Bhopal

Introduction and history: The city Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Founded during the 11th century by Raja Bhoja, it today presents a multi-faceted profile. Followed by its formation the city was originally named as ‘Bhojpal’, with its first part derived from the founder and the second one meaning the dam (’pal’), which he constructed to form the lakes surrounding Bhopal. It is also the second largest Muslim state in pre-independence period ruled by four Begums from 1819 to 1926. Though India achieved Independence in August 1947, the ruler of Bhopal acceded to India only on 1 May 1949. Even though the modernization has happened in the city the old city old mosques and palaces still taking us back in time. The city is also known as the ‘Lake City’ as its landscape has a number of natural as well as manmade lakes.

What to see and when to go: During the Begum rule, they constructed Jama Masjid which has cold spikes crown this beautiful mosque. There are multiple other mosques which include Moti Masjid, Shaukat Mahal, Sadar Manzil, Taj-ul-Masajid and Gohar Mahal. The government promoted Archaeological Museum is another place to take a walk back in the history. Van Vihar, Regional Science Centre, Upper and Lower Lakes are other major attractions in Bhopal, which can be visited during any part of the year.
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Accommodation: Being the capital city, Bhopal offers accommodation in all sizes and shape. The governments promoted luxury hotels are available, where accommodation can cost up to 5000 rupees per day.

Mode of Transport: Bhopal has its Airport where regular flights connect it with Delhi, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore and Mumbai. It forms one of the important railway junctions of Madhya Pradesh, which falls on the Delhi route. Regular bus services connect Bhopal with nearby cities of the state which include Indore (186 Kilometers), Ujjain(188 Kilometers), Khajuraho(383 Kilometers) and Gwalior(423 Kilometers).

Related links:

• Official Website: http://bhopal.nic.in/
• Tourist information: http://www.mptourism.com/

See also (nearby places): Bhimbetka Caves, Sanchi, Pachmarhi, Udaigiri and Bhojpur are some of the nearby tourist attractions.