FACTS &
FIGURES
Population : 1,278,030
Languages : Hindi, Urdu and English
Best Time to Visit : October-March
STD Codes : 0755
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 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.
