Rajasthan
EASTERN
R AJASTHAN
Rajasthan
Si GHTS
Rajasthan
KEO lADEO
G HANA
N AT iONA
l P ARK
Keoladeo Ghana
National Park
This famous bird sanctuary and national ̈
park (indian/foreigner ₹55/400, video ₹400;
h6am-6pm Apr-Sep, 6.30am-5pm Oct-Mar) has
long been recognised as one of the world’s
most important bird breeding and feeding
grounds. In a good monsoon season over
one-third of the park can be submerged,
hosting over 360 species within its 29 sq
km. The marshland patchwork is a winter-
ing area for aquatic birds, including visitors
from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and
Siberia.
Keoladeo originated as a royal hunting re-
serve in the 1850s. It continued to supply the
maharajas’ tables with fresh game until as
late as 1965. In 1982 Keoladeo was declared
a national park and it was listed as a World
Heritage Site in 1985.
Local campaingers have voiced concern in
recent years at the increase in forest clearing
to make way for small, tourist-related devel-
opment, such as the carpark to your right as
you enter the park. You’ll notice that much
of the park is no longer tree-shaded. They
are also calling for a 2km ‘no-construction
zone’ outside the park boundary. The cur-
rent limit is 500m.
Visiting the Park
The best time to visit is from October to
February, when you will see many migratory
birds.
Admission (₹400; sunrise to sunset) enti-
tles you to one entrance per day. Guides cost
₹100 per hour. One narrow road (no motor-
ised vehicles are permitted past checkpoint
2) runs through the park, but a number of
tracks and pathways fan out from it and
thread their way between the shallow wet-
lands. Generally speaking, the further away
from the main gate you go, the more inter-
esting the scenery, and the more varied the
wildlife becomes.
Only the government-authorised cycle-
rickshaws (recognisable by the yellow li-
cense plate) are allowed beyond checkpoint
- You don’t pay an admission fee for the
drivers, but they charge ₹70 per hour. Some
are very knowledgable. However, these
cycle-rickshaws can only travel along the
park’s larger tracks.
An excellent way to see the park is by
hiring a bike/mountain bike (₹25/40 per
six hours) at the park entrance. Having a
bike is a wonderfully quiet way to travel,
and allows you to avoid bottlenecks and
take in the serenity on your own. However,
we recommend that lone female travellers
who wish to cycle do so with a guide (who
will cycle alongside you), as we have had
more than one report of lone women being
harassed by young men inside the park in
recent years.
You get a small map with your entrance
ticket, although the park isn’t big so it’s dif-
ficult to get lost.Alwar
%0144 / POP 315,000
Alwar is perhaps the oldest of the Rajas-
thani kingdoms, forming part of the Mat-
sya territories of Viratnagar in 1500 BC. It
became known again in the 18th century
under Pratap Singh, who pushed back the
rulers of Jaipur to the south and the Jats
of Bharatpur to the east, and who success-
fully resisted the Marathas. It was one of
the first Rajput states to ally itself with the
fledgling British empire, although Brit-
ish interference in Alwar’s internal affairs
meant that this partnership was not always
amicable.
Alwar is the nearest town to Sariska ̈
Tiger ̈Reserve, and has a ruined fort and
a rambling palace with an above-average
museum hidden inside it. The town has
relatively few tourists so there’s a refreshing
lack of hassle here.1 ̈Sights
Bala ̈Qila ̈ FORT
This imposing fort, with its 5km-long ram-
parts, stands 300m above the city, its fortifi-
cations hugging the steep incline. Predating
the time of Pratap Singh, it’s one of the few
forts in Rajasthan built before the rise of the
Mughals, who used it as a base for attacking
Ranthambhore. Now mostly in ruins, the
fort houses a radio transmitter station and
can only be entered with permission from
the superintendent of police. To get this,
you need to visit the Police ̈Control ̈Room
(h24hr) near the the bus station; turn right
out of the bus station and it’s on your left.
It’s a 2km uphill slog to the fort (turn right
out of the palace), or around 7km by road.
Expect to pay at least ₹100 to ₹200 in an
autorickshaw.