CITY OF LAKES AND MOSQUES

Bhopal is the capital city of the state of Madhya Pradesh, which is the largest state in India. The city is also referred to as the City of Lakes because of the two beautiful lakes that are situated in the center of the city. Apart from its natural beauty, Bhopal is also famous for its mosques. The Taj-ul-Masjid in Bhopal is the largest mosque of India. Bhopal is also known, sadly, for the largest industrial disaster or the Gas Tragedy, which struck it in 1984.

LOCATION

Bhopal is located in the northwestern part of the state of Madhya Pradesh, in the central region of India. It lies along the slopes of a sandstone ridge, which is a part of the Malwa plateau. There are two man-made lakes at the center of the city. The weather in Bhopal during summers (April-June) is quite hot, but winters (November-February) are cool and pleasant. It experiences southwestern monsoon rains in July-September. It is 744 km south of Delhi and 779 Km northwest of Mumbai (Bombay).

VISITING TIME

Though Bhopal can be visited throughout the year, it is advisable to avoid the summer season.

THE PAST

The history of Bhopal dates back to the 11th century AD, when it was built by the legendary King Bhoja. The region witnessed a power struggle between local rulers and the Mughals, with the latter taking over. The decline of the Mughal Empire with the death of Aurangzeb (AD 1707) led to political turmoil in this region. The small princely state of Bhopal and the present-day city was founded by an Afghan soldier Dost Mohammad in 1723. It was the second largest Muslim state during the rise of British power in India. It aligned itself with the British, in their fight against the Marathas, in 1817. At the time of India's independence in 1947, Bhopal remained a separate state, until 1949, when it acceded to India.

TOURIST SPOTS

Bhopal has a number of tourist attractions. There are a number of important mosques, but the most revered is the Taj-ul-Masjid, which is the largest mosque in India. The Jama Masjid and the Moti Masjid are other important mosques built by the local Begums in the 19th century. Shaukat Mahal and Sadar Manzil, located in the chowk area, in the heart of the old walled city, are other important tourist attractions. While Shaukat Mahal is a strange mixture of Indo-Islamic and European style of architecture, Sadar Manzil is a hall used by the local rulers for public audience. Bhopal is famous for Bharat Bhavan, a marvel of modern architecture and a museum of tribal and contemporary art forms and breeding ground for traditional dance, music and drama. The Tribal Habitat or Manav Sangrahalaya (the Museum of Man), located on Shamala hills, is an open-air museum depicting tribal dwellings, from all parts of India. The tranquil Upper Lake and the Lower Lake are important tourist spots with boating and sailing facilities. The Government Archeological Museum near the Lower Lake, the chowk at the heart of the old city, Van Vihar local safari park near the Upper Lake, and the Aquarium are other places worth visiting within the city limits. The Lakshmi Narayan Temple (or the Birla Mandir) and the adjacent local museum on the Arera hills are other sites to be visited.

SITES NEARBY

Bhopal has a number of historical places around it. Islamnagar, 11 km from Bhopal, is famous for its buildings made by Dost Mohammed. Twenty-eight kilometer southeast of Bhopal is the ancient city of Bhojpur. Forty-five kilometers south of Bhopal lay the famous Bhimbetka caves known for their prehistoric paintings. Neori (6 km), Ashapuri (6 km) and Chiklod (45 km) are historic spots, while Hathaikheda (10 km) and Samardha (26 km) should be visited for angling and picnics, respectively. Sanchi, located 46 km northeast of Bhopal, is world famous for its Buddhist monuments including the great Sanchi Stupa.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

A three-day Ijtima (religious congregation) is held in the precincts of the Taj-ul-Masjid annually. It draws many Muslim pilgrims from all parts of India.

SHOPPING

Bhopal is known for its fine craft markets that offer a number of articles to the souvenir hunter. One can find traditional craft products like silver jewelry, beadwork, embroidered velvet items and leather goods in Bhopal. The chowk area in the Old City is a good place for shopping for local handicrafts. Another important shopping area is located in the New Bhopal area.

HOW TO REACH

Bhopal airport is 12 km from the Old City and one can either take taxi or auto-rickshaw to reach there. Indian Airlines (Ph: 770480) office is situated in TT Nagar near Madhya Pradesh Tourism office. Indian Airlines operates daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Indore and four weekly flights to Gwalior. The main bus station is on the Hamidia Road near the chowk. There are a number of daily buses to nearby towns and tourists places like Sanchi (2½ hours), Indore (6 hours), Ujjain (5 hours), Pachmari (7 hours) and Jabalpur (12 hours). There is a night service to Khajuraho.

Bhopal is an important railway station as it is on the main Delhi-Madras route. The station is near Hamidia Road. The Shatabdi Express connects Bhopal to Delhi. It is also well linked to Mumbai, Agra, Gwalior, Jhansi and Ujjain by train.

Cycle-rickshaw, auto-rickshaw and local buses can be used for moving within the city.

PLACES TO STAY

There are a number of hotels and lodges in Bhopal to cater to all sorts of travelers. Most of the hotels are clustered on Hamidia Road, in the Old city. One can find cheap, medium and high-end accommodation in the hotels across Bhopal. To savor the erstwhile glory of the Nawabs of Bhopal, one can check into the Noor-Us-Sabah Palace Hotel.

PLACES WHERE TO EAT

The bus station, the railway station, and the areas surrounding them are replete with stalls serving low-budget food. Restaurants and hotels around Hamidia Road are known for quality foodstuff. Travelers can enjoy Indian, Chinese and fast food in most eating places in Bhopal city.