Places To See In Bhopal

If there is any city in the sub-continent that has succeeded to strike a balance between urbanization, culture, heritage and natural landscape, it is the state capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal. The city boasts of a diverse blend of both Hindu and Muslim faith living in harmony. Bhopal has many interesting sights to capture the attention of the tourists visiting this place for the first time. Whether it is basking in its natural scenery, engaging oneself in the city's amusement attractions or simply taking a sneak-peek into the city's history, Bhopal is a complete package comprising of all the elements that most vacationers would enjoy. Place like Upper and Lower Lake, Van Vihar National Park, Taj-ul-Masajid, Bharat Bhavan etc. are some of the popular tourist attractions in Bhopal. Besides touring the place, you can also visit the bazaars in Bhopal, which are well-known for their beaded and embroidery work commonly found on bags, silk fabrics, pashmina shawls etc. Scroll the article below to know more about the various places to see in Bhopal.

Tourist Attractions In Bhopal

Upper & Lower Lake
The Upper Lake one of the largest manmade lakes in the region. Built by Raja Bhoj, the lake is a popular tourist attraction and favored picnic spot among the locals. The Upper Lake is a nice spot to catch a glimpse of the spectacular sunset and sunrise in the city. Apart from the great views, you can also enjoy some of the water sports available in the Upper Lake such as boating, sailing and motorboats. Located in the centre of the city is the Lower Lake that was created during the Mughal period. The Lower Lake separates the Upper Lake by a viaduct and is popularly called as 'chota talaab' by the local people. The Lower Lake also provides fun activities such as boating and sailing. The water in the lake is used by the local inhabitants as an important source of drinking water.

Van Vihar National Park
After you have enjoyed the vistas of Bhopal's artificial lakes, step into the cities national park that is an asylum to some its spectacular fauna. Spread across 4.45 km of green land, the authorities of the place does not forcefully capture any of the animals from the forest. Most animals found inside the park is either injured or orphaned. Van Vihar has segregated its animals into carnivorous and herbivores while the wild animals are kept in an enclosed surroundings and the other animals are let free to roam. Some of the wild beasts you can look out for inside the park is tigers, panther, lion, bear, hyena, crocodile, alligators and pythons, to name a few. You can also find cheetal, sambhar, blackbuck, blue bull along with a few endangered and migratory species within the park. Van Vihar National Park is located within the city limits and is the perfect place to for wildlife photographers.

Taj-ul-Masajid
Taj-ul-Masajid is an old mosque built during the 17th century by Begum Bhopal but was completed by her descendants. The mosque is appreciated for its architecture and is a landmark among the local people. With its 18 storey minarets, large airy hallways, marble domes and exquisite flooring, the mosque definitely stands apart from the rest of the structures in the city. The Quibla wall in the prayer hall is decorated with ornate carvings that can be seen on the pillars and ceilings of the mosque and is a sight to behold. The structural design of this place of worship is built according to the Mughal style of architecture. Currently, Taj-ul-Masajid is not only a house of religious gatherings but also an Islamic school in the region.

Bharat Bhavan
A visit to Bhopal is incomplete if you have not visited its museums. The Bharat Bhavan museum is said to be a world renowned museum that is frequently visited by the tourists. The museum is said to be dedicated towards the diverse Indian art forms in the region, divided into four different segments, each hall representing four different forms of art. The Ranga Hall is said to represent the theater movements while the Vagarth Hall is devoted towards music. Roopankar is another hall and has a great display of sculptures and tribal art that one should see and Anhad is a library on traditional and folk music. The Bharat Bhavan also has an ashram that serves as a guest house to artistes who occasionaly visit the city for a live performance.

Manav Sangralay
Located on the Shamla Hills in Bhopal is a museum on the pre-historic man and is one of the best museums in the city. Stretched across 200 acres of land, the Manav Sangralay features ancient way of life and other ethnic art forms. This man made village is said to comprise of a library, audio-visual compendium, and electronic documentations of the pre-historic clans along with a great collection of anthropological specimen. This museum is the only store house to have a compilation of the painted rock shelters in the world due to which Manav Sangralay is recognized as the best anthropological museum worldwide.