Deeg, is a lesser-known but no less charming tourist spot. Few may know that close to Bharatpur bird sanctuary in Rajasthan lies another extraordinary tourist complex, consisting of a mini-lake palace, fort and an intricate fountain system. Home to the Jat rulers; its intricate fountain system is a marvel of engineering skills.

Located about 35 km north of Bharatpur town, Deeg hamlet is set in rustic surroundings. While it does not have the romantic lure of Udaipur or Jaipur, its quiet elegance touches the soul immediately.
 

Transport And Communication

Air : The nearest airports are at Agra (70 km) Delhi (200 km) and Jaipur (270 km).

Rail : The nearest railhead is at Bharatpur junction (35 km). Bharatpur is on Mumbai-Delhi sector of Western Railways.

Road : A number of Rajasthan State buses and private buses operate from neighbouring destinations. The journey by road is 5 hours from Delhi, 1 hour from Mathura, 2 hours from Agra and 3 hours from Jaipur.

Bharatpur is well connected by good motorable roads to Agra (54 km), Delhi (186 km), Fatehpur Sikri (20 km), Jaipur (174 km), Mathura (36 km) and Sariska (130 km).

Local Transport/Sightseeing

Tourist cars and buses are available at Bharatpur while unmetered jeeps; auto-rickshaws and tongas are available at Deeg. It is wiser to hire transport from Bharatpur.

Places of Interest

Deeg Palace
History: Deeg finds mention in ancient texts as Dirgha or Dirghapura. It is known for its famous water palaces, aesthetic gardens and fountains. The famous fortress of Deeg, which contributed substantially to the making of the Jat principality, is now in a shambles but retains the grandeur of a once thriving kingdom. Its formidable cannons and large moats lie in disuse. Even in desolation, it is an impressive sight.

Deeg was the first capital of the Jat people with Badan Singh being proclaimed its ruler in 1722. He was responsible for conceiving and constructing the royal palace on the southern side of the garden, now called Purana Mahal or old palace. Because of its strategic location and proximity to Mathura and Agra, Deeg was vulnerable to repeated attacks by invaders. In 1730, crown prince Surajmal is reported to have erected the strong fortress with towering walls and a deepwater moat with high ramparts about 20 feet wide in the southern portion of the town.

Although Surajmal shifted his capital to Bharatpur, he continued to lavish attention on Deeg. He built elegant palaces clustered around a garden complex, with multiple fountains in front and enormous water bodies in the rear. The entire complex, sprawling with palaces and gardens, is a marvel of engineering skill. The elegant designs and perfection of workmanship of these palaces are a rarity.

Architecture : The Deeg palace and the fort strike you immediately as beautiful pieces of architecture. The palace complex is ample proof that the Jat community possessed aesthetic sense.

The palaces form a quadrangle. At its centre is a well-laid garden with walkways, decorative flowerbeds, shrubs, trees and numerous fountains, which cool the place considerably during summer. The building to the north is called Nand Bhawan. The main building on the west, Gopal Bhawan, is the largest of all the palaces. On either side of Gopal Bhawan are two smaller buildings called Sawan and Bhadon Bhawans, named after the Indian Monsoon seasons. These buildings, including Gopal Bhawan, command a pleasing view of the western tank and gardens beyond it.

A curious feature of these three palaces is the appearance of a single storey from the front while there are actually two additional floors cleverly concealed at the back. One floor of these palaces is either partially or wholly submerged in water throughout the year. Not only does it lend it the illusion of being a lake palace but also provides a cooling effect during summer. On the southern side of the quadrangle are two palaces facing north. One of them, Suraj Bhawan, is built entirely of marble and is tastefully ornamented with stones of different colours. The other palace, built of grey sandstone, is called Kishan Bhawan.

James Ferguson in his `History of Indian and Eastern Architecture' says that the Deeg palaces have been built on a perfectly level plain and laid out with a regularity that would satisfy the most fastidious Renaissance architect. While the palaces are not as massive as the fortified Rajasthan palaces, they surpass them all in the grandeur of conception and their beautiful detail.

Monsoon in the desert: A massive water tank on the terrace of Kishan Bhawan feeds the fountains in the middle of the garden. The gigantic water tank is capable of holding six to seven lakh gallons of water. Bullocks were employed with large leather 'buckets' to draw water to the tank through a complex pulley system. It took 60 days for the task, it is said.

Today, the tank is filled using motorised pumps. It still takes about 24 hours to fill up but just two-three hours are needed to flush the tank through numerous tiny holes strategically placed along the walls of the tank. The water flows out through an intricate network of pipelines opening up into different fountains in the middle of the garden.

The inner line wall of the tank has numbered outlets, where little pouches of colour would be stuffed. The numbers correspond to the fountain in the garden. And according when the water comes out from the tank through the fountain coloured water makes intricate patterns of water. The Halls or bhavans are surrounded with fragrant flowring plants. In one particular hall the walls are hollow & are filled with stones. When the water gushes in the walls it not only cools the hall but also create artifical roaring sound like the clouds.

Maharaja Surajmal aptly transformed his desert surrounding into a tropical paradise with just the sound of water & stones.

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