Even my wife, Anuradha, who is incapable of distinguishing a bulbul from a mynah and regards my fascination with the hoopoes who scour for worms near our Delhi home as a cultural eccentricity, was entranced by Bharatpur. It is one of the more kindly legacies of the maharajahs, for the sanctuary was originally the hunting ground of the local princely rulers before a benevolent raja decided it was better to conserve wildlife than slaughter it. There are other lasting memorials to the maharajahs—the splendid forts at Bharatpur and nearby at Deeg, among others. But the bird reserve at Bharatpur is the most truly majestic.