The Silence of Keoladeo's Forest Lodge

Rajasthan's only forest lodge, built in the world-famous Keoladeo (Ghana) Bird Sanctuary located in Bharatpur, which is called the Lion Gate of Rajasthan, is now losing its identity due to mismanagement.

- PRAKASH CHANDRA SHARMA

This sanctuary, marked on the world map, is home to both native and foreign birds. If we leave aside the restrictions of the Corona period, there has been a good influx of domestic and foreign tourists; but the forest lodge, built in the middle of this sanctuary 49 years ago for special government guests, is no longer the same.

This forest lodge was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, on 7 February 1976. The special thing is that, at that time, the Prime Minister of the country stayed in this lodge for two nights with her two sons and daughters-in-law. The visitors' book of the lodge contains signatures and comments from Indira Gandhi, as well as Rajiv Gandhi, his wife Sonia Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, and his wife Maneka Gandhi. Perhaps it will be called a misfortune that Rajiv Gandhi, who became Prime Minister after the death of Indira Gandhi, stayed in this lodge on 7 May 1991, just 15 days before his death in a terrorist incident.