Dholpur : The Lake City

Dholpur  is a city in eastern-most parts of the Rajasthan state of India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dholpur District and was formerly seat of the Dholpur princely state, before Independence. Dhaulpur became a separate district in 1982 comprising four tehsils of Bharatpur: Dholpur, Rajakhera, Bari and Baseri. It is bordered by Bharatpur district of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Pradesh to the south, Karauli district to the west and Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh to the east. Dholpur is between Agra and Gwalior (each about 55 kilometres from Dholpur) and is 250 kilometres from Delhi. It is on the main Central Railway track and the National Highway No. 3, on Delhi-Bombay Road. At its railway station, the town name is spelled "Dhaulpur". 

Dholpur, according to the Epics, was initially known as Dhawalgiri, later on Dhaulagir, and now as Dholpur. Before the battle of Mahabharat this whole area was under the Yadavs whose different branches were spread over the entire area extending from the south of the river Chambal. After Mughals Rana vansh of Jats become ruler of Dhaulpur, during British Raj, it was part of the Rajputana Agency, till the Independence of India. The former mansion of the ruler of the erstwhile Dholpur State, Kesarbagh palace, now houses the Dholpur Military School, while its official residence in New Delhi, Dholpur House, now houses Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

The prime tourist attractions in Dhaulpur are:

Damoye: A waterfall in Sarmathura. It is the main tourist spot in whole district. It is visible in rainy season [July-September]. Besides this, Damoye has a long and green forest range with wild animals.

The Machkund Temple: Muchchhkund is about 8 km from the town of Dholpur. It is an ancient sacred place. It commands a picturesque view. The place is named after Raja Muchchhukand, the 24th of the Suryavanshi Dynasty (the solar race) who is said to have reigned nineteen generations before Lord Ram. According to legend, Raja Muchchhkund was sleeping here when demon Kaal Yaman (while pursuing lord Krishna) accidentally woke him up. The demon Kaal Yaman was burnt to ashes because of a divine blessing to Raja Muchchhkund. It is now a sacred place for pilgrims.

Talab-E-Shahi: Forty kilometres from Dholpur is a picturesque lake called Talab Shahi. The lake and the palace were built in 1617 A.D. as a shooting lodge for Prince Shah Jahan. The palace and the lake were later maintained by the ruler of Dholpur. The lake attracts a large number of winter migratory fowl such as pintail, shoveller, red crested pochard, common pochard, tufted duck, garganey teal, wigeon and fadwall.

Shergarh Fort: It is an old fort of historic importance, located toward the south of Dholpur tower. This monument was built by Sher Shah Suri on the site of an earlier Hindu fortress.

Saipau Mahadeo Temple

Ravines of Chambal

Ramsagar Sanctuary: Contains picturesque Ramsagar Lake, which supports rich aquatic life including fresh water crocodiles and a number of fishes and snakes. Water birds such as cormorants, white-breasted water hen, moor hen, jacanas, river tern, ringed plover, sand piper, and green and purple herons are quite common. During winter months migratory ducks and geese visit the lake in good numbers.

Van Vihar Wild Life Sanctuary: Van Vihar, an old wildlife reserve of the rulers of Dholpur is spread over an area of 59.86 km² over Vindhyan Plateau.

National Chambal (Gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary: The Chambal river remains one of north India’s most unpolluted rivers, home to a rich diversity of flora and fauna. National Chambal (Gharial) Wildlife Sanctuary contains the rare Ganges river dolphin. The sanctuary was founded in 1978 and is part of a large area co-administered by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, within area of 5,400 km². Approximately 400 km of the river is within the reserve. Apart from the Ganges river dolphin, the other inhabitants of the sanctuary include mugger crocodiles and gharial (Gavialis gangeticus). Migratory birds from Siberia form its rich avian fauna.

Related Links : www.dholpur.nic.in