Bharatpur

In 1733 AD, Raja Badan Singh 's adopted son, Suraj Mal had shown signs of promise, when he captured the fort of Bharatpur from Khemkaran, the rival chief, whom he killed and thus laid the foundation of Bharatpur City.


Maharaja Suraj Mal displayed immense courage and carved a niche for himself in the midst of political disorder. Gathering around him fiercely martial Jat peasants, he went from one success to another. He accompanied Emperor Muhammed Shah against Ali Muhammed Ruhela and in 1748 AD, at the battle of Bagru he led the Jaipur vanguard against the Marathas. He also defeated the commander-in-chief of the Mughal emperor. Despite being a very religious man he was secular.

The history of Bharatpur dates back to the epic age, when the Matsya Kingdom flourished here in the 5th century BC The matsya were allies of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata war. According to tradition the name of Bharatpur is traced to Bharat, the brother of lord Rama of Ayodhya whose other brother Laxman was given the high place of family deity of the ruling family of Bharatpur. His name also appears in the state seals and coat-of-arms.

Bharatpur, which is also called the Eastern gateway of Rajasthan, was found by Maharaja Suraj mal in 1733 AD. Raja Badan Singh’s adopted son, Suraj Mal had shown signs of promise, when he captured the fort of Bharatpur from Khemkaran, the rival chief, whom he killed and thus laid the foundation of Bharatpur City. Maharaja Suraj Mal displayed immense courage and carved a niche for himself in the midst of political disorder. Gathering around him fiercely martial Jat peasants, he went from one success to another. He accompanied Emperor Mohammed Shah against Ali Mohammed Ruhela and in 1748 AD, at the battle of Bagru he led the Jaipur vanguard against the Marathas. He also defeated the commander- in –Chief of the Mughal emperor. He built numerous forts and palaces across the kingdom including the Pleasure Palace complex at Deeg. Bharatpur, is today known the world – over for its Keoladeo Ghana National Park.

SIGHT SEEING

BHARATPUR PALACE

It is a fine fusion of Mughal and Rajput architecture and was built in various phases by different maharajas. The magnificent apartments are richly decorated with patterned floor tiles having exquisite and intricate designs. The museum occupies the main central wing displaying collections dating back to the 2nd century which demonstrates the art and skill of the region.

GOVERNMENT MUSEUM

It is a fine fusion of Mughals and Rajput architecture and was built in various phases by different maharajas. The magnificent apartments are richly decorated with patterned floor tiles having exquisite and intricate designs. The building –Kamra Khas, within the fort, has been converted into a museum displaying a rich collection of antiquities, exquisite sculptures and some ancient inscription.

The museum occupies the main central wing displaying collections dating back to the 2nd century, which demonstrates the art and skill of the region. The sculptures speak volumes about the art and culture that flourished here in those timers and help in tracing the inscriptions are of immense historical value and help in tracing the royal lineage and local life.

GANGA MANDIR (TEMPLE)

Maharaja Balwant Singh started the construction of this big temple in 1845. The construction was carried out by a unique method, where all persons employed in the service of the state, were asked to donate one month’s salary of their service or any raise in pay towards the shrine. The temple is a beautiful piece of architecture.

LAXMAN MANDIR

This temple is famous for beautiful stone work with elaborate carvings from doorways to ceilings, pillars, walls and arches. The temple is dedicated to Laxman, brother of lord Rama.

KEOLADEO GHANA NATIONAL PARK

This bird paradise acquired its name –Keoladeo because of the existence of the Keoladeo temple of Lord Shiva. After the name of this temple the lake is called ‘Ghana’ Keoladeo. Ghana being the vernacular synonym for dense forest. It was known as the best duck shooting resort during the British reign, but was declared a reserve for birds in 1956 and later upgraded to a National Park. UNESCO has listed it as a world heritage site.

The geographical location is ideal, as it is on the main north-south avian route of India. Although small in size (only 29 sq. kms), it has over 375 species of beautiful birds, and more than 132 of these breeds inside the Keoladeo Ghana National Park. Almost every year, new species are added to the list. The Bird Sanctuary not only attracts birds from all over India, but also from far off Europe, Siberia, China and Tibet.

Before the monsoons, hundreds of these exotic birds roost and nest here, and building activities start on the ‘babool’ and ‘Kadam’ trees of the park. Water flowing through the Ajan Bandh starts filling the various ponds and lakes of the Park. When assured of enough food, hundreds of large, medium and little cormorants, darters, purple and grey herons, various species of egret, white-necked as well as black-necked storks, white ibis, spoonbills, night herons and other birds get busy courting and mating .The trees are overloaded with nests- a single tree houses approximately fifty to sixty nests-belonging to different species of birds looking after their young ones.

Saras cranes, the tallest flight birds, nest in exposed and open areas; both partners share the duty of hatching; while changing incubating duties, they come together, raise their neck and give out shrill trumpeting calls in unison, fanning their feathers at the same time same time. The newborn chicks are only 10cm. In size but grow up to one meter in height within a year.

SIGHT SEEING

LOHAGARH FORT OR THE ‘IRON FORT’

Conceived and designed to last for years-Lohagarh Fort, true to its name, stood solidly against many attacks by the British, frustrating them to no end. It faced the British onslaught four times and after a long siege they had to withdraw, but Lord Lake’s Bharatpur for the British.
It is very different from the other forts in the State. There is no flamboyance associated with this fort, but it radiates an aura of strength and magnificence. The fort is surrounded by a moat, which was filled with water to ward off the enemy attacks. Sandy battlements strengthened the sandy ramparts, thus the enemy guns proved of no avail.
Some interesting monuments in the fort are Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas, Moti Mahal and Kothi Khas. Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj, inside the fort, were built by Suraj Mal to commemorate the victories over the Mughals and the British. The Ashtadhatu (eight-metal) gateway has paintings of huge elephants.

EXCURSIONS

DEEG FORT

This fort, built by Raja Suraj Mal, stands majestically over a slightly elevated point. It is surrounded by impressive moats, ramparts and gateways; the interiors are mostly in ruins now, but the watch tower still stands among the ruins, keeping an eye over the city and the palace; over it is placed a gun captured from Agra.Fort. Another defunct cannon, which was captured from Ahmad Shah Abdali (1761 AD) - who seized the fort for six months -guards a vantage point.
 

Bengal Chamber

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

Gopal Bhawan

Completed in 1760 AD, it is an imaginatively designed building complex with beautifully laid gardens at its entrance and the rear overlooks the Gopal Sagar. The main building is flanked by two smaller buildings on either side called the Sawan and Bhadon Bhawans. The black marble throne installed in front of the Gopal Bhawan is a trophy brought from Delhi's Maharaja Jawahair Singh in l764AD.

The gardens face a raised terrace with an arch of lustrous marble, installed on a pedestal in the form of a swing. This exquisite swing is a war trophy brought 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.

Kishan Bhawan

On the roof of this palace is a large water reservoir which feeds the fountains spread all over these palace gardens. The engineering skill of the roof to hold such an enormous volume of water is unique and scarcely has a parallel in India.

How to Reach Bharatpur

The city of Bharatpur is easily accessible by all means of transportation options.

Rail: Since Bharatpur lies on the Delhi-Mumbai line; it is well connected to some of the most important cities in India like Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur.

Air: From Bharatpur, the nearest airport would be the one at Agra, at a distance of 56 kms. The airport has frequent flights coming in from Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Khajuraho and Lucknow

Road: A very good network of roads connects Bharatpur some major cities like Jaipur, Alwar, Agra and Delhi. Frequent buses and private taxis make Bharatpur quite accessible to tourists.