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Bhopal
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Sightseeing |
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Taj-Ual-Masjid |
It is a huge pink mosque with two
massive white domed minarets and three white domes over the main building
. 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
incomplete on her death . This great queen, Bhopal's eighth ruler, left
many monuments in the city . After her death, lack of funds
prevented the completion of the Masjid and construction was resumed only
in 1971. |
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Bharat Bhawan |
One of the most unique national institutes in India,
Bharat Bhawan i s
a centre for the verbal, performing and visual arts, designed by the
well-known architect Charles Correa and opened in 1982. It is now regarded
as one of the most important centres in the country for the preservation
of traditional folk art.As well as the workshops and theatres here,
there's the Roopankar, the impressive art gallery that 'shows you
what is sadly missing from the folk art churned out for tourists', as one
reader put it. Bharat Bhawan is in the Shamla Hills and is open daily
except Monday from 2 to 8 pm. |
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Tribal Habitat |
| An open air exhibition of tribal house types located on
Shamla Hills, the Tribal Habitat is a presentation of actual size dwelling
houses typical of contemporary tribal cultures in various states of India.
The surroundings have been reconstructed to match some of the
interesting environmental features of tribal villages. |
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Jama Masjid |
| Gold spikes crown the minarets of this beautiful mosque,
built in 1837 by Qudsia Begum . It is said that centuries earlier, a queen
of King Udayaditya Paramara (1059-80 AD, a grandson of Raja Bhoja),
founded a temple here known as sabha Mandala in 1184 AD . |
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Moti Masjid |
| The Moti Masjid was built by Qudsia Begum's daughter,
Sikander Jahan Begum, in 1860. Similar in style to the Jama Masjid in
Delhi, it is a smaller mosque with two dark-red minarets crowned by golden
spikes. |
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The
Chowk |
| In the heart of the old city, the Chowk is lined with old
mosques and havelis, reminders of a bygone, princely lifestyle. The
shops in its narrow alleyways are treasure troves of traditional Bhopali
crafts. |
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Shaukat Mahal and Sadar Manzil |
Situated in the heart of the walled city, it is an
architectural curiosity.
 Shaukat
Mahal is an architectural curiosity, its mixture of style, in Occidental
idioms, setting it apart from the predominantly Islamic architecture
of the area. It was designed by a Frenchman, said to be a descendant of an
offshoot of the Bourbon kings of France. |
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Upper and Lower Lakes |
The larger Upper Lake covers six sq km. The Upper Lake is
divided from
 the
Lower by an over bridge and is large in area. Madhya Pradesh Tourism's
boat Clubs on the Upper Lake provided facilities for exciting trips by
sail, paddle motor boats. The booking office is at the bottom of the
driveway leading to the Wind & Waves Restaurant. |
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Van Vihar Safari Park |
| This 445 hectares park is more of a zoo than a safari
park, despite the promise of 'natural surroundings'. But if you are in the
north during the monsoon, when all the national parks are closed, it's
good to know you don't have to completely miss out on tigers, lions and
crocodiles. The park is open every day except Tuesday from 7 to 11.30 am
and 4 to 6 pm. |
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Lakshmi Narayan Temple & Birla Museum |
| There are good views over the lakes to the old town from
the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, also known as the Birla Mandir. Beside
it on Arera Hill is an excellent museum, containing a small but very
selective collection of local sculptures dating mainly from the Paramana
period. The stone sculptures are mainly of Vishnu, Siva and their
respective consorts and incarnations. There is also a small selection of
terracotta exhibits from Kausambi and a reconstruction of the Zoo Rock
Shelter from Bhimbetka. |
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Government Archaeological Museum |
| A fine collection of sculptures are on display here, from
various parts of Madhya Pradesh. |
