Situated on the Delhi-Agra highway, Keetham Lake is about 20 km by road from Agra. A serene body of water surrounded by lush green and enveloped in peaceful silence punctuated only by the calls of birds, this is an ideal picnic spot. Shaped like a pentagon, the lake is home to a vast variety of water birds and fish as well as man-made islands, and is also known as Soor Sarovar.  The name, local lore has it, was derived from the name of Hindi poet Soordas, who was inspired to compose Bhakti Kavya here, one of his finest works of devotional poetry.

Another story holds that this is also the poet’s birthplace. The bird sanctuary surrounding it, declared so in 1991, covers an area of roughly 8 km, of which the lake comprises 2.25 sq km. The area provides shelter to nearly two dozen species of migratory as well as resident birds. The Uttar Pradesh Forest Department has also developed shallow areas and woodlands around the lake for waders that makes it even more comfortable for birds to nest here. Some birds that can be spotted here include egrets, purple herons, comb ducks and spoonbills.