Bhopal City Guide
Bhopal,
the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is a fascinating amalgam of scenic
beauty, historicity and modern urban planning. It is situated on the
site of a 11th century city, Bhojapal, founded by Raja Bhoja.
The
founder of the existing city was however an Afghan soldier of fortune,
Dost Mohammed. Fleeing from Delhi in the chaotic period that followed
Aurangazeb's death, Dost Mohammed encountered the beautiful Gond queen
Kamalapati, who sort his aid after the murder of her consort.
A
charming legend relates how the queen would recline in lotus barge, that
on moonlit nights, would drift across the lake. 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
a city.
Bhopal today presents a multi-faceted profile; the old
city with its teeming market places 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 !819 to 1926.
Equally impressive is the new city with its verdant,
exquisitely laid out parks and gardens, broad avenues and streamlined
modern edifices.
Home »States » Madhya
Pradesh » Bhopal City Guide