Bharatpur

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 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. The legends say 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 southern 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.

Bharatpur was carved out of the region formerly known as Mewat and was the only kingdom ruled by a dynasty of non-Rajputs in Rajasthan. Raja Suraj Mal had used the enormous wealth that he acquired during his reign and built numerous forts and palaces across the kingdom. He constructed the impregnable Lohagarh fort in the early 18th century along with two towers within the ramparts, the Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj. Another famous attraction of Bharatpur is the Deeg Palace. A strong and massive fortress, it was the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur and was built by Badan Singh. It is now known for its famous water palaces, gardens and fountains.

This city is best known for the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary where some of the rarest species of birds adorn the skies and find habitat. The Bharatpur National Park, better known as Keoladeo National Park today, is a beautiful bird sanctuary. Named after the Keoladeo temple located in its enclosure, the place was set up as a national park on 10th March 1982. It is a wetland, made and managed to protect the Bharatpur region from frequent floods.