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Travel to Bharatpur - The 'Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan', was founded by Maharaja Bharatpur 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. The city and the fort have been believed to be founded by Rustam, a Jat of Sogariya clan. Maharaja Suraj Mal took over from Khemkaran, the son of Rustam, and established the empire. He fortified the city by building a massive wall around the city.
The interesting aspect of the Bharatpur history is the domination of Jats in the region since 17th century. Leaders like Churaman and Badan Singh brought the jats together to mould them into a force to reckon with. Suraj Mal has been the greatest ruler who made them a formidable force and played a very importantrole in the Indian history during 19th century.
The 55 km journey by road from Agra drives you to the town of Bharatpur-theeastern gateway to Rajasthan. Bharatpur is popular for its bird sanctuary - the Keoladeo Ghana National Park - finest in Asia rich avian variety.
Every year the rare Siberian cranes come to spend the winter in the warmer climate of Bharatpur.Of the remnants of the royal past remains the marvellous Bharatpur Palace housing a rich repository of a large number of ancient exhibit that date back to the early 15th century.
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