Bhopal
Bhopal is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division.
It is known as the City of Lakes, due to presence of various natural and artificial lakes near the city boundary. It is also one of the greenest cities in India. It is the 16th largest city in India and 131st in the world. After the formation of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal was part of the Sehore district. It was bifurcated in 1972 and a new district, Bhopal, was formed. Flourishing around 1707, the city was the capital of the former Bhopal State, a princely state of the British ruled by the Nawabs of Bhopal until India's independence in 1947. India achieved independence on 15 August 1947. Bhopal was one of the last states to sign the ‘Instrument of Accession’. The ruler of Bhopal acceded to the Indian government, and Bhopal became an Indian state on 1 May 1949. Sindhi refugees from Pakistan were accommodated in Bairagarh, a western suburb of Bhopal.
Getting to Bhopal
- 01Raja Bhoj Airport
Raja Bhoj Airport's terminal comprises separate sections for domestic and international flights.
- 02Bhopal Junction WCR in Old Bhopal
- 03Rani Kamalapati WCR
Vande Bharat and Shatabdi Express trains run between Delhi and Bhopal.
Worth seeing
Bhopal is a city rich in heritage and history. It's an amalgam of the old and the new, the rich and the poor, the wide roads of New Bhopal and the narrow "gullies" of Old Bhopal and a mix of planned development on one side with urban sprawl on the other. There are various places of worship in Bhopal, both old and new, that will give you a glimpse into the Mughal architecture, some of it from before the British raj.
- 01Taj-ul-Masajid
One of the largest mosques in the country.
- 02Laxminarayan Temple
- 03Manua Bhan Tekari
A very beautiful place with an ancient Shwetambar Jain temple on the hill.
- 04Bharat Bhavan
Swaminathan Marg, Shamla Hills, Near Upper Lake,.
- 05MP Tribal Museum
The exhibits depict the ways of living of various tribes across India.
- 06Shaurya Smarak
A war memorial, museum and public park honouring Indian soldiers, in particular those from the state of Madhya Pradesh, who have fought in recent wars.
Things to do
Bhopal is a fairly quiet city for nightlife, and has few clubs and bars. Most of the restaurants close around 11PM, although many in the larger hotels have bars that are open at least midnight. The hotels of Amer Palace and The Residency in the Maharana Pratap Nagar have nightclubs.
Where to eat
Bhopal, like any other north Indian city offers a rich Indian cuisine to explore. People enjoy eating the sweet - sour and spicy "chaat" in Bhopal. Due to the Mughal influence, Bhopal also offers delicacies like Kebabs, Goat Biryani, Chicken Tikka, Jalebi, and Ras Malai. The best chicken Biryani can be tasted at Jameel Hotel in old Bhopal.
- 01Hotel Rajhans
Tasty and unlimited thalis at a very reasonable price.
- 02Indian Coffee House
Manohar Dairy and Restaurant, Hamidiya Road.
- 03Pin & Pan Cafe
Fortune Business Arcade, near Aakriti Ecocity, Bawadiya Kalan, Salaiya, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh 462026, info@pinandpancafe.com.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Prakhar Chaudhary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
