About Keoladeo National Park

Located in eastern Rajasthan, Keoladeo National Park lies 2 kilometers southeast of Bharatpur and 50 kilometers west of Agra. This park, a flat expanse of marshes within the Gangetic plain, was artificially created in the 1850s. It’s maintained by a system of canals, sluices, and dykes. Water is typically introduced twice annually from the Gambira and Banganga rivers. 

These rivers are controlled by the Ajan Bund dam, located south of the park, which redirects water onto surrounding farmland. The first flooding occurs after the monsoon’s start, around mid-July, and the second in late September or October, when the dam is drained for winter cultivation. This results in a 1-2 meter deep flood during the monsoon (July-September), with water levels gradually decreasing afterward.

By February, the land begins to dry, and by June, only scattered water remains. The wetland area is approximately 1,000 hectares for most of the year. The soil is primarily alluvial, with some clay due to periodic flooding.

In this semi-arid region, the park’s dense vegetation, or ‘Ghana,’ stands out. The main vegetation types are tropical dry deciduous forests, interspersed with dry grasslands where deforestation has occurred. 

Besides the managed marshes, the area features medium-sized trees and shrubs. The northern forests are dominated by kalam (kadam), jamun, and babul trees. Open woodlands mainly consist of babul, with some kandi and ber. Scrublands are abundant with ber and kair. The park’s diverse aquatic vegetation provides a crucial food source for waterfowl.