Bhopal

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Bhopal

Metropolis

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

Bhopal
Location of Bhopal in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh

Coordinates:
Country
State
District
Government
Body
Mayor
Municipal
Commissioner

2315N 7725ECoordinates:
2315N 7725E
India
Madhya Pradesh
Bhopal
Bhopal Municipal Corporation
Alok Sharma (BJP)
Tejaswi S. Naik

 Collector
Nishant Warwade
Area
Metropolis
1,648.24 km2 (636.39 sq mi)
Elevation
527 m (1,729 ft)
[1]
Population (2015)
Metropolis
3,795,648[1]
Rank
16th[1]
4,795,648Template:Estimated
Metro
bhopal metropolitan region
Demonym
Bhopali
Language
Official
Hindi
Time zone
IST (UTC+5:30)
Pincode
462001 to 462xxx
Telephone
0755
Vehicle
MP-04
registration
Website
www.bhopalmunicipal.com
Bhopal (/bo p l/; Hindi: , Hindustani pronunciation: [bopal] ( listen)) 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 14th largest city in India and 131st[5] largest city in the world.
A Y-class city,[6] Bhopal houses various institutions and installations of national importance,
including ISRO's Master Control Facility[7] and BHEL. Bhopal is home to the most number of
Institutes of National Importance in India, namely IISER, MANIT, NLIU, SPA and AIIMS,
making it one of the greatest education hubs in the country.
The city attracted international attention in December 1984 after the Bhopal disaster, when a
Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide manufacturing plant (owned by Dow Chemical
Company) leaked a mixture of deadly gases mainly methyl isocyanide, 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.[8]

Contents

1 History
o 1.1 Bhopal disaster

2 Geography

o 2.1 Climate

3 Economy

4 Education

5 Government and politics

6 Transport
o 6.1 Local transport
o 6.2 Roads
o 6.3 Railways
o 6.4 Airport

7 Demographics

8 Places of interest

9 Culture

10 Media
o 10.1 Electronic media
o 10.2 Television and E-media
o 10.3 Print media

11 Sports
o 11.1 Teams
o 11.2 Stadiums

12 Gallery

13 See also

14 References

15 Further reading

16 External links

History

The Bhojeshwar Temple near Bhopal, dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, was built by the king
Bhoja about 1050 AD.[9]
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).[10][11] (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 Hindi and "Bhoopal" in English.)
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.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14]
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.[15]
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.[16] 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
Main article: 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.[17][18] The impact of
the disaster continues to this day in terms of psychological and neurological disabilities,
blindness, skin, vision, breathing and birth disorders.[19][20][21] The soil and ground water near the
factory site has been contaminated by the toxic wastes.[21][22] 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.[8] 3 December is
annually observed as the official day of mourning, and every year, all government offices in
Bhopal remain closed on this day. For a detailed report by Dr. Varadarajan and CSIR scientists
on Bhopal disaster, see also [1]

Geography

A view of upper lake, part of the city and the hilly Vindhya terrain.
Bhopal has earned a good reputation in Tourism industry and is widely known for its surrounding
beautiful regions. 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 prominent hills in Bhopal are Idgah hills and Shyamala hills in the northern

region, Katara hills in southern region. City's geography has in it two lakes namely upper lake
and lower lake.
Bhopal
J

Climate chart (explanation)

F M A M J
J A S O N D

13

7.8

24
9

7.2

28
11

34
17

4.5

38
22

41
26

114

37
25

356

31
23

388

29
22

196

26

14

12

31 32 29 25
21 18 12 10

Average max. and min. temperatures in C

Precipitation totals in mm
[show]Imperial conversion

According to current master plan, the municipality covers 697 square kilometres It has two big
lakes, collectively known as the 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).
[hide]Climate data for Bhopal

Month

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Record
high C

33.0 37.6 40.7 44.4 46.0 45.6 41.2

35.6 37.4 39.6 35.3 32.8
(91.4 (99.7) (105.3 (111.9 (114.8 (114.1 (106.2) (96.1) (99.3) (103.3 (95.5) (91)

46

(F)

Average
high C
(F)

25.3
38.3 40.7
28.3 33.5
37.2
(77.5
(100.9 (105.3
(82.9) (92.3)
(99)
)
)
)

30.7
(87.3)

28.9
(84)

(114.8)

30.5 32.0 28.9 26.0 31.7

(86.9) (89.6) (84) (78.8) (89.1)

10.5

Average
12.4 17.1 21.8 25.7 25.4 23.2
22.5 21.6 18.5 14.2 10.9 18.6
(50.9
low C (F)
(54.3) (62.8) (71.2) (78.3) (77.7) (73.8) (72.5) (70.9) (65.3) (57.6) (51.6) (65.5)
)

0.6

Record low
1.7
6.1
(33.1
C (F)
(35.1) (43)
)

12.2 16.7 19.5 19.0

16.8 13.8 11.7 6.1
1.0
0.6
(54) (62.1) (67.1) (66.2) (62.2) (56.8) (53.1) (43) (33.8) (33.1)

Average
13.2 8.7
8.4
4.3 11.7 120.2 354.1 363.3 185.1
12.1 11.0 1,123.1
precipitatio
31.0
(0.52 (0.343 (0.331 (0.169 (0.461 (4.732 (13.941 (14.303 (7.287
(0.476 (0.433 (44.216
n mm
(1.22)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
(inches)

Source: [23][24]

Economy
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 in Bhopal. It occupies a large area in the Eastern Part of the city and maintains a
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.[25] 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.[26] 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.[27]
Mandideep is an industrial suburb of Bhopal. It is located to the South of the city on the NH 12.
[28]
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.[29]
Apart from that, Mandideep also houses the manufacturing plant of Makson group of company,
Eicher Tractors for the oldest tractor manufacturers in India.

Education
See also: List of educational institutions in Bhopal
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and removed. (March 2014)

National Law Institute University

IIFM arc
Bhopal has more than 550 state government-sponsored schools, which are affiliated to the
Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education (MPBSE). 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. Campion

School, Delhi Public School Bhopal and The Sanskaar Valley School are highly regarded
throughout the country.
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.
The universities headquartered in the city include Barkatullah University, Rajiv Gandhi
Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (Rajiv Gandhi Technical University), Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open
University (for distance education), National Law Institute University and the Makhanlal
Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication.
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), established in 1960, is the oldest
institute for technology education in the city. The University Institute of Technology (formerly
Government Engineering College), established in 1986, is the second oldest engineering college
in the city. There are several other public and private engineering schools (numbering almost
200) located in and around the city.
Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, established in 1955, is among the oldest medical college in
Madhya Pradesh and was established in 1955. All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
was established in 2012 by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
The Indian Institute of Forest Management founded in 1982 is an autonomous institution,
established by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, 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).[30]
IISER, MANIT, SPA and AIIMS are categorized by the Government of India as Institutes of
National Importance.

Government and politics

Vidhan Bhawan, which houses the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

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.[31] 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 648.24 km. The city is divided into 85 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.
The Bhopal Municipal Corporation was ranked 3rd out of 21 Cities for best governance &
administrative practices in India in 2014. It scored 3.7 on 10 compared to the national average of
3.3.[32]

Transport
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 Taxi 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.[33]
A metro rail project is under implementation for the city and expected date is 2020.[34]

Roads

Bhopal road
National Highway No.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,[35]
called the Kushabhau Thakre Inter State Bus Terminal which was inaugurated in 2011.[36]

Railways

Habibganj railway station

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[37] 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.[37]

Habibganj Railway Station[37] 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.
[citation needed]

Misrod Railway Station[37] is located in the Misrod suburb of the city.

Mandideep Railway Station[37] is located in the industrial town of Mandideep.

Sukhsewanagar

Bairagarh[37] is located in the north-western Bairagarh suburb.

Airport
Main article: Bhopal Airport
The Raja Bhoj International Airport is located near the satellite suburb Bairagarh.[38][39]
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.

Demographics
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] The chief languages is Hindi.
The common street dialect spoken in Bhopal, especially in older regions of the city is termed as
"Bhopali".

Places of interest
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article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged
and removed. (March 2014)
Nature

Lower Lake in Bhopal - a city of lakes

Lower Lake - The lake was created in 1794 to beautify the city.

Bhojtal, previously called Upper Lake or Bada Talaab.

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 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.[citation needed]
About 10 kilometres from the city is Hathaikheda, a place for water and fishing sports.

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]
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 prehistoric 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.
[citation needed]
The mosque is also used as a madrasah (Islamic school) during the day time."Taj-ulMasajid". 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.[citation needed]

Taj-ul-Masajid
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.[citation needed]

Birla Temple at Arera Hills, Bhopal.

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.[citation needed]

Stupa at Sanchi, another UNESCO world heritage site near Bhopal

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 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.[citation
needed]

Activity centers

A leopard in Van Vihar, Bhopal

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]

Culture
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.[citation needed]
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.

Rabari house is one of the cultural displays at IGRMS under Indian government's Ministry of
Culture.
The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), an autonomous organization of
Govt. of India, 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.

Media
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, 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

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.

Television and E-media

Bhopal has its own Radio and Television stations (All India Radio and Doordarshan
respectively). Local Television and internet media networks include Digi Networks,ITDC India
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, sandhya prakash etc. are the main Hindi dailies published
from here.

Sports
Bhopal has got very significant value in the field of sports and personality development of youth
through various sports games. Apart from cricket, hockey and football are significantly in the
city.
Directorate Sports and Youth Welfare is established by state government of Madhya Pradesh
entitled for the development in the field of sports and youth welfare located in Bhopal.

Teams
Bhopal Badshahs is hockey team based in Bhopal that plays in World Series Hockey. The team is
captained by Indian hockey player Sameer Dad and coached by Vasudevan Bhaskaran who was
the captain of India's Olympic victory in 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Badshahs defeated
Chandigarh Comets in the inaugural match of 2012 World Series Hockey 4-3. Aishbagh Stadium
in Bhopal is the home ground of Bhopal Badshahs. Dainik Bhaskar is the global partner for
Bhopal Badshahs.

Stadiums

Aishbagh Stadium is a field hockey stadium in Bhopal. It has a seating capacity of more
than 10,000 people. In 2009, a newly laid poly grass and flood light system was unveiled
at the stadium. It is the home venue for the World Series Hockey team, Bhopal Badshahs.
The Obaidullah Gold Cup hockey tournament is the major International tournament
organize every year.

Bhopal International Cricket Stadium is a projected cricket stadium for the city. The
project was declared in 2012 and four sites where chosen Mugalia Chaap, Mugalia Kort,
Fatehpura Dogar and Acharpura. The stadium will be located in 25 acres of land will
have a seating capacity of 50,000 spectators.

TT Nagar Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium is Bhopal. The stadium is the base of

Madhya Pradesh State Men's Hockey Academy,Madhya Pradesh State Equestrian
Academy, Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy, Madhya Pradesh State Water Sports
Academy and DSYW Academy.

Gallery

Raja Bhoja Statue at Bhoj Taal(Upper Lake) VIP Road

Gohar Mahal

Boat Club at Upper Lake

Upper Lake Beauty


Gol Ghar

Upper Lake From VIP Road

VIP Road side Decorated Walls

Taj Mahal view from Motia Talab

Taj-ul Masajid Gate

Taj-ul Masajid Another Gate

Madarsa in Taj-ul-Masjid

Moti Masjid

Sadar Manzil


Rani Kamlapati Mahal

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya

Shoukat Mahal

Vidhansabha at Arera Hills

Bharat Bhawan


Bhopal Van Vihar National Park

Jain Temple at Manuabhan Ki Tekri

Mantralaya, Vallabh Bhavan

Campion School

Tropic of Cancer board near Bhopal

See also

Bhopal (Lok Sabha constituency)

Bhopal disaster

Dow Chemical Company

References
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Commissioner, Government of India. Retrieved 2013-03-12.
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provinces. Mapin. ISBN 978-81-89995-30-0.
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Kamla Mittal (1990). History of Bhopal State. Munshiram Manoharlal. p. 2.
OCLC 551527788.
"BMC History". 15 May 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-12.
S.R. Bakshi and O.P. Ralhan (2007). Madhya Pradesh Through the Ages. Sarup & Sons.
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Largest Industrial Disaster. India: Universities Press. ISBN 81-7371-515-7.
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1.

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Further reading

Sinha, Indra (2007). Animal's People. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-7878-9.

Lapierre, Dominique (2002). Five Past Midnight in Bhopal. Warner Books. ISBN 07432-2035-8.

Khan, Shaharyar. Begums of Bhopal, A Dynasty of Women Rulers in Raj India. ISBN 186064-528-3.

Singh, J.P. (1998). City Planning in India: A Study of Land Use of Bhopal. Mittal
Publications, India. ISBN 81-7099-705-4.

Shrivastava, Paul (1987). Bhopal: Anatomy of a Crisis. Paul Chapman, London.

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 99903-0915-9.

D'Silva, Themistocles (2006). The Black Box of Bhopal. Trafford Publishing. ISBN 14120-8412-1.

<https://bhopalgasdisaster.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/csir-report-onscientific-studies-december-1985.pdf>

External links
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Official Website of Bhopal City

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