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Bhopal

Capital city
Clockwise from top: VIP Road, Airport Entrance, Aishbagh Stadium, DB City
Mall, Taj-ul-Masajid, Raja Bhoj Airport, Platinum Plaza
Nickname(s): city of lakes
Location of Bhopal in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh
Coordinates: 2315N 7725E
Country India
State Madhya Pradesh
District Bhopal
Government
Body Bhopal Municipal Corporation
Mayor Krishna Gaur (BJP)
Municipal
Commissioner
Vishesh Garhpale
Collector Nishant Warwade
Area
Capital city
648.24 km
2
(250.29 sq mi)
Elevation 527 m (1,729 ft)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bhopal (/bopl/; Hindustani
pronunciation: [bopal] ( )) is the capital of the
Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the
administrative headquarters of Bhopal district
and Bhopal division. The city was the capital of
the former Bhopal State. Bhopal is known as
the City of Lakes
[3]
for its various natural as
well as artificial lakes and is also one of the
greenest cities in India.
[4]
Bhopal is the 16th
largest city in India and 231st
[5]
largest city in
the world. It is basically divided into two parts -
old Bhopal and new Bhopal.
A Y-class city,
[6]
Bhopal houses various
institutions and installations of national
importance. Some of these include ISRO's
Master Control Facility,
[7]
AIIMS Bhopal
(Established in 2012),
[8]
National Institute of
Fashion Technology (NIFT) AMPRI, MANIT,
IISER, SPA, IIFM, BHEL, School of Planning
and Architecture (SPA Bhopal) and NLIU,
Gandhi Medical College.
The city attracted international attention in
December 1984 after the Bhopal disaster, when
a Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide
manufacturing plant leaked a mixture of deadly
gases, leading to one of the worst industrial
disasters in the world's history. The Bhopal
disaster continues to be a part of the socio-
political debate and a logistical challenge for
the people of Bhopal.
[9]
1 History
1.1 Bhopal disaster
2 Geography
2.1 Climate
3 Economy
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Population (2011)
[1]
Capital city
1,795,648
[1]
Rank
16th
[1]
Metro 2,795,648
Demonym Bhopali
Languages
Official Hindi & Urdu
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Pincode 462001 to 462xxx
Telephone 0755
Vehicle registration MP-04
Website bhopalmunicipal.com
(http://bhopalmunicipal.com)
The Bhojeshwar Temple near Bhopal,
dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva,
was built by the king Bhoja about
1050 AD.
[10]
4 Education
5 Government and politics
6 Transport
6.1 Local transport
6.2 Roads
6.3 Railways
6.4 Airport
7 Demographics
8 Places of interest
9 Culture
10 Media
10.1 Electronic media
10.2 Print media
11 See also
12 References
13 Further reading
14 External links
According to folklore, Bhopal is said to have been founded by the king
Bhoja of the Paramara dynasty (AD 10001055), who ruled from his
capital at Dhar. This theory states that Bhopal was originally known as
Bhojpal after the king and the dam ("pal") constructed by him. No
available archaeological evidence, inscriptions or historical texts support
the claim about an earlier settlement founded by Bhoja at the same
place, although a temple complex constructed by him exists at Bhojpur,
which is located 28 km from Bhopal. An alternative theory says that the
name of the city was coined from the name of another king called
Bhupala (or Bhupal).
[11][12]
(During the British Raj, the railway tickets
printed in the city and the signboards on the railway station mentioned
the name of the city as "Bhupal" in Hindustani and "Bhoopal" in
English.)
In the early 17 th century,In the early 18th century, Bhopal was a small village in the local Gond kingdom. The
modern Bhopal city was established by Dost Mohammad Khan (16721728), an Afghan soldier in the Mughal
army.
[13]
After the death of the emperor Aurangzeb, Khan started providing mercenary services to several local
chieftains in the politically unstable Malwa region. In 1709, he took on the lease of Berasia estate, and later
annexed several territories in the region to establish the Bhopal State.
[14]
Khan received the territory of Bhopal
from the Gond queen Rani Kamlapati in lieu of payment for mercenary services, and usurped her kingdom after
her death.
[15]
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A view of upper lake, part of the city
and the hilly Vindhya terrain.
Bhopal
Climate chart (explanation)
In 1737 Marathas defeated the Mughals in the Battle of Bhopal and started collecting tributes from local
chieftains. The city remained under Maratha suzerainty until the Third Anglo-Maratha War in 1818, when
Bhopal became a British princely state. Between 1819 and 1926, it was ruled by four women, Begums, unique
in the royalty of those days - under British suzerainty, Qudsia Begum was the first woman ruler, who was
succeeded by her only daughter Sikandar Begum, who in turn was succeeded by her only daughter, Shahjehan
Begum. Sultan Jahan Begum was the last woman ruler, who after 25 years of rule, abdicated in favour of her
son, Hamidullah Khan. The rule of Begums gave the city its waterworks, railways, a postal system and a
municipality constituted in 1907.
[16]
Bhopal State was the second-largest Muslim-ruled princely state, the first being Hyderabad. After the
independence of India in 1947, the last Nawab expressed his wish to retain Bhopal as a separate unit. Agitations
against the Nawab broke out in December 1948, leading to the arrest of prominent leaders including Shankar
Dayal Sharma. Later, the political detainees were released, and the Nawab signed the agreement for Bhopal's
merger with the Union of India on 30 April 1949.
[17]
The Bhopal state was taken over by the Union
Government of India on 1 June 1949. Hindu Sindhi refugees from Pakistan were accommodated in Bairagarh, a
western suburb of Bhopal (now renamed to Sant Hirdaram Nagar). According to the States Reorganization Act
of 1956, the Bhopal state was integrated into the state of Madhya Pradesh, and Bhopal was declared as its
capital. The population of the city rose rapidly thereafter.
Bhopal disaster
On 3 December 1984, a Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal leaked around 32 tons of toxic
gases, including methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas which led to the worst industrial disaster to date. The official
death toll was initially recorded around 4,000. A Madhya Pradesh government report stated 3,787 deaths, while
other estimates state the fatalities were significantly higher (16,000) from the accident and the medical
complications caused by the accident, in the weeks and years that followed - the higher estimates have been
challenged.
[18][19]
The impact of the disaster continues to this day in terms of psychological and neurological
disabilities, blindness, skin, vision, breathing and birth disorders.
[20][21][22]
The soil and ground water near the
factory site has been contaminated by the toxic wastes.
[22][23]
The Bhopal disaster continues to be the part of
