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Bhopal, one of the greenest & cleanest cities of India has many delightful surprises in store for the discerning traveller.
It was in the month of July a couple of years ago and I along with my wife had gone to Rishikesh from Mumbai. On our way back by train we had planned to make a one night stop at Bhopal primarily to visit Sanchi. I had not read much about Bhopal so I was not much aware of the other tourist attractions in and around Bhopal. On doing a little research I regretted my decision of making such a short trip to such an interesting place. Bhopal turned out to be a hidden gem. In the short time at our disposal, we covered several places. We were booked at Welcome Heritage “Noor-Us-Sabah” (Light of the Dawn) Palace Hotel on a hill top, among the finest hotels of Bhopal (more about it later).
Bhopal unfortunately came on the world map not because of its tourist attractions but because of one of the worst industrial disasters of all times. The scars of the infamous gas tragedy of 1984 still affect some of the citizens. Fortunately most of the city now only considers it as a distant sad dream.
Bhopal like many other historical cities has both an old and a new face. A walk through the narrow alleys of the chowk area of the old city takes you to the mosques, palaces and other monuments of the bygone era. People who live there still recollect the glorious past. Like Lucknow and Hyderabad it was a Princely State that experienced a beautiful amalgamation of Hindu & Muslim cultures. It was a regal city of Nawabs and Begums with the accompanying ‘Tahzeeb’ & ‘Nazakat”. Bhopal has a distinct Urdu/Hindi dialect of its own. You are likely to hear phrases like ‘Aur kya horiya hai’ (और क्या होरिया है !), ‘lapak ke ek cup chai le aa’ (लपक के एक कप चाय ले आ), ‘hum kya jhoot kah riye hain’ (हम क्या झूठ कह रिए हैं!), ‘lo kallo baat’ (लो कल्लो बात) among many other interesting phrases.
The residents of old city love to be called “Bhopali”. Javed Akhtar spent number of years in Bhopal during his high school & college days and Bhopali culture had a lot of influence on him and inspired him to create the character of ‘Soorma Bhopali’ played by Jagdeep in the movie Sholay. This character was loved by the masses and went on to become a legend. Prior to that Shakila Bano Bhopali was a famous Kawaali singer from Bhopal.
Brief History of Bhopal:
Legend of Raja Bhoj: It is believed that Parmara King Raja Bhoj was the ruler of Malwa from 1010 to 1055 CE and the city of Dhar was his capital. He established the city of Bhojpal, the present day Bhopal. According to legends Raja Bhoj was suffering from a severe skin disease and when treatment by all Vaids failed, he was advised by a Saint to build a lake with waters of a holy river and take bath in it. Accordingly Raja Bhoj built a huge lake in Bhojpal. Later it was called Bada Talab or Upper Lake. In 2011, it has been renamed as Bhojtaal. Whether Raja Bhoj built only the lake or he established a city also around the lake has not been proved conclusively.
Raja Bhoj was a legendary king with knowledge of various subjects such as astrology, politics, vastu shastra, poetry, literature and medicine. He is said to have authored 84 books on these subjects. His empire extended from Chittor in Rajasthan to Konkan region and plains of Godavari. The Parmara Kings ruled over the Malwa region till the end of 14th century and it came under the control of the Mughals by the 16th century. Not much historical records are available about Bhojpal (Bhopal) from later part of the 11th century till the 17th century.
After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire weakened and the Gond tribals established themselves in the Malwa region. The Pasthun Afghan General of Aurangzeb, Dost Mohammad Khan (1672-1728) was an ambitious man. He was posted in the Malwa region. After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707, the Mughal Empire weakened. Dost Mohammad Khan seized the opportunity to strengthen his fiefdom, he annexed the areas around Bhopal from the Gonds and built Fatehgarh fort in 1720 which developed into the new city of Bhopal over the next few decades.
Begums of Bhopal: Bhopal has the unique distinction of being ruled by four Begums over a period of more than 107 years. After the death of Dost Mohammad his son Yar Mohammad Khan became the Nawab of Bhopal from 1729 to 1742. Following his death, his wife Mamola Bai (1744-1795) acted as regent for his two stepsons, Faiz and Hayat. Bhopal became a pricely state after signing a treaty with the British East Company in 1818. Thereafter came the 4 legendary Begums who ruled Bhopal from 1819 to 1926. Qudisa Begum (1819 to 1837), her daughter Sikander Begum (1844-1868), Sikander’s daughter Shah Jahan Begum (1868-1901) and Shah Jahan’s daughter Sultan Jahan (1901- 1926). In 1926 she abdicated in favour of her son Nawab Hanidullah Khan who was the last ruler. He initially opposed the merger with India after Independence in 1947. But due to public protests & agitation he had to bow down and agreed to become a part of India in 1949. It was during the reign of these four Begums that several palaces & mosques were built. They contributed a lot towards the development of the city.
