Bhopal India

Category:- All India Travel Tourism > City Guide > Madhya Pradesh > Bhopal

Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is a fascinating amalgam of scenic beauty, historicity and modern urban planning. It is situated on the site of a 11th century city, Bhojapal, founded by Raja Bhoja. The founder of the existing city was however an Afghan soldier of fortune, Dost Mohammed. Fleeing from Delhi in the chaotic period that followed Aurangazeb's death, Dost Mohammed encountered the beautiful Gond queen Kamalapati, who sort his aid after the murder of her consort.

A charming legend relates how the queen would recline in lotus barge, that on moonlit nights, would drift across the lake. The two lakes of Bhopal still dominate the city, and are indeed its nucleus. Bordered along their shores stand silent sentinels that testify to the growth of a city.

Bhopal today presents a multi-faceted profile; the old city with its teeming market places and fine old mosques and palaces still bears the aristocratic imprint of its former rulers, among them the succession of powerful Begums who ruled Bhopal from !819 to 1926. Equally impressive is the new city with its verdant, exquisitely laid out parks and gardens, broad avenues and streamlined modern edifices.

What to See

Taj-ul-Masjid
This towering edifice is said to be the largest mosque in the country. The building of this tower was begun by Shah Jehan Begum (1868-1901) but was incomplete even at the time of her death. This great queen, Bhopal's eighth ruler, left many monuments in the city and to her goes the credit for Bhopal's postal system, railways and waterworks. After her death, lack of funds prevented the completion of the Masjid and construction was resumed only in 1971. The most striking features of the mosque are the impressive main hall with its inter-arched roof, broad facade, spacious courtyard and smooth marble floors. A three-day Ijtima congregation held here annually, draws people from all over the country.

Jama Masjid
Built in 1837, by Kudsia Begum, this is a beautiful mosque with gold spikes crowning the minarets. It is said that centuries earlier, a queen of King Upayadita Paramara (1059-80 AD), grandson of Raja Bhoja, founded a temple here known as Sabha Mandala in 1184 A. D.

Moti Masjid
Architecturally akin to Delhi's Jama Masjid, this imposing mosque was built in 1860 by Sikander Jehan, daughter of Kudsia Begum.

Shaukat Mahal and Sadar Manzil
Situated at the entrance to the chowk area in the heart of the walled city, Shaukat Mahal is an architectural curiosity. Its mixture of styles in occidental idioms sets it apart from the predominantly Islamic architecture of the area. It was designed by a Frenchman, said to be a descendant of an offshoot of the Bourbon kings of France. Post-renaissance and Gothic styles are combined to charming effect here. Nearby is the elegant, once-opulent Sadar Manzil, Hall of Public Audience of the former rulers of Bhopal.

Bharat Bhawan
One of the most unique national institutes in India, Bharat Bhawan is a centre for the performing and visual arts. Designed by the renowned architect Charles Correa, the contours of Bharat Bhawan merge in exquisite harmony with the landscape, creating a visual impact of spacious and national elegance. The centre houses a museum of arts, an art gallery, a workshop for fine arts, a repertory theatre, indoor and outdoor auditoria, rehearsal room, and libraries of Indian poetry, classical and folk music.

Tribal Habitat
An open air exhibition of tribal house types located on the Shamla hills, the tribal habitat is a presentation of actual-size dwellings typical of contemporary tribal cultures in various states of India. The exhibition highlights architectural features and has elaborately displayed interiors. The surroundings have been reconstructed to match some of the interesting environmental features of tribal villages.

Government Archaeological Museum
The museum houses fine collection of sculptures from various parts of Madhya Pradesh. Highlights of the collection are paintings of various schools, copies of paintings from the Bagh Caves near Mandu, and the statues of Alakshmi and the Buddha.

Van Vihar
A safari park located on a hill adjacent to the upper lake having an area of 445 hectares. A spectacle sight of carnivorous and herbivorous species awaits here for the wildlife buffs.

Chowk
In the heart of the city is the chowk, lined with old mosque and havelis, reminders of a bygone, princely lifestyle. The shops in its narrow alleyways are treasure troves of traditional Bhopali crafts; silver jewellery, exquisitely fashioned beadwork, embroidered and sequined velvet purse and cushions.

Upper and Lower Lakes
The two picturesque lakes are divided by an overbridge. Madhya Pradesh Tourism's Yacht club on the Upper and the Lower lakes provides facilities for exciting trips by sail, paddle and motor boats on the two lakes.

Aquarium
Facing the Lower Lake, the fish shaped aquarium houses a number of fascinating species of fishes in all shapes and sizes.

Islamnagar
11 km away on the Bhopal-Berasia road, Islamnagar was the palace of Bhopal's Afghan rulers and was built by Dost Mohammed Khan. Formal gardens surround the palace and pavilion. The latter, a synthesis of Hindu and Islamic decorative art, has columns lavishly embellished with floral motifs.

Regular bus services connect Bhopal with Indore (186 km), Mandu (285 km), Ujjain (188 km), Khajuraho (383 km), Panchmarhi (195 km), Gwalior (423 km), Sanchi (46 km), Jabalpur (295 km) and Shivpuri (311 km). Bhopal is on the Delhi-Madras main line. Major trains going from Bombay to Delhi via Itarsi and Jhansi also go through Bhopal. Regular flights connect Bhopal with Delhi, Gwalior, Indore and Bombay.

Hotel Palash (MP Tourism), Hotel Panchanan (MP Tourism), Ashok Lake View, Jehan Numa Palace, Imperial Sabre.

MP Tourism Office, Gangotri Complex, 4th floor, T. T. Nagar, Bhopal.