the socio-political debate, the cleanup of environmental contamination and rehabilitation of those affected
continues to challenge the people of Bhopal.
[9]
3 December is annually observed as the official day of
mourning, and every year, all government offices in Bhopal remain closed on this day.
Bhopal has an average elevation of 500m metres (1401 ft). Bhopal is
located in the central part of India, and is just north of the upper limit of
the Vindhya mountain ranges. Located on the Malwa plateau, it is higher
than the north Indian plains and the land rises towards the Vindhya
Range to the south. The city has uneven elevation and has small hills
within its boundaries. The major hills in Bhopal are Idgah hills and
Shyamala hills in the northern region, katara hills in south region and
Arera hills in the central region.
According to current
master plan, the
municipality covers 697
square kilometres It has two big lakes, collectively known as the
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J F M A M J J A S O N D
Average max. and min. temperatures in C
Precipitation totals in mm
Imperial conversion
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Average max. and min. temperatures in F
Precipitation totals in inches
Bhoj Wetland. These lakes are the Upper Lake (now renamed to
Bhojtal) and the Lower Lake. Locally these are known as the Bada
Talab (literally, big lake) and Chota Talab (literally, small lake)
respectively. The catchment area of the Upper Lake is 360 km
while that of the Lower Lake is 9.6 km. The Upper Lake drains
into the Kolar River. The Van Vihar National Park is a national
park situated besides the Upper Lake.
Climate
Bhopal has a humid subtropical climate, with cool, dry winters, a
hot summer and a humid monsoon season. Summers start in late
March and go on till mid-June, the average temperature being
around 30 C (86 F), with the peak of summer in May, when the
highs regularly exceed 40 C (104 F). The monsoon starts in late
June and ends in late September. These months see about 40 inches
(1020 mm) of precipitation, frequent thunderstorms and flooding.
The average temperature is around 25 C (77 F) and the humidity
is quite high. Temperatures rise again up to late October when
winter starts, which lasts up to early March. Winters in Bhopal are
cool, sunny and comfortable, with average daily temperatures
around 16 C (61 F) and little or no rain. The winter peaks in
January when temperatures may drop close to freezing on some
nights. Lowest temperature ever recorded was 0.3C. Total annual
rainfall is about 1146 mm (46 inches).
Climate data for Bhopal
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average
high C (F)
24.4
(75.9)
28.3
(82.9)
33.6
(92.5)
38.3
(100.9)
40.7
(105.3)
37.0
(98.6)
30.6
(87.1)
28.8
(83.8)
30.5
(86.9)
32.0
(89.6)
29.0
(84.2)
25.3
(77.5)
31.54
(88.77)
Average low
C (F)
9.4
(48.9)
11.4
(52.5)
17.4
(63.3)
21.8
(71.2)
25.5
(77.9)
25.3
(77.5)
23.1
(73.6)
22.4
(72.3)
21.4
(70.5)
18.4
(65.1)
12.1
(53.8)
9.9
(49.8)
18.18
(64.7)
Precipitation
mm (inches)
12.9
(0.508)
7.8
(0.307)
7.2
(0.283)
4.5
(0.177)
8.0
(0.315)
114.0
(4.488)
355.8
(14.008)
388.4
(15.291)
195.8
(7.709)
26.2
(1.031)
13.7
(0.539)
12.4
(0.488)
1,146.7
(45.144)
Source: IMD
The Govindpura industrial area has 1044 small- and medium-scale industries involved in various kinds of
production activities.
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in India, has a unit
(http://www.bhelbhopal.com/) in Bhopal. It occupies a large area in the Eastern Part of the city and maintains a

