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Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary: the Maharaja of Bharatpur ironically created this spectacular bird sanctuary as a shooting reserve, in 1890. Realizing that the large number of migratory birds that came in winter to this region would make good sport, he had a large area enclosed with embankments and further divided it with earthen dams called 'bunds' creating a large number of marshes and lakes. Thus, Bharatpur is mainly an artificial creation. The government banned the indiscriminate shooting of birds in 1965. Conservation efforts originally started by the ornithologist, Dr. Salim Ali received a further impetus when the area was deemed a national park - the Koladeo Ghana National Park - in March 1982. In 1985, Bharatpur was accepted as a World Heritage Site. It continues to be home to thousands of migratory birds every winter, who are now shot only through the lenses of cameras.
Sariska National Park: Situated in the backdrop of the Aravali Hills, Sariska National Park is 200 km from Delhi and 107 km from Jaipur. This park was declared a sanctuary in 1955. It came under the Project Tiger in 1979 and became a national park in 1982. The park has a significant tiger population and other interesting flora and fauna. There are also historical ruins and monuments within Sariska's confines that are symbolic of its past.
Chittorgarh: located in southern Rajasthan, this city is 112 km from Udaipur and 182 km from Ajmer. It was the capital of the local Sisodia clan of Rajputs from the 8th to the 16th centuries. The history of this town is written in blood and sacrifice. Muslim rulers sacked it three times in the medieval period. The first attack was by Ala-ud-din Khilji, the Sultan of Delhi in 1303. Khilji laid siege of this hill fort to capture the beautiful Padmini, Queen of
Chittorgarh. When the situation worsened, Bhim Singh, the ruler of Chittorgarh, led his men wearing the saffron robes of sacrifice, and rode out of the fort to certain death. Inside the fort, the women, including Padmini and the children, committed mass suicide or jauhar by immolating themselves on a huge pyre, rather than losing their honor at the hands of the enemy. In the middle of the 15th century, Chittorgarh gained eminence when the legendary Rajput ruler, Rana Kumbha, ruled it. He built the Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower) to commemorate his victory over Mahmud Khilji, the ruler of Malwa, in 1440. Chittorgarh was sacked again in 1535 by Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat. The jauhar that followed the siege saw the death of 13,000 women and 32,000 Rajput soldiers. The third and final siege took place in 1568 at the hands of the great Mughal emperor Akbar. Jaimal and Kalla, two Rajput generals, valiantly defended the fort but after their death, jauhar was performed. However, Maharana Udai Singh II, the ruler of Chittorgarh, fled to Udaipur and re-established his rule. The Mughal emperor Jahangir returned Chittorgarh to its rulers in 1616. The Fort and the Victory Tower are must-see sites in Chittorgarh.
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