Imagine a pristine blue lake lined by the ruins of a long forgotten kingdom. Jarasandh’s Jalesar of the Mahabharat period and equally majestic Khajur trees, that’s Patna. Maintaining a constant vigil over this tiny jewel is Lord Shiva’s age-old temple believed to have been built by King Jarasandh.

Though on paper it is the smallest bird sanctuary in U.P. covering a wetland area of a mere 1 sq.km., Patna vies with the best when it comes to its avifauna - over 200,000 birds transform the lake into a riot of colours, sounds and forms. Every morning Patna reverberates with the songs of over fifty thousand Pied Mynas who have made the adjoining areas of the lake their home, glorifying the dawn of another beautiful day.

The major part of the day is spent by them foraging in the fields close by and in the evening Patna again comes alive with their flight back to their roost. This also marks the time to watch the most beautiful sights at sunset, when the orange ball of fire bathes the lake waters and its environs in its multitude tones of orange and red making it one of the best times to photograph the lake.
Patna situated in the Jalesar tehsil of Etah district in U.P., was declared a sanctuary in 1990. The year round temperature varies from 47°C in peak summer to 4°C in winters. After the Indian monsoon fills the lake to its brim comes the best season to visit Patna, winter. Close to 200 different species of birds can be seen during this time of the year. Summer brings with it an altogether different spectacle, with the winter visitors away, the resident Sarus Cranes begin their nesting enlivening the environs around the lake.