Madhya Pradesh >> Tourist Places  
         

Madhya Pradesh, has a history spanning into centuries.

Amarkantak : Bandhavgarh : Bhedaghat : Bhimbhetka : Bhojpur : Bhopal : Gwalior :
Pench : Sanchi : Shivpuri : Ujjain are some of the prominent tourists attraction places.
 

Bhojpur

It is founded and named after the legendary Parmar King Raja Bhoj (1010-53). The town is known for the 11th Century Shiva Temple and lake built by Raja Bhoj. It is also known as the "Somnath of North India". The Shiva temple houses an enormous "Shivalingam", carved out of a single rock. The temple walls are engraved with numerous Shiva images.

This structure with its massive proportions and bold conception, enshirines a 'linga' and 'yonipatta' of massive dimensions. In the area around the temple can still be seen sculptures and architectural numbers in various stages of execution. Outlines of designs of the temple and the ramp over which the material for the temple was transported can also be seen.

Accessibility : Regular flights available from Delhi, Gwalior, Indore and Mumbai to Bhopal which is 22 km from here. Major trains from Mumbai to Delhi via Itarsi and Jhansi also pass through Bhopal.

Bhopal

The city is literally the heart of india and casts an unusual spell on the visitor right from the moment one arrives. Historical monuments, old mosques and palaces, lakes, well laid out gardens and parks, bustling market places of the old and the new city are a feast in store for tourists.

The city Bhojapal was named after its founder Raja Bhoja, the famous 10th century ruler of Parmar Dynasty, who believed to have built the big lake of Bhopal and a dam (pal) across the Narmada River. The glorious city was destroyed in 15th century by Sultan Hoshang Shah of Malwa. The existing city was built by Dost Moahammed Khan, one of Aurangazeb's Afghan governors who seceded from the Mughal Empire after Aurangazeb's death and established his own dynasty - the Nawabs of Bhopal a royal family that continues to this day.

Bhopal was also ruled by two efficient women rulers namely Sikander Begum (1857 - 1901) and Shah Jahan Begum (1901 - 1926). Shah Jahan Begum, the great queen and the eight rulers of Bhopal, built many magnificient monuments in the city and is credited with Bhopal's postal system, railways and waterworks.

Bhopal today presents a multi-faceted profile, the old city with its teeming market places, fine old mosques and palaces which bear the aristocratic imprint of its former rulers and the new beautifully planned city with wide avenues, parks and gardens, government building and residential areas which are functional, practical and aesthetic. The city is also a perfect base for visiting Sanchi, Bhimbetka and Bhojpur.