Keoladeo National Park, originally known as Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary and famous for its bird diversity, is situated in which Indian state?

Introduction / Context:
Keoladeo National Park is one of India most famous bird sanctuaries and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known for hosting a large variety of resident and migratory birds, including rare species. Because of its importance, questions about its location appear frequently in competitive exams. This question asks you to identify the state in which Keoladeo National Park is situated.

Given Data / Assumptions:
• The protected area is Keoladeo National Park, also called Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary. • It is particularly famous for bird watching and conservation. • Options list Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. • We assume the correct state boundary and name at present.

Concept / Approach:
Keoladeo National Park is located near the town of Bharatpur. Bharatpur is a city in the state of Rajasthan, not in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh or Uttar Pradesh. The park was originally a royal hunting reserve and later became a protected bird sanctuary and national park. Thus, remembering the pair Bharatpur and Rajasthan is the key to identifying its correct state location.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Keoladeo is often mentioned together with the name Bharatpur, leading to the popular name Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Step 2: Remember that Bharatpur is a city in eastern Rajasthan, close to the border with Uttar Pradesh. Step 3: Recognise that the park is therefore part of Rajasthan territory. Step 4: Compare the options and note that Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh lie further away and do not contain a city called Bharatpur with this famous bird park. Step 5: Uttar Pradesh is geographically close and sometimes confuses students, but the park lies on the Rajasthan side of the border. Step 6: Hence Rajasthan is the correct state in which Keoladeo National Park is situated.

Verification / Alternative check:
Basic Indian geography references and tourism guides describe Keoladeo Ghana National Park as located in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. Many multiple choice questions explicitly state Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan. This consistent pairing across varied sources confirms that Rajasthan is the correct answer to questions about the park location.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Jharkhand is an eastern state with its own wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, but it does not contain Keoladeo National Park. Madhya Pradesh has important parks such as Kanha and Bandhavgarh but is not the state that hosts Keoladeo. Uttar Pradesh borders Rajasthan and lies close to Bharatpur, yet the sanctuary itself is on the Rajasthan side of the border, so Uttar Pradesh is not correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Because Bharatpur lies near the border between Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, some students mistakenly associate the bird sanctuary with Uttar Pradesh. Another mistake is mixing it up with bird sanctuaries in other states. To avoid this, it helps to remember the full phrase Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, Rajasthan for Keoladeo National Park.

Final Answer:
Keoladeo National Park is situated in the state of Rajasthan.