Bhopal-The City of Lakes

Bhopal is a city in central India. It is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Bhopal District and Bhopal Division. Bhopal is the second largest city in Madhya Pradesh after Indore. Bhopal is known as the City of Lakes as its landscape is dotted with a number of man-made as well as natural lakes..

The two lakes of Bhopal still dominate the city, and are indeed its nucleus. Bordered along their shores stand silent sentinels that testify to the growth of the city. Bhopal today presents a multi-faceted profile; the old city with its marketplaces and fine old mosques and palaces still bears the aristocratic imprint of its former rulers, among them the succession of powerful Begums who ruled Bhopal from 1819 to 1926. Equally impressive is the new city with its verdant, exquisitely laid out parks and gardens, broad avenues and streamlined modern edifices. It is greener and cleaner than most cities in the country.

Several dynasties have left their mark on the city. The antediluvian remains of the forts built by the Rajputs, Afghans and the Moguls silently speak of the battles, victories and failures of the past era. These icons are testimony to the grandeur of past and provide a marvelous treat to the eyes. Even by seeing the remains of the city one can have the glimpse of different cultures which existed in the past .It carries the abstruseness, the discord, the charm and the dynamism of a city where the past coexists in harmony with the present.

Many kings have ruled here and enriched the character of the city. Visiting the city is an immensely fascinating and rewarding experience . Today Bhopal has blossomed into a city which in spite of being modern upholds the patrician mark of its bygone rulers. The city provides a fascinating blend of scenic beauty with its lakes, parks, temples, mosques, gardens , museums, statues and buildings.

Few state capitals in India have a history as eventful as Bhopal. The city of Bhopal has witnessed many changes since it was found by the Afghan soldier Dost Mohammed in the year 1708. The city has been through many phases, gentle as well as turbulent, prosperous as well as disastrous. Bhopal has been a city in which one finds traces of cultures as different as those of Buddhists, Hindus, Moguals and Afghans, all of which have been blended to perfection, providing Bhopal a distinct identity.

The climate is moderate in Bhopal. The summers are hot and winters cold. But it does not face extreme weather conditions.It rains moderately during rainy season.The weather is pleasant through out the year

Bhopal has been a city in which one finds traces of cultures as different as those of Buddhists, Hindus, Moguals and Afghans, all of which have been blended to perfection, providing Bhopal a distinct identity.

Despite its exciting marketplaces, grand old mosques, and lovely palaces, the capital of Madhya Pradesh is perhaps best known as site of the world's worst urban industrial disaster . But most foreign visitors find themselves in Bhopal in order to visit nearby Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most impressive Buddhist monuments in Asia. Architecturally unique and far from the beaten tourist track, the monuments and surrounding ruins are tranquil, free of hawkers and touts, and a worthwhile diversion from the more frequented destinations of Varanasi, Agra, Khajuraho, and Delhi.

If Bhopal's few monuments, its market, and the glorious Buddhist monuments at Sanchi leave you with time on your hands, head for the caves of Bhimbetka, where red-and-black prehistoric drawings recall the antics of ancient dancers and hunters, sticklike in the company of tigers and charging bulls.