13

24
9

7.8

28
11

7.2

34
17

4.5

38
22

8

41
26


114

37
25

356

31
23


388

29
22


196

31
21

26

32
18

14

29
12

12

25
10

0.5

76
49

0.3

83
53

0.3

92
63

0.2

101
71

0.3

105
78


4.5

99
78

14

87
74

15

84
72


7.7

87
71

1

90
65

0.5

84
54

0.5

78
50
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National Law Institute University
IIFM arc
suburb named after it. A majority of the residents of the BHEL Suburb are employed by the unit.
The major industries in the old city are electrical goods, medicinal, cotton, chemicals and jewelry. Other
industries include cotton and flour milling, cloth weaving and painting, as well as making matches, sealing wax,
and sporting equipment.
[24]
The residents of Bhopal also engage in large retail businesses. Handicrafts, like
zardozi and batua (a small string purse, usually used with Indian traditional dresses) are some of the products of
the Old City.
[25]
In addition, there are also a large number of garages in the Old City which specialise in
automobile conversion. These garages produce custom-modified and tuned cars, SUVs and motorbikes.
Bhopal is also home to the DB Corp, informally called the Bhaskar Group (after its major publication Dainik
Bhaskar), a Rs. 1700 crore (Rs. 17 billion) business conglomerate with strong presence in media. Its head office
is located in Maharana Pratap Nagar. Manjul Publishing House, located in the old city, is a major publishing
house made famous by the translation of the Harry Potter series of novels into Hindi.
[26]
Mandideep is an industrial suburb of Bhopal. It is located to the South of the city on the NH 12.
[27]
Mandideep's
total exports are worth some 2,300 crore rupees ($500m; 300m) per year, making it the largest industrial area
in Madhya Pradesh. The town is home to Hindustan Electo Graphite (HEG), owning the largest graphite
electrode plant in the world and is the largest industrial company in the entire state. Hindustan Electro Graphite
(HEG) and Lupin Laboratories ltd. are the dominant companies in the suburb, each exports worth around 900
crore rupees.
[28]
Apart from that, Mandideep also houses the manufacturing plant of Makson group of company,
Eicher Tractors for the oldest tractor manufacturers in India.
There are more than 550 state government sponsored schools and affiliated
to the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE) located
within the city limits. In addition, there are four Kendriya Vidyalayas in the
city affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The
city is also served by numerous other private schools affiliated to either
CBSE or MPBSE. Some schools are also affiliated to National Institute of
Open Schooling (NIOS) and ICSE Board, Institution Of Secondary
Distance Education (ISDE) or Private Non-Governmental Board of School
Education.
AIIMS Bhopal is one of the apex healthcare institutes established by the
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India under the Pradhan
Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY). The PMSSY has established six such
institutes aimed at correcting regional imbalances in quality tertiary level healthcare
in the country, and attaining self-sufficiency in graduate and postgraduate medical
education and training in under- served areas of the country. The institute has been
established by an Act of Parliament on the lines of the original All India Institute of
Medical Sciences in New Delhi. It has started imparting undergraduate medical and
nursing education and is working towards postgraduate medical education in all its
branches and related fields, along with paramedical training. They aim to bring
together, in one place, educational facilities of the highest order for the training of
personnel in all branches of health care activity.
Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal is among the oldest medical college in Madhya Pradesh and was established in
1955. This college is associated with Hamidia Hospital, Sultania Zenana hospital, Kamla Nehru Hospital and
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Vidhan Bhawan, which houses the
Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.
has a Regional Institute of Ophthalmology and a National Institute for Research in Environment Health and the
first of its kind Medico-Legal Institute in India.
National Law Institute University founded in 1997 is a premier law university in the city and has been ranked as
the 3rd best law school in India by Outlook and India Today.The National Judicial Academy (NJA)is also
situated here.
Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya Rajiv Gandhi Technical University, established in 1998, is a multi-
campus affiliating university located in Bhopal. It has campuses and affiliated colleges in Bhopal and other
major cities of Madhya Pradesh. 217 engineering colleges, 95 pharmacy colleges, 88 MCA colleges, 4
architecture colleges and 85 polytechnic institutions are affiliated to it. UIT RGPV, an engineering institution
established in 1986 as the Government Engineering College was granted autonomous status in 2010. Other
universities include the, the Barkatullah University, the Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University (for distance
education) and the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication and SNGGPG
college.
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), established in 1960, is the premier institute for
technology in the city and has been categorized by the Government of India as an Institute of National
Importance. There are several other public and private engineering schools (numbering almost 200) located in
and around the city.
The Indian Institute of Forest Management founded in 1982 is an autonomous institution, established by the
Ministry of Environment and Forests (http://envfor.nic.in/), Government of India with financial assistance from
the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and course assistance from the Indian
Institute of Management Ahmedabad. It is considered as one of top sectorial MBA college in India.
The National Institute of Technical Teachers' Training and Research (NITTTR), established by Ministry of
HRD, Govt. of India in 1966 as TTTI, is also located in Bhopal. It offers M. Tech., Ph.D.,MBA and Training
courses. Other Central Government-run institutes in the city include Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research (IISER) and School of Planning and Architecture (SPA, established 2008).
[29]
Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh. It houses the State Legislative
Assembly, or the Vidhan Sabha, which seats 230 members of Legislative
Assembly. The thirteenth (and current) Vidhan Sabha was elected in May
2013.
[30]
As of April 2012, the party in the majority in Vidhan Sabha is
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is led by Shivraj Singh Chauhan.
Bhopal district elects seven seats to the Assembly.
The administration of Bhopal city is handled by Bhopal Municipal
Corporation, also known as BMC. The total area under BMC is 285 km.
The city is divided into 66 wards. Each ward elects a corporator. The
winning party elects a council of members, who are responsible for various
departments. The council members chose the Mayor among themselves. At present, there are ten members in
the council. The Commissioner of Bhopal is the highest officer of Municipal Corporate Office, which is
responsible for the departments of public works, revenue and tax, water supply, planning and development, fire
brigade, health and sanitation, finance and accounts etc.
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Bhopal road
Habibganj railway station
Local transport
Bhopal has been a railroad and highway transportation hub for a long time. Bhopal has its own city bus service
operated by Bhopal City Link Limited. In addition, around 600 mini-buses are run by private operators. Metro
or Radio Taxis and auto-rickshaws are another major means of transport. In some parts in the old as well as new
city, the new Tata Magic Vans are running successfully and have replaced the older and bigger diesel rickshaws
known as "Bhat" in year 2010.
Bhopal has India's longest Bus Rapid Transit System, which became functional from the year 2013.
[31]
A metro rail project is under implementation for the city.
[32]
Roads
National Highway 12 passes through Bhopal which connects it to
Jabalpur in the East and Jaipur in the West. National Highway 86
connects Bhopal to Sagar in the East to Dewas in the West. State
Highway 17 connects the city with Indore. Apart from the long distance
services, there are many services to nearby places within the state. There
are number of daily buses to Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Jabalpur,
Khajuraho, Sanchi, Pachmarhi, Vidisha and Berasia in Madhya Pradesh.
There are also daily buses to Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Kota, Nagpur, Jaipur,
Shirdi, Pune, Akola, Amravati, Jalgaon, Vadodara, Surat and Nashik.
Recently private bus services started to Mumbai as well. An interstate
bus terminus is located near the Habibganj railway station,
[33]
called the
Kushabhau Thakre Inter State Bus Terminal which was inaugurated in
2011.
[34]
Railways
Bhopal lies in the West Central Railway Zone. Considering both
North-South and East-West train routes, it is one of the most rail
connected cities in India. It houses the Divisional Railway Managers
(DRM) head office under Central railways. Some of the railway stations
in Bhopal are:
Bhopal Junction Railway Station
[35]
is the largest and most
important railway station in the city. Being on the main
North-South line, it is connected by rail to all parts of the country
except North-Eastern states. More than 150 daily trains have
stoppages in Bhopal.
[35]
Habibganj Railway Station
[35]
is a major and the most developed station of Bhopal. It holds the
distinction of being the first ISO 9000:2001 certified railway station in India.
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Religion in Bhopal
[38][39]
Religion Percent
Hindus 73 %
Muslims 23%
Jains 1.2%
Christians 1.1%
Buddhists 1.1%
Others 0.6%
Distribution of religions
Includes Sikhs
Misrod Railway Station
[35]
is located in the Misrod suburb of the city.
Mandideep Railway Station
[35]
is located in the industrial town of Mandideep.
Sukhsewanagar
Bairagarh
[35]
is located in the north-western Bairagarh suburb.
Airport
The Raja Bhoj International Airport is located near the satellite suburb Bairagarh.
[36][37]
There are three routes or ways to reach the airport: (1) Via Bairagarh, (2) Via Panchvati, (3) Via Gandhi nagar
road (N.H 12). From within the city, VIP road, a four lane road connects with the airport. Bhopal Airport is the
international airport of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and lies 15 km to the north of the city. International flights
began operations in 2010 although no schedule services currently run internationally.
Domestic direct flight services operate to New Delhi and Mumbai from Jet Airways, JetKonnect and Air India.
According to the 2011 census the population of the Bhopal city
is 1,795,648, with 939,560 males and 856,088 females. The
urban / metropolitan Bhopal population extends beyond
Bhopal city, and the metro population was 1,883,381 in
2011.
[1]
The total effective literacy rate was 85.24%, with male and
female literacy respectively at 89.2% and 80.1%.
[1]
Out of Bhopal's total population, 1.35 million were Hindus
(73%), 0.42 million were Muslims (23%),
[39]
and rest were
Jains, Christians, Buddhists, Sikhs and others.
[38]
The chief languages are Hindi, Urdu, and English. The common street dialect spoken in Bhopal, especially in
older regions of the city is termed as "Bhopali" and is the subject of comedy in Bollywood movies.
Nature
Lower Lake - The lake was created in 1794 to beautify the city. The smaller lake is spread over an area 7.99
square kilometer.
Bhojtal - formerly known as Upper Lake, is a large lake which lies on the western side of the city. It is a major
source of drinking water for the residents of the city. Along with the nearby Chhota Talaab, meaning small lake
in Hindi, Bhojtal constitutes the so-called Bhoj Wetland. According to the local folklore, Bhojtal was built in
11th century. The lake was created by constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans River. An eleven gate dam
called the Bhadbhada dam was constructed at Bhadbhada in 1965 at the southeast corner of the Lake, and now
controls the outflow to the river Kaliasote. The lake was called Upper Lake or Bada Talab ("Big Pond") until
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Lower Lake in Bhopal - a city of
lakes
Bhojtal, previously called Upper
Lake or Bada Talaab.
Bhimbetka pre-historic rock cave
painting near Bhopal include 500
sandstone caves and shelters. These
are dated to range from 12,000 years
ago to chalcolithic era of human
history. They are a UNESCO World
Heritage site.
[40]
Taj-ul-Masajid
March 2011, and thereafter it was
officially renamed as Bhojtaal. A
statue of Raja Bhoj was also
installed on a pillar on one corner
of the lake.
About 10 kilometres from the
city is Hathaikheda, a place for
water and fishing sports.
History
Bhimbetka Caves are about 35 kilometers from Bhopal city. They have
evidence of dwellings of pre-historic man during the Paleolithic era.
Rock paintings in the caves are specimens of pre-historic settlements in
India. There are about 600 caves, but only 12 are open for visitors. The
caves are located in the midst of sal and teak forests. They were
discovered by Wakankar in 1957. UNESCO declared Bhimbetka Caves
as a World Heritage Site in 2003.
[41]
Monuments
Taj-ul-Masajid, which literally means "The Crown of Mosques", is the
largest mosque in Bhopal. The mosque is also used as a madrasah
(Islamic school) during the day time."Taj-ul-Masajid". The mosque
