Bhopal

Bhopal is capital of Madhya Pradesh .Bhopal is the 11th century city named Bhojpal, founded by Raja Bhoj, but the present city of Bhopal Town  was established by an Afghan soldier, Dost Mohammed (1707-1740).

Bhopal, the city of Lakes :Bhopal is called as city of lakes , Bhopal has got many small lakes but two major lakes of Bhopal still dominate the city, and are indeed its nucleus. Bhopal city has many gardens and is one of the top green cities in India.

                        

Few state capitals in India have a history as eventful as Bhopal. The city of Bhopal has witnessed many changes since it was founded . Bhopal has been a city in which one finds traces of cultures as different as those of Buddhists, Hindus, Mughals and Afghans, all of which have been blended to perfection, providing Bhopal city a distinct identity.

Cruise Boat at Bhopal Lake :- In the vicinity of the Upper Lake, is the boat club run by MP Tourism with a large fleet of boats –Curise Boat, rowboats, pedal boats, sailboats and motorboats. So take your pick and spend a while boating on the placid waters of the lake.( Subject to Weather conditions)

Van Vihar Bhopal : Van Vihar is a safari park is located on a hill adjacent to the Upper Lake. Wildlife watchers can view a variety of herbivorous and carnivorous species, in these natural surroundings.
Van vihar opens everyday, except Tuesday, from 7-11 am and 3-5.30 pm. This 445 hectares park is more of a zoo than a safari park, despite the promise of 'natural surroundings'. Luckily, if you are in the north during the monsoon, when generally all the national parks are closed, it's good to know you don't have to completely miss out on tigers, lions and crocodiles.

Bharat Bhawan Bhopal : Bharat Bhawan is a multi art centre without parallel in India housing a museum of the arts,art gallery,fine arts, a repertory theater, indoor and outdoor auditoria, rehearsal room, and libraries of Indian poetry, classical and folk music.
(Open from 2 pm to 8 pm every day except Mondays)

Gohar mahal Bhopal : The Gohar Mahal is a magnificent expression of the fusion of Hindu and Mughal architecture, situated behind Shaukat Mahal on the banks of the Upper Lake.

Indira Gandhi manav Snagrahalaya Bhopal :National Museum of Mankind is a unique Museum, on the Shyamala Hills on the Upper Lake front. It is a postcolonial museum of communities rather than objects.

Taj-Ul-Maszid Bhopal :- This Mosque is said to be the largest mosque in the country, the building of this towering edifice was begun by Shah Jehan Begum (1868-1901) but was completed after her death. It’s a huge pink mosque with two massive white-domed minarets and three white domes over the main building. A three-day Iztima congregation held here annually draws people from all over the country.

How To Reach Bhopal : Bhopal is 741 km from Delhi, 789 km from Mumbai, and about 200 kms from Indore. Major Tourist attractions like Kanha, Ujjain and Sanchi Bhim Betka are close by and well connected. Its 8 hrs journey from New Delhi by Shatabdi Express.

Bhopal by Air :- Bhopal is connected by regular flights to Mumbai, Indore, Delhi and Gwalior.  Airport is 15 km from the city center.

Bhopal by Rail :- Bhopal is on one of the two main Delhi to Mumbai railway lines and also on the main line to the southern state capitals of Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Thiruvananthpuram. There are direct many trains to Amritsar and Jammu Tawi and also to major towns in Madhya Pradesh.

Bhopal by Road :- There are extensive bus services (private and state road transport) to cities within the region and interstate, Tourist taxies are easily available.

Places Around Bhopal

Bhim Betka : The Bhimbetka rock shelters are an archaeological site located 45 Kms from Bhopal City . The Bhim Betka shelters exhibit the earliest traces of human life in India, There are many hand made rock painting made by stone age Man, Stone Age rock paintings are approximately 9,000 years old, making them among the world's oldest. Many people say that great Pandava had taken shelter in Bhim Betka caves while their Van Vas. Bhimbetka

Sanchi : Sanchi is located 46 km north east of Bhopal, Stupas of Sanchi are world famous. The 'Great Stupa' at Sanchi was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka .