Tours from Agra, India - Deeg, Braj Bhoomi, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo Ghana National Park) & Gwalior Fort
Excursions
Bharatpur 60 kms. from Agra is the
Keoladeo Ghana National Park. One of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world, it is a definite stopover for exotic migratory birds from Afghanistan, Central Asia, Siberia and Tibet - including the rare
Siberian Crane. Home to over 400 species of birds, this World Heritage Site ironically owes its existence to the hunting pleasures of the erstwhile Maharajas of Bharatpur. One recorded shoot toted up 4,273 birds in a single day! Hunting was stopped in 1964, and while the Maharaja used his Rolls Royce within Ghana, motor-vehicles are strictly forbidden today and one has to travel either by boat, bicycle,
cycle-rickshaw or on foot.
Another attraction of Bharatpur is the stark and rugged Lohagarh Fort
(Iron Fort). Occupying a small artificial island in the center of the town,
this massive fort took 60 years to build.
Deeg Just 30 kms. from
Bharatpur, amidst landscaped gardens is the wonderful Deeg Palace,
set on the water's edge with cool channels, fountains and water
alleys below. The Maharaja of Bharatpur/Deeg was a man with (ahem!) an unusual temperament. He had the guts to attack the
Red Fort (the bastion of the mighty Mughals) at Delhi and loot things as strange as iron gates and
an entire marble building, which can now be seen at Deeg!
Braj Bhoomi
This region around river Yamuna is the place where Lord Krishna was born and spent his childhood.
Dotting the region are numerous temples and places associated with various
incidents related to Lord Krishna's childhood. The architecture of most of
the original temples were destroyed by
Aurangzeb - the Jaipur Maharaja's temple in Vrindavan is, however,
an exception. The interesting feature of this region is the people's
joyous participation in spiritually enlightened Krishna consciousness and unending festivities all through the year.
Gwalior 130 kms.
away, Gwalior
remains an important chapter in Indian history, a place witness to many
uprisings. From ancient classical traditions to mid 20th century bandits,
Gwalior had always been popular. The imposing and massive Gwalior Fort houses a beautiful palace of Raja
Mansingh (Man Mandir), exquisitely carved Sas Bahu temples, huge
monolithic Jain idols, prehistoric caves and a beautiful Gurudwara. The
beautiful palace of Mrignayani, near the fort entrance, is now a museum of
rare ancient sculptures.
Tansen's tomb is located in the old city. Gwalior's
legacy of its legendary Scindia rulers is visible in the beautiful Jai
Vilas Palace and Public gardens.
