Bharatpur

The 'Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan', was founded by Maharaja Suraj Mal in 1733 AD, 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 place was named Bharatpur after the name of Bharat, the brother of Lord Rama, whose other brother Laxman was worshipped as the family deity of the Bharatpur. The legend says, that the rulers, Laxman's, name is engraved on the state arms and the seals. Bharatpur is also known as 'LOHAGARH'. It is bound on the north by 'Gurgaon' district of Haryana, on the east by Mathura and Agra districts of Uttar Pradesh, on the south by Dholpur and Karauli, on the south west by Jaipur and on the west by Alwar, all in Rajasthan. There is a forest called 'GHANA' means dense forest within a distance of about 5 Km. from District Head Quarter which remains green during the rainy season. Bharatpur Ghana's plan was prepared in 1896 by the State Engineer for driving and confining the wild cattle in the dense forest with 250 species of migratory birds during the monsoon season and 'winter' season, which is famous all over India and world for being a great sanctuary of birds.

Sightseeing in Bharatpur-

Keoladeo National Park: A paradise for the avian world, and the pilgrimage for the bird lovers, it was known as the best duck shooting resort in the British empire. But was declared a reserve for birds in 1956 and later upgraded to National Park. UNESCO has listed it as a world heritage site.

Iron Fort: The Iron Fort, also called as The Lohagarh Fort, true to its name stood solidly in front of many British attacks, and frustrated them to ends. It faced the British onslaught four times and after a long siege they had to withdraw, but Lord Lake, however was successful in capturing it in 1805. It is very different from the other forts in state, there is no flamboyance associated to fort but it generates an aura of strength and magnificence. The fort is surrounded with moat which was previously filled with water to ward off the enemy attacks. The sandy ramparts were strengthened by sandy battlements, thus the enemy guns proved of no avail. Some interesting monuments in the fort are Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas. Moti Mahal and towers like Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj were erected to commemorate the victory over the Mughals and the British army . The Gateway has paintings of huge elephants.

Museum: The Government Museum, Bharatpur is located inside the historic Lohagarh Fort which is about 4 Km. away from the main bus stand and railway station. The Kachahri Kalan and Kamara Khaas buildings built during the reign of Maharaj Balwant Singh in first half of 19th century AD. In 1939, sculptures and other objects were were collected from various places of the region and initially displayed in Public Library under the patronage of H.H Maharaja Sawai Brijendra Singh. These were shifted to the present building of Kachahri Kalan in 1944 A.D. and it was formally opened to the public on 11th November 1944. Later on the Kamara Khaas building was added to it. It has rare and distinguished collection of sculptures, inscriptions, coins, arms and weapons and decorative art objects. The museum has in its possession above 4000 antiquities. The buildings which house the museum in itself are marvellous examples of artistic beauty.

The Palace: It is a fine blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture, built in various phases by different Maharajas. The magnificent apartments are richly decorated with patterned floor tiles with exquisite intricate designs. The museum occupies the main central wing depicting collections dating back to 2nd century, which reflect the art and skill of the region.

Deeg (excursion): North of Bharatpur is this beautiful garden town, the gardens have been laid with great care and precision, the sparkling fountains and meticulous palaces add to the beauty of this idyllic retreat of the princes of Bharatpur. The tourist enjoy the charming settings of this agricultural town, along with the well preserved palace pavilions and gardens.

Gopal Bhavan: Completed in 1760, an imaginatively designed building complex with beautifully laid gardens at its entrance and the rear overlooks the Gopal Sagar which is flanked with smaller pavilions Sawan and Bhadon. The formal gardens face a raised terrace with an arch of lustrous marble installed on a pedestal in the form of swing. This exquisite swing is a war trophy brought in by the famous Jat king Raja Suraj Mal from the Mughal court in Delhi. The spacious and well proportioned Banquet Hall has a double row of graceful pillars. The rear of the chamber is further divided by a charming sunken pool with fountains. The Banquet hall houses a rich collection of curios, souvenirs and Victorian furniture. Staircases wind upstairs to the upper floors. One room contains a solid black marble bed from Delhi.

Bengal Chamber: It houses the dining room, and has sloping arches, with comfortable cushions along the outer edges forming the seating area. The walls of the royal Chess Room has trellis design and are painted in soft red.

Suraj Bhavan: To the east of the main building, this palace has balconies overhanging the water. The entire palace in marble is like an airy pavilion with fine ornamentation within the apartments.

Nand Bhavan: It is a larage audience hall. KRISHNA BHAVAN, and the ingeniously designed water works of KESHAV BHAVAN, with open twelve pillared pavilion are of great interest.

Purana Mahal: It is the oldest palace, planned as a spacious rectangle encircled by compartments and chamber, it has a collection of some very fine Rajput and Mughal schools.

Deeg Fort: The fort stands majestically over a slightly elevated point, built by Raga Suraj Mal. The fort is surrounded by impressive moats, armpits and gateways, the interiors are mostly in ruins now, but the watch tower still stands in the ruins keeping an eye over the City and Palace; over it is placed a gun captured from Agra fort.

Shopping in Bharatpur -  Bharatpur is mainly famous worldwide as a National Park. Shopping in Bharatpur is all about buying small items to bring back as souvenirs. Some of the famous shopping items in Bharatpur are jewelry, antiques, marble carvings, brass work and Jaipur textiles (especially bandhej tie and dye print).

How to reach-

By Air: The nearest airport is Kheria, Agra, 60 Kms from Bharatpur.

By Train: The best option to Bharatpur is the Golden Temple Mail ( dep New Delhi 7:55 am and arrival 10:50 am) and from Bharatpur , the Dehradun Express (dep Bharatpur 12:50 am and arrival New Delhi, 6:05 am).

By Bus: There is a good 6 lane highway till Mathura, however, the connecting road to Bharatpur has some rough patches.