Bharatpur is today known as the country's finest bird sanctuary, but before
independence its fame was more generic. Bharatpur was the premier Jat state
in Rajasthan, Dholpur being the other one. In a sense Bharatpur is the
legacy of Churaman, a Jat overlord whose forces were a source of constant
irritation to the Mughals in the late 17th century. The Mughals retaliated
by destroying Jat villages. The Jats later regrouped under Badan singh who
firmly entrenched himself in a belt along the river Jamuna between Delhi and
Agra.
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History of Bharatpur, Rajasthan
Bharatpur - The 'Eastern Gateway to Rajasthan', was founded by Maharaja
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 important role in the Indian history during 19th century.
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Places to see
North of Bharatpur is this beautiful garden town, the gardens have been
laid with great care and precision, the sparkling fountains and meticulous
palaces add to he beauty of this idyllic retreat of the princes of
Bharatpur. The tourist enjoy the charming settings of this agricultural
town,along with the well preserved palace pavilions and gardens.
Some very interesting buildings can be observed like:
GOPAL BHAVAN
Completed in 1760, an imaginatively designed building complex with
beautifully laid gardens at its entrance and the rear overlooks the Gopal
Sagar which is flanked with smaller pavilions Sawan and Bhadon.
The formal gardens face a raised terrace with an arch of lustrous marble
installed on a pedestal in the form of swing. This exquisite swing is a war
trophy brought in 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.
BENGAL CHAMBER
It houses the dining room, and has sloping arches, with comfortable
cushions along the outer edges forming the seating area. The walls of the
royal Chess Room has trellis design and are painted in soft red.
SURAJ BHAVAN
To the east of the main building, this palace has balconies overhanging the
water. The entire palace in marble is like an airy pavilion with fine
ornamentation within the apartments.
NAND BHAVAN
It is a larage audience hall. KRISHNA BHAVAN, and the ingeniously designed
water works of KESHAV BHAVAN, with open twelve pillared pavilion are of
great interest.
PURANA MAHAL
It is the oldest palace, planned as a spacious rectangle encircled by
compartments and chamber, it has a collection of some very fine Rajput and
Mughal schools.
DEEG FORT
The fort stands majestically over a slightly elevated point, built by Raga
Suraj Mal. The fort is surrounded by impressive moats, armpits and gateways,
the interiors are mostly in ruins now, but the watch tower still stands in
the ruins keeping an eye over the City and Palace; over it is placed a gun
captured from Agra fort. Another defunct cannon which was captured from
Ahmad Shah Abdali(1761), who seized the fort for six months, guards a
vantage.
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KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK
A paradise for the avian world, and the pilgrimage for the bird lovers, it
was known as the best duck shooting resort in the British empire. But was
declared a reserve for birds in 1956 and later upgraded to National Park.
UNESCO has listed it as a world heritage site.
LOHAGARH FORT OR THE 'IRON FORT'
The Lohagarh Fort, true to its name stood solidly in front of many British
attacks, and frustrated them to ends. It faced the British onslaught four
times and after a long siege they had to withdraw, but Lord Lake, however
was successful in capturing it in 1804.
Some interesting monuments in the fort are Kishori Mahal, Mahal Khas and
Kothi Khas. Moti Mahal and towers like Jawahar Burj and Fateh Burj were
erected to commemorate the victory over the Mughals and the British army .
The Gateway has paintings of huge elephants.
GOVERNMENT MUSEUM
The building Kamra Khas within the fort has been converted into a museum,
displaying a rich collection of antiquaries, exquisite sculptures and some
ancient inscriptions. The sculptures speak volumes about the art of a by
gone era and culture typical of this area. The inscriptions are of immense
historical vault and helps in tracing back the royal lineage as well as the
local life.
THE PALACE
It is a fine blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture, built in various
phases by different Maharajas. The magnificent apartments are richly
decorated with patterned floor tiles with exquisite intricate designs. The
museum occupies the main central wing depicting collections dating back to
2nd century, which reflect the art and skill of the region.
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