BHOPAL TOURISM | TOURIST PLACES TO VISIT & TRAVEL GUIDE TO BHOPAL
Heritage | 
City
About Bhopal
Country: India | State: Madhya Pradesh
#100 of 21 Places to visit in Madhya Pradesh
Ideal Trip Duration: 2 Full Days
Nearest City to Bhopal: Bhopal
Best Time to Visit Bhopal: July to March
Peak Season: October to February
At a distance of 45 km from Sanchi, 193 km from Indore, 194 km from Pachmarhi, 195 km from Ujjain, 320 km from Jhansi, 324 km from Jabalpur, 354 km from Nagpur, 370 km from Khajuraho, 407 km from Gwalior, 506 km from Udaipur, 582 km from Ahmedabad, 599 km from Jaipur, and 607 km from Lucknow, Bhopal is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Bhopal district. It is one of the top places to visit in Madhya Pradesh, and among the must include places in India tour packages.
The city of Bhopal is often called the 'City of Lakes' as it features a pair of artificial lakes - Upper Lake and Lower Lake, among the must include places in Bhopal tour packages. One of the greenest cities in India, the city can be divided into two parts, the old city towards the north comprising of rustic mosques, bustling bazaars, serpentine alleys, and exquisite old havelis. The new town with swanky infrastructure, shopping complexes, and wide roads situated to the south. It is this contrast that makes Bhopal an exquisite blend of the old and the new, the past and the present, the rustic and the classy. It is one of the popular places to visit near Indore.
Formerly known as Bhojpal, the ancient city of Bhopal was founded by Raja Bhoj of the Paramara dynasty, who is said to have built many lakes that surround the city today. This city was improved upon by Dost Mohammed Khan, who established rule upon this city after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. In the 19th century, Bhopal came under the rule of Mamola Bai, the first Begum, after her husband's death. She was then succeeded by Qudsia Begum, and then her daughter, Sikander ruled the kingdom. During this reign of the Begums, arts, culture, education, and architecture flourished which made Bhopal into the beautiful city that it is today.
The city of Bhopal is a true paradise for historians, archaeologists, art & architecture patrons, and curious travelers as it boasts of numerous historical monuments, religious places, and several museums. Moti Masjid, Upper Lake, Udayagiri Caves, Bhimbetka Caves, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Birla Mandir, Shaukat Mahal, Jama Masjid, Van Vihar National Park are the top and major places to visit in Bhopal. The city is also famous for its Nawabi food that is an absolute delight for foodies. Tragically, Bhopal is also a reminiscence of the world's worst industrial disaster in the chemical plant of Union Carbide that was responsible for at least 8000 deaths from the explosion alone.
Known as the land of religion and culture, there are many religious festivals celebrated in Bhopal throughout the year with much enthusiasm. Lokrang is one of the major cultural festivals, of Bhopal that is celebrated 4-5 days every year in January. Organized by the Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Lok Kala Academy, the motive of this festival is to erase the geopolitical demarcations, make India a unified whole, and revive the year-old tradition. Diwali, Ramanavami, Holi, Dussehra, Raksha Bandhan, and Navratri are the other festivals celebrated with much pomp and fervor by the people of Bhopal.
Raja Bhoj Airport, Bhopal is the nearest airport which is about 15 km from Bhopal Junction. It has direct flights from Mumbai, Hyderabad, and New Delhi. Bhopal Junction Railway Station is well connected by trains from Secunderabad, Bangalore, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Amritsar, Gorakhpur, Nagpur, Mumbai, Goa, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Chennai, Bilaspur, Lucknow, Puri, Pune, Bareilly, Kanpur, Indore, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Chhattisgarh, Kolhapur, Vishakhapatnam, Jodhpur, Jhansi, Tirunelveli, Madurai, Rameswaram, Haridwar, and New Delhi. Bhopal Bus Station is the nearest bus stand which has well-connected buses from all the major cities of Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad, Pune, and Ahmedabad.
The best time to visit Bhopal is from October to March when the weather is pleasant and ideal for exploring the experiencing the rich flavors of the grand city. July-September is another favorable time to visit the city. Avoid visiting the city in summer as it is hot, dry, and humid.
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