 Deeg (35 Kms)
Hardly 35 kilometers from Bharatpur town is Deeg, famous for its water palaces. Once the summer resort of the rulers of Bharatpur, it served as the second capital of the region. It is dotted with a number of forts, palaces and gardens--well known for their spectacular architectural splendour. The gardens have beautiful tinking fountains and the aura exudes a majestic Mughal style. As towns go, Deeg is not much of a place, being small and dusty and primarily agricultural. Deeg has a fort with all of twelve bastions. The largest of these, Lakha Burj, is still mounted with a cannon. The buildings form a large rectangle enclosing a garden and two large tanks at the eastern and western ends. The largest and most impressive structure is Gopal Bhawan inside which, even on a summer's day, the air is cool and refreshing. Perhaps the most attractive part of the garden complex is the summer pavilion, Keshav Bhawan. On special occasions the 500 fountains around the pavilion used to spout coloured water while fireworks lit up the night sky. Some of these fountains still play during local festivals. The small but famous pilgrimage centre, Govardhan, lies along the narrow spur of hills east of Deeg.
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