Bhopal

Bhopal is the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. The city is an important tourist destination and you can easily spend a wonderful holiday in the historically important city. The city is well equipped and welcomes all the tourists to come and explore the land of history and culture.

Bhopal is not a city with modernization but it carries all the historical and the mythological evidence that make the land full of heritage and tradition.

Bhopal is not the land where you will find the civilization restricted to one sect but you will definitely spot the other religious sects and the old monuments that will give you the detailed significance of the city. The city was founded by Raja Bhoja in 11th century and that made the city to grow and flourish in the by gone days. You can locate the evidence from the ruins that still illustrates the story of the glorious pasts.

Tourist Attractions in Bhopal

Bhopal beckons a significant amount of tourists from all parts of the world and those who visit this city once will always crave to visit this town again and again. A tour to Bhopal will cover many things apart from the imposing architectural marvels and magnificent lakes. Bhopal is home to various venerated temples and mosques that were built in the days of yore. You must make sure that you have ample time in hand in order to explore the various tourist attractions in Bhopal. Some of the attractions worth visiting are as follows:

Laxmi Narayan Temple: Laxmi Narayan Temple is also known as the Birla Mandir and is located to the south of the Lower Lake on the Arera Hills. Close to the temple is a museum that is the repository of sculptures from the districts of Raisen, Sehore, Mandsaur, and Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh. There are stone sculptures mostly of Shiva, Vishnu, and their respective consorts and incarnations.

Moti Masjid: The magnificent Moti Masjid was built by Qudsia Begum's daughter Sikander Jahan in the year 1860 A.D. and is identical in style to the Jama Masjid of Delhi. The two dark red minarets covered by golden spikes add to the grandeur of this beautiful masjid.

Taj-ul Masjid: Taj-ul Masjid flaunts being one of the largest in India and occupies an important place among the various places of tourist interest in Bhopal. The erection of this mosque was started by Shah Jahan Begum that took place during her reign from 1868 A.D. to 1901 A.D., but it was never accomplished in her lifetime. Construction of the mosque was completed in the year 1971 by the efforts of the Government of India. These days, this huge pink mosque featuring two stupendous white-domed minarets is used as a school for religious teachings. The religious ceremony called Ijtima is held here each and every year that attracts numerous tourists from all parts of India.

Shaukat Mahal: Shaukat Mahal is another draw for the archaeologists and is located at the entrance of the Chowk gate. This startling building is built in the European style, thereby distinguishing it apart from the predominantly conventional Islamic architecture of the region.

Sadar Manzil: You just cannot afford to miss out the stately hall of public audience of the earlier rulers of Bhopal.

Upper and Lower Lakes: Sprawling over an area of about 6 square kilometers, the Upper Lake is divided from the Lower Lake by an overbridge. Make your visit to this place even more exciting by going on a boat trip in the lake. Nearby to the Lake is the zoo which is called Van Vihar and has in store a lot of wild animals such as the tigers, leopards, lions, and bears, among other animals. Near the Lower Lake, you can visit an aquarium. This fish-shaped aquarium houses a number of enthralling species of fish.

Places around Bhopal

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 of Bhopal

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

Best Time to Visit Bhopal

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

Where to Stay in Bhopal

There are a number of hotels and lodges in Bhopal to cater to all sorts of travelers. Most of the hotels in Bhopal 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.

How to Reach Bhopal

Bhopal, also called the city of lakes, is the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh.Tourists can reach Bhopal by air, rail and road.

How to Reach Bhopal By Air: Bhopal airport is 12 km from the Old City. Regular flights connect Bhopal with Delhi, Gwalior, Indore and Mumbai

How to Reach Bhopal By Rail: Bhopal is on one of the two main Delhi to Mumbai railway lines. The railway station is near Hamidia road. Major trains going from Bombay to Delhi via Itarsi and Jhansi also go through Bhopal
How to Reach Bhopal By Road: There are numerous daily buses to Sanchi (46 km), Vidisha, Indore (186 km), Ujjain (188 km) and Jabalpur (295 km).