Saturday 8 February 2014

CITY OF LAKES - Bhopal

CITY OF LAKES - Bhopal   

Nowadays , streets of Bhopal have become a favorite location for the filmmakers and television industry.Some Bollywood films like Satyagraha , Aarakshan, Rajneeti, Gali Gali Chor Hai , Peepli Live and Chakravyuh etc ., and television serials  like Qubool Hai , Punar Vivaah and Beintehaa etc. ,are shooted  in Bhopal .
BHOPAL become so famous after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy which occurred on the 3rd of December, 1984, and is considered to be one of the worst industrial disasters ever (The toxic gas, methyl isocyanate, leaked out from the multi-national Union Carbide’s  plant on the outskirts of the city, leaving more than 5,000 people dead and over 100,00 suffering life-long illnesses)


It is said that BHOPAL is the city of lakes and it is quite true as it is dotted by numerous exquisite lakes(there are two man-made lakes at the center of Bhopal city: Upper lake and Lower lake).It is the capital city of Madhya Pradesh and is located in the central part of the Indian Subcontinent. .Bhopal is the 16th largest city in India and 134th largest city in the world.

The original name of Bhopal was Bhojpal, after the name of the King Bhoj of Paramara dynasty, who founded and ruled that region for a number of years as well as the dam or "pal" constructed during the 11th century A.D,soon it came under Mughal rule and was a part of that kingdom till the death of the Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707 A.D.There was an Afghan soldier Dost Mohammad, who founded the city in A.D. 1723. He assisted Rani Kalmapathi in combating the attacks of the Rajput Thakurs and thus it was ruled by the Begums of the royal family for a period of 100 years, Nawab Sultan Jahan was the most able rulers of the state .

SIGHT-SEEING IN BHOPAL

                                                     Taj-ul-Masjid


 The Taj-ul-Masjid literally means 'The Crown of Mosques'. True to its name it is one of it is one of the largest mosques in Asia, built by Nawab Shahjehan Begum .It is a 19th century mosque with a magnificent structure. The sprawling mosque is situated in Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.It has a courtyard with a large tank in the centre and with an imposing double storeyed gate-way with 4 recessed archways and 9 imposing cusped multifoiled openings in the main prayer hall. The Quibla wall in the prayer hall is carved with 11 recessed arches, while the mimber is made of black basalt.

                       Bharat Bhavan


   In February 1982, a unique cultural complex called Bharat Bhavan opened in Bhopal.It is a centre for the performing and visual arts built and designed by the well known architect Charles Correa, the complex is set in a number of low buildings cunningly woven around the banks of the lake.The centre houses a museum of the arts, an art gallery, a workshop for fine arts, a repertory theater, indoor and outdoor auditorium, a rehearsal room and libraries of Indian poetry, classical and folk music. Here in one compound are the Rang Mandal, the theatre repertory, Anhad, the hall for classical music, Vagarth, the poetry library, Bahirang, the open air auditorium and Roopankar, the museum of art.

TO VISIT : Open from 2 pm to 8 pm every day except Mondays. 

                                    Van Vihar

It is located in the heart of the Bhopal city.Van Vihar was declared as National Park on 26th January 1983. It covers an areas of 445.21 hectares. Once a barren area, it has now been transformed in to an oasis of greenery. This is a unique zoo of the country, as the animals are kept here in near natural conditions. Country to the popular belief, animals are not captured from the forests for bringing them here. Most of the animals kept here are either orphaned animals brought here from all parts of Madhya Pradesh or those which have been exchanged with other zoos.


TO VISIT :Open from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM everyday except Friday.

                 Regional Science Centre

              

 Regional Science Centre was inaugurated on 12 January 1995 by the then president Shankar Dayal Sharma .It is located on Banganga Road on the picturesque Shyamla Hills spread over 5 acres of landscape which includes a 3-acre Science Park it houses a planetarium and about 300 science exhibits related to mechanics, energy, sound, light, atmosphere etc. The museum in the regional science center consists of 3 galleries namely Fun Science Gallery, Atmosphere - The Umbrella Gallery and Energy Gallery and it also houses a small Dinosaur Park and a zoo.It is one of the constituent units of the National Council of Science Museums or NCSM.
TO VISIT: Open from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm on all days except Mondays.

                           Boat Club 

 

the Chotta Talab (Lower Lake) is divided from the the Bada Talab (Great Lake) by an over-bridge and is six sq km in area, here Madhya Pradesh Tourism's Boat Club on the Upper Lake provides facilities for exciting trips and motor boat ride etc.
TO VISIT : Open all days.

 

BHOPAL IS REALLY A NICE PLACE, VISIT IT  !

 

 

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