A Safe Place For Avians

Vanakkam! I am Mahala Krishnaswamy from Thiruvananthapuram city of Kerala. I am an ardent lover of nature and like birds most especially their chirping. In fact, chirping of birds is not less than soothing music coming from musical instruments. God’s Own Land, Kerala boasts of natural gifts like lakes, rivers, backwaters etc, that are thronged by large number of birds. I use to visit these natural wonders frequently for bird watching and listening their soothing voice.

Being a bird lover, I use to read much about birds, few months back while reading a magazine I came across an interesting article about Bharatpur Bird Sanctuaryry in Rajasthan. In that particular article, it was mentioned that Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is UNESCO World Heritage Site. When I finished that article my curiosity increased several times. Very soon I managed one week leave from my office and set out for Bharatpur by train. After a long journey of almost two days I reached Agra railway station, the major rail head near Bharatpur. When I reached Agra, it was 8.00 p.m, I thought it better to spend the night in any good hotel. I inquired about good budget hotels and booked a room for myself in a hotel. As I was tired enough after such a long journey so, I felt the need of a slumber sleep and I did so in a soft divan.

Next day, I hired a cab for Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, within 2 hrs I was infront of the park’s gate. At the gate, Park authorities informed me that at least 400 species of water birds visit this bird sanctuary every year during winters. They also suggested me that cycle rickshaw is the best way to spot birds in the sanctuary. After hiring a local guide, I started my bird watching trip on cycle rickshaw. As I entered in the park, I felt that I was just inside a paradise of birds, everywhere there were birds, birds and birds. To my utter surprise there were several variety of birds including Indian and migratory birds as well. Gifted by the mother nature with various colours the bird species were making the bird sanctuary a multi-hued heaven, beside, the shrill voices of the birds were adding more liveliness to the park’s atmosphere.

Consists of scrub lands, grasslands, trees, marshes and woodland, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary provides a perfect natural habitat to birds. Amongst the variety of migratory birds, the rare Siberian Crane fascinated me a lot. Apart from birds, I also saw a variety of animal species. I spent the whole day inside the bird sanctuary and spotted hundreds of avian species. While I was exploring the park I became aware about another name Keoladeo Ghana Park. My tour guide informed me that in ancient days, this place was the hunting paradise for the princes. He also mentioned that the term Keoladeo has been derived from the name of an ancient Hindu temple devoted to Lord Shiva. Following day, once again I visited the park to see the birds, further I headed towards the city’s popular Lohagarh Fort. Of course, bird watching trip was my prime motto, but the Lohagarh fort also enthralled me with its marvelous architecture.

By afternoon I left for Agra to see the world famous Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. Very next day I boarded a train back to my home town Thiruvananthapuram. Now I am in my home, but still those beautiful birds and the enthralling sights of the sanctuary appear lively to my dream.