Located in northwest India, Rajasthan borders Punjab in the north, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in the northeast, Madhya Pradesh in the east andGujarat in the south. On the western side it shares a long stretch of border with the neighboring country Pakistan. Situated on the Thar Desert, Rajasthan protects the western border of the country standing as the sentinel who never tires. The art of Rajasthan ensures that people visit the desert.
Rajasthan is diagonally divided into the hilly and rugged southeastern region and the barren Thar Desert, which extends across the border into Pakistan. Within these divisions however, it is a storehouse of varied physical feature or topographical diversity. The arid Thar also boasts of Mount Abu the only hill station in the state famous for its flora and fauna. While the Aravali hills provide the much-needed relief to this arid land, the wide spread sand dunes of the desert and arid region make it one of the toughest terrains in the world. Jodhpur (the second biggest city of the state) is the edge of the dry and shifting desert land from where on the not so arid but cultivable land starts. It is a store house of the art of Rajasthan. Moreover, the rocky range of Amber, hilly range of Mewar, river basin of Bharatpur and fertile Aravali range gives the topography of the state a unique look.
Popular Tourist Attractions in Bharatpur
Keoladeo National Park : This would be any bird-watching enthusiasts first choice. Once the royal hunting ground of the princes of Bharatpur, the Bharatpur Keoladeo National Park is one of the finest habitat of birds in the world. Bubbling with over 400 species of resident water birds, the park is furthermore populated by the annual influx of birds from colder countries (during winter season). Exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan, Central Asia, Tibet as well as Siberia, the Arctics and China, come here in the months of October/ November to spend the winters.
Lohagarh Fort : The Lohagarh Fort (also known as Iron Fort) was built in the early part of 18th century by Maharaja Suraj Mal, the founder of Bharatpur. Supposedly taking its name from its invincible defense, the massive iron structure prides in being one of the few impregnable structures of Rajasthan in India. The fort complex holds three exquisitely built palaces namely - Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and Kothi Khas. Two of eight imposing towers - Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj still stands in pride within the fort complex. These towers were built to symbolise his victory over the Mughals and the British rulers.
Government Museum :
The Government Museum has a rich collection of artefacts, brilliantly carved sculptures and ancient inscriptions. All these items speak volumes about the rich heritage, art and crafts of the region.
Fairs and Festivals in Bharatpur
Gangaur Festival : Fairs & Festivals of BharatpurGANGAUR FESTIVAL (Mar - Apr) Festival of maidens and married women, dedicated to Gauri, the incarnation of Goddess Parvati. A gracious procession is taken out, married women pray for the prosperity and long life of their husbands, while young girls seek blessings for a good life partner.
Teej : TEEJ (July - Aug) Festival of swings marking the advent of monsoons. Swings are hung from the trees and decorated with flowers. Young girls sing songs of love and the rain.
Brij Festival : BRIJ FESTIVAL (Feb - March) Bharatpur lies close to the Brij - the birth place of Lord Krishna and childhood. Ras Leela depicting the life of Krishna is performed by the professionals selected by the Rai community during the festival.
Jaswant Exhibition : JASWANT EXHIBITION (Sept-Oct). A big carnival is held during Dussehra. Bdussehra symbolises the victory of good over evil. Lord Ram defeated the demon king Ravana on these day.
By Air
Agra 55kms from Bharatpur has the nearest airport.
By Rail
Regular rail services connect Bharatpur with several cities of India. Besides Jaipur and Agra, the railways of Bharatpur also connect all the cities on Delhi -Mumbai trunk route
Some important train connections are
Golden Temple Mail (Mumbai-Bharatpur-Jammu Tawi)
Intercity Express (Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bharatpur); Paschim Express (New Delhi-Bharatpur-Mumbai)
By Road
Frequent bus services links Bharatpur with several cities within and outside the State.
Best Time to Visit Bharatpur
The perfect time to visit Bharatpur is between October to March, when you get to see spectacular views of migratory birds at the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo National Park). Birds start migrating mid-February onwards and you might miss on a lot of them if you don't visit Bharatpur within these four months. This is also the time the pleasant Rajasthan winter starts settling in the city, creating beautiful sights and making your stay even more delightful. Temperatures range between 10 degrees C to 25 degrees C.
Tips For Visiting Rajasthan
For travel to any destination, there are certain precautions that one needs to take before starting the exciting journey. There are certain tips that the travelers should follow while traveling to Rajasthan which include:
Check the itinerary: Every trip has an itinerary which the tourists follow during the travel. By checking the itinerary, you will get an idea about the duration of stay. This will help to pack enough clothes for the stay. Rajasthan is hot during the day and temperatures drop down in the night. So, take the suitable types of clothes.
Weather updates: Before packing for the trip it is better to check the weather forecast for the stipulated time duration. This will help during the travel and for selecting the types of clothes. If the climate is hot during the stay, then visitors should select the light-colored clothes. Also, if the trip is during the winter season carry winter wears.
Make a checklist: Make a list of all the things that you need during the trip. It helps to check it while packing the luggage and this way you do not miss out any of the necessary things. Strike off the item from the list once included in the luggage. Do not forget to pack important documents like identity proof, hotel and travel reservation documents, etc. in the checklist.
Pack only necessary things: It is important to take only the things that are really needed during the trip. Carry an extra set of clothes but avoid overpacking with unnecessary things.
Save some packing space: A trip to Rajasthan is incomplete without shopping. Every person who visits this beautiful land does some shopping. There’s a lot to shop from the Rajasthani markets which include clothes, artifacts or souvenirs. Anything that you purchase will be a part of the luggage. If you are traveling by air route, the luggage limit can be a problem. Hence, it is better to save some space while packing for accommodating the shopping items on the return journey.
Cash: As Rajasthan is a part of the golden triangle, many shops here accept the card for the payment purpose. But it is also necessary to carry some cash during the travel. Some small shops or exhibitions may not have the facility for card payment. At such places, the cash may become useful. Take precaution while handling cash. Do not keep all the money at single place. This will help to ensure that some money is safe even in case of theft or robbery.
Accommodation: Rajasthan is a major tourist center, it has many hotels and lodges to accommodate many crowds. But it will be better to do the prior booking. This will help to select the hotel as well as the type of room as per your needs and wish. The advance booking also helps to get the rooms at an economic rate as the last-minute bookings become more expensive.
Separate packing: Keep the toiletries and makeup material separately. If you are on medication, then pack of medicines and keep them handy so that the medication box is easily accessible in case of emergency. If you are on specific medication, carry those in sufficient amount. Being a tourist place, you will find a chemist shop but not necessarily all the medicines are available. Thus, it is necessary to carry all the important medicines along with the proper prescription.
First-Aid box: The first-aid comes handy if anyone gets hurt during the trip. Due to the change in the climate, you may suffer from cold or dehydration. The box should contain the disinfectant, bandages and common medicines for a cough, cold, etc.
Safety and Precautions: Rajasthan has hot and dry climate and thus, it is necessary that the visitors should carry proper protective gears like a cap, goggles, scarf, jacket, etc. Wear sunscreen lotion to protect them from the scorching heat.