), tongas, electric vans or even walk.