features Mughal architecture. The Jama Masjid of Bhopal, built in 1837,
has an inner sanctum built out of marble. The Moti Masjid or the
Mosque of Pearls is situated in the center of Bhopal. The Moti Masjid
was built in 1860 by Sikandar Begum, and became an important
landmark of Bhopal. Sikandar Begum's practice of dressing like a man and public appearances without a veil,
led Bhopal to be known for its relatively liberated, progressive women.
Shaukat Mahal And Sadar Manzil is in the walled city. Designed by a
Frenchman, it reflects a fusion of post-Renaissance and Gothic styles to
Islamic architecture. Gohar Mahal, is situated behind Shaukat Mahal on
the banks of the Upper Lake. It was built in 1820. The Mahal is an
expression of the fusion of Hindu and Mughal architecture.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple is situated to the south of the Lower Lake, is a
temple devoted to Vishnu and his consort Laxmi. It is also called Birla
Mandir. Bud Wale Mahadev or Bad Wale Mahadev is a historic temple
located in the center of the city. It is located in Old Kabadkhana adjacent to Peergate. In this temple the shivling
is emerged on a 'Bud Tree' (Banyan Tree) that is why it is called Bud Wale Mahadev. Every year on the
occasion of Mahashivratri a huge procession is arranged in which is called as 'Shiv Baarat'. In this procession
Lord Shiva is remarried to Maa Parvati at Peergate. Gufa Mandir is a temple is located near Lalghati. A Sanskrit
college is also located in the campus. Khatlapura Mandir is a Shri Ram temple is situated near lower lake. It was
built in the 19th century. It features many Hindu deities and a fare is held every year on Dol-Gyaras.
Sanchi Stupa Bhopal is about 50 kilometers from city center and it displays Bhopal's place in history from the
times of Emperor Ashoka. The place is one of the oldest stone structures of India and it edifies Buddhism in
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Stupa at Sanchi, another UNESCO
world heritage site near Bhopal
A leopard in Van Vihar, Bhopal
India over 2000 years.
[42]
Other attractions such as Islamnagar, Kerwa,
Raisen are points of interest are also located within 50 kilometer drive
from Bhopal.
Activity centers
Regional Science Center is a
science museum located on the
picturesque Shyamala Hills. This
centre houses about 300 science
exhibits in Invention and Fun
Science galleries. Taramandal
and Planetarium at the centre
helps the students and enthusiasts study the astral and mysterious world
of stars, galaxies and the universe. Stargazing sessions are organized at
the planetarium for those who want to have a real close view of these
luminous bodies.
Fish Aquarium is situated near Raj-Bhavan and old assembly hall. Covering one hectare area, the fish house is
built in fish like structure. Van Vihar is the city's zoo, and is located on a hill near to upper lake in natural
surroundings. Spread over an area of 445 hectares, it features birds and wildlife.
The Museum of Mankind in Bhopal exhibits tribal and folk houses from all corners of India.
[43]
Bhopali dishes and food in Bhopal are comparatively mild, less spicy and unique in taste. Local and individual
variations of various popular snacks and foods can be found selling around the city . Bhopali food has a large
variety of non-vegetarian dishes, including Bhopali Murgh Rezala, Paneer Rezala, Bhopali Gosht Korma,
Murgh Hara Masala Rice and Murgh Nizami.
Diwali and Eid are major festivals in Bhopal. Gifts and sweets are exchanged and donation are made to the
poor. Diwali is celebrated by worshiping the wealth goddess Lakshmi. Eid is special to the city as all the Hindus
take time out to visit their Muslim friends and greet them and get treated with delicacies, the specialty of the
day being sweet sewaiya. Bhopali culture is such that both Hindus and Muslims visit each other on their
respective festivals to greet and exchange sweets. During Ganesh puja and Durga Puja (Navratras), idols of
Ganesh and Durga are established in jhankis throughout the city. People throng to offer prayers to their deities.
At the end of Navratras, on the day of Vijayadashami (or Dussehra), huge effigies of Ravan are burnt in
different parts of the city. Some of them are organized by the local administration and stand as tall as 60 feet
(18 m).
Bhopal Ijtema is an annual Muslim world preachers congregation, is held at Ghasipura 11 km from Bhopal. The
congregation is said to be one of the largest Islamic gathering other than Hajj at Mecca in Saudi Arabia and
Bishwa Ijtima at Tongi in Bangladesh. The annual congregation near Bhopal draws between 500,000 to
1,000,000 Muslims from all over the globe.
[44]
Bharat Bhavan is the main cultural centre of the city. It has an art gallery, an open-air amphitheatre facing the
Upper Lake, two other theatres and a tribal museum.
The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), an autonomous organization of Govt. of India,
Bhopal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal
10 of 15 8/9/2014 1:02 AM
Rabari house is one of the cultural
displays at IGRMS under Indian
government's Ministry of Culture.
Ministry of Culture is dedicated to the depiction of story of mankind in
time and space. The Sangrahalaya is involved in generating a new
museum movement in India, with open, freewheeling, flexible plan, to
demonstrate the simultaneous validity of human cultures and the
plurality of alternatives for human articulation. The innovative aspects
of the Organisation are its open air and indoor exhibitions, built with
active involvement of traditional artisans and experts drawn from
different community groups, and the Education, Outreach and Salvage
activities for revitalisatin of vanishing but valuable cultural traditions.
The headquarters of the IGRMS is located in Bhopal (M.P.) while a
regional centre is functioning from Heritage building Wellington House,
Mysore (Karnataka). It showcases the tribal culture of various regions
and various examples of tribal art and architecture. Every year in January/February, it hosts potters' workshops,
folk music and dance events and open-air plays. Tribals also demonstrate their skills in painting, weaving, and
the fashioning of bell metal into works of art.
Electronic media
Presently the city has 5 Private Radio stations in Bhopal apart from Vividh Bharti viz. BIG FM 92.7, 94.3 My
FM Jiyo Dil Se (http://www.myfmindia.com), Radio Mirchi 98.3, Red FM 93.5 and 90.4 MHz Radio Popcorn.
AIR Bhopal (Akashvani Bhopal) transmits on Medium Wave 1593 kHz via a 10 kW transmitter. It also
simulcasts in Shortwave via a 50 kW transmitter at the following times and frequencies:
4810 kHz: 0025-0215 UTC
7430 kHz: 0225-0447 (Sun 0531/0631) UTC
7430 kHz: 0630/0700-0931 (Sun 0700-1031) UTC
4810 kHz: 1130-1742 UTC
Government-run FM channels:
103.5 MHz AIR Vividh Bharati (6 kW power)
105.0 MHz Gyan Vani (10 kW power)
Private & Commercial FM channels:
92.7 MHz Big 92.7 FM
93.5 MHz Red FM (Bajaate Raho)
94.3 MHz My FM
98.3 MHz Radio Mirchi
90.4 MHz Low Power (50W) Community Radio of RKDF Institute of Science & Technology,
Hoshangabad Road, Bhopal.
Bhopal has its own Radio and Television stations (All India Radio and Doordarshan respectively). Local
Bhopal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal
11 of 15 8/9/2014 1:02 AM
Television networks include Digi Networks and BTV(Bhaskar TV). Besides, three regional satellite channels
operate from Bhopal, namely ETV Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh, Sahara Madhya Pradesh and Sadhana
News.
Print media
Various Hindi and English newspapers are published from Bhopal. The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The
Pioneer (Indian newspaper), Youth Engine, The Hitavada, etc. are the main English dailies and weekly
published from the city while Dainik Bhaskar, Raj Express, nazare hind, Nava Bharat, Nai Dunia, Dainik
Jagran, Patrika, News Track Network, BPN Times, Peoples Samachar,rastra ka hawhan etc. are the main Hindi
dailies published from here.
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Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Bhopal.
Wikiquote has a collection
of quotations related to:
Bhopal
Howgh, William (2006). A Brief History Of The Bhopal Principality In Central India. Hesperides Press.
ISBN 1-4067-1225-6.
Mittal, Kamal (1990). History of Bhopal State: Development of Constitution, Administration and
National Awakening, 19011949. South Asia Books. ISBN 99903-0-915-9.
D'Silva, Themistocles (2006). The Black Box of Bhopal. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 1-4120-8412-1.
The Bhopal Story (http://www.thebhopalpost.com)
Official Website of Bhopal City (http://www.bhopal.nic.in)
Bhopal Municipal Corporation Website
(http://www.bhopalmunicipal.com)
Bhopal Airport (http://www.bhopalairport.com)
Bhopal Weather (http://weather.aol.com/forecast/todays/asia/india
/bhopal/id/INXX0023)
bhopalonline directory (http://www.bhopalbazaar.com)
Birds of Bhopal
[1] (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znvcQBua--w)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bhopal&oldid=619946291"
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements from June 2,014 Bhopal Cities and towns in Bhopal district
Madhya Pradesh Former capital cities in India
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