Gohar Mahal: Located near the banks of Upper Lake, Gohar Mahal was built in 1820 by Qudisa Begum also known as Gohar Begum. It is perfect blend of Hindu and Mughal architecture.
Moti Masjid: Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) is often considered as the mini version of Jama Masjid of Delhi as there is a striking resemblance in their architecture. It was built in 1860 by Sikandar Jehan Begum. Sikandar Begum was an unconventional & liberal woman. She used to dress as a man and would go out riding without a veil. She set the trend of progressive women in the city and Bhopal came to be known as a city of relatively liberated and progressive women.
Moti Mahal near chowk was built by Sikandar Jahan Begum in 1847. Sadar Manzil served as the royal courtroom of the Nawabs & Begums. Shaukat Mahal is adorned with triangular shaped arches and floral patterns. It was designed by a French engineer in a beautiful mix of Indo-Islamic and European styles. Babe Sikandari Darwaza built in 1840 close to Moti Mahal leads to Parighat that was built exclusively for the royal ladies.
Taj-ul-Masjid : It is considered as the most famous landmark of Bhopal. The construction of Taj-ul-Masjid (Crown of Mosques) was started during the reign of Shah Jahan Begum around 1850. Some portions remained incomplete due to lack of funds and could be competed only around 1980. At that time it was considered as one of the largest mosques of India. The mosque with a pink facade and two 18-storey high octagonal minarets with marble domes looks impressive. It has a huge courtyard with a large tank. It has a double-storeyed imposing gateway with four recessed archways.
Laxminarayan Temple (Birla Mandir): a beautiful temple on the Aerera Hills in the newer part of the city. It overlooks the Lower Lake (Chotta Talab). The Birla Group had built this.
Jain Temple: Manubhan tekri is a hill rock on which an imposing Jain temple (visible from quite a distance) is located. It is connected both by road & ropeway. I preferred to take the ropeway which afforded amazing views of the city.
Bhopal city with an average elevation of 500 metres is dotted with several lakes, hills, sprawling parks. It is one of the most livable cities of India with salubrious climate, a population of around 1.9 million and no high rises, lot of green cover, great connectivity with other parts of the country. Bhopal is an educational centre and also has a growing industrial hub. It has several interesting museums including State Archaeological Museum, Birla Archaeological Museum, Rashtriya Manav Sanghralaya (National Museum of Mankind), Tribal Museum, Shaurya Smarak, Bharat Bhavan (cultural centre that hosts theatres, music & film festivals) etc. Bhopal is a centre of Culture & Art. Of late it has become a preferred destination for shooting of Hindi films.
There is Van Vihar National Park (one of the best Zoological Parks in the country) where animals are kept in natural habitats. The Upper Lake, spread over an area of 30 sq kms is among the premier man-made lakes of India. The Upper lake along with the Lower Lake (considerably smaller in size) are considered as the lungs of the city. They are the city dwellers favourite recreational spots for walking, jogging, boating, sailing, water sports, picnics and sunset view points. These two lakes also support many varieties of flora & fauna with many migratory birds also being sighted during the winter months. The Upper Lake has an island known as Takia Island. This has the grave of Hazrat Shah Ali Shah Rahmutallah Alaih who was a Sufi saint. He is also considered as the patron saint of the local fishermen community.
Bhopal city is famous for its non-veg delicacies. Bhopalis are known for their love for paan and zarda. The city is also well known for its handicrafts such as zardozi embroidery work, batua (small string purse) and silver decorative items. If one is looking for Maheshwari or Chanderi sarees and do not have plans to go to Maheshwar or Chanderi then he or she could visit MP State Handicrafts Emporium to buy these Sarees.
As we were short of time we could only take a 15 kms trip by cab around the Upper Lake, stopping at a couple of spots to enjoy the sights.
Noor-us-Sabah Palace Hotel: This Palace was built in 1926 by Nawab Sir Hamidullah Khan for his elder daughter Abida Sultana. Perched on a hill top it overlooks the Upper Lake. Since it was an off-season they acceded to our request and upgraded us to the premium lake facing room instead of the pool facing room. Our room afforded a beautiful view of the lake.We also enjoyed watching a brief spell of rain from the balcony of our room with our morning cup of refreshing tea. Princely relics including a silver palanquin and carriage are displayed in the reception area and around the hotel premises. We enjoyed our dinner and the breakfast in the restaurant and the service was excellent.
The other palace hotel is Jehan Numa Palace which was built in 1890 during the rule of Shah Jahan Begum and has European architecture. At these two hotels you enjoy the luxury of staying in a palace at a tariff much lower than those of the palace hotels of Rajasthan.
Bhojpur- the unfinished yet magnificent Shiva temple
About 29 kms from Bhopal on the banks of river Betwa in picturesque surroundings is a village called Bhojpur named after Raja Bhoj. In Bhojpur stands a colossal, monolithic structure that could never be completed. The 40 mins drive from Bhopal to Bhojpur on an overcast morning through the lush green rural belt was pleasant. As you cross the small bridge on the Betwa river, the imposing Shiva temple of Bhojpur comes into view. Rather than the usual shape of the North Indian temples, this temple from a distance looks like a huge rectangular box placed on a raised platform!!
This Shiva temple is known as Bhojswamin or Bhojeshwar temple. As we took a look at the unfinished grand structure we were left wondering that if only this structure was completed as per the original plan then this could easily have been among the greatest temples of India. Scholars rate it as one of the finest examples of contemporary temple architecture. The temple was built by Raja Bhoj around 1050 CE. According to the legends, before the temple got completed, Raja Bhoj died on the battlefield and till date the temple stands in an unfinished stage. As per another folklore, after the Linga was installed a big slab from the ceiling fell on the base of the Linga and broke it. Though the artisans managed to join it with great precision without the joint being visible to the naked eye but since the principal idol was damaged it was not fit for worship and the temple was left unfinished.
The temple structure stands on a very large platform that is 106 ft long, 77 ft wide & 17 ft high. The Garbagriha (Sanctum) of the temple is 40 feet high and is supported by 4 huge pillars with exquisite carvings on the ceiling. Inside the Sanctum is a polished Shiva Linga that stands 18 feet tall from the base and is 7.5 feet in circumference and is supposed to be the largest linga in India. The temple faces west and it is said that as the afternoon sun falls on the linga it shines & radiates light. Temple’s doorway jambs are fashioned from huge blocks on which figures, now mostly damaged, were carved. They are beautifully carved figures of river goddesses Ganga, Yamuna & other gods. On both the sides, exquisitely carved balconies adorn the wall. On the backside of the temple one can still observe the technique developed by the masons & craftsmen to carry large stones on elephant back up the ramp to great heights.
In front of the the main temple are two smaller structures where puja is still offered to Shiva, Parvati & Ganesha. There are sandstone ridges around the temple complex and river Betwa flows through a deep gorge adding a mysterious feeling. We also met a folk musician/singer who was playing a single stringed instrument and was singing ballads & bhajans. His voice was so melodious that our feet started tapping instinctively. We mistook the instrument to be ektara but he corrected us and told us that it is Bhapang – a Rajasthani folk musical instrument. We spent more than an hour in and around the temple complex.
Raja Bhoja’s palace was also supposed to have been built near the temple site but it is said that only the foundations are visible now. We departed with a feeling of being transported to the bygone era of kings, grandeur, battles, palaces, art, music, valour. It is said that during the festival of Shivaratri the small town of Bhojpur acquires a festive look. Devotees from nearby villages flock the temple complex.
Jain temple at Bhojpur: At a distance of just 1 km from this temple is an unfinished Digamber Jain temple. As per the inscriptions found at the site it was also supposed to have been built by Raja Bhoj in the year 1040. This temple has a 22.5 feet tall statue of the 16th Jain Tirthankar Shantinath flanked by smaller statues of Parshavanth & Suparasnath. It clearly shows that even Jainism was flourishing then. The King gave patronage to both the religions. It is definitely worth visiting these hidden gems of India.
We also visited the beautiful locations of Sanchi & Udaygiri Caves. I shall cover them in my blog next week. After spending two hectic but delightful days at Bhopal we took the evening flight to Mumbai.
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