• PAGE ONE
• INDEX
• HOME

Get off at Bhopal

Shona Adhikari

I was lucky to be staying in the perfect place. Sitting on the terrace of the Omar Taj Suite at the Noor-us-Sabah Palace while dusk fell, I was able to watch the glorious sight of the sun setting over the lake. As the sky turned orange, the re flections in the lake took on the same hue... fading into an orange-grey and then into darkness. This was Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, a city that I had wanted to visit for a long time. The Bhopal tragedy was still fresh in my mind bu t sitting in this serene spot, it was difficult to reconcile the disaster with this beautiful city.

Noor-us-Sabah, meaning the `light of dawn' was a palace earlier owned by the ruling family of the State of Bhopal; at the entrance there is a portrait of the Begum who was on the throne when it was built. Also to be seen is a royal palanquin; and opposit e this is the State's insignia, normally carried before the royal carriage at State functions. The Begum was a descendent of the Afghan chief, Dost Mohammed Khan, who laid out the city in its present state. Dost Mohammed was in charge of Bhopal during Mu ghal emperor, Aurangzeb's reign and, after his death in 1707, took over the State. The old city was built by him and was ruled by his descendants upto India's independence in 1947.

However, the city dates back well before that and is said to have been founded in the 11th century by Raja Bhoja who is also credited with building the twin lakes. Named after its founder, Bhopal was earlier known as Bhojpal and Raja Bhoja's legacy is th e huge Bhojeshwar Temple, some distance from the city which he left incomplete. The city, devastated by successive invaders, was finally rebuilt in the 18th century by Dost Muhammad.

The history of Bhopal is unique among States in India. It is the only State that was ruled by a succession of three female monarchs. They were considered competent rulers because of the developments they initiated in the city, including a postal system, railways and modern waterworks. Being pragmatic rulers, they negotiated and maintained good relations with the British, who in turn treated the rulers with respect. Bhopal was a calm and peaceful place till it made world headlines after the gas tragedy i n 1984. The shell of the Union Carbide factory remains a grim reminder of those horrific times and is almost a place of tourist interest.

Bhopal is where the old and new co-exist in perfect harmony. However, it is apparent that the upkeep of old monuments and buildings has not been a priority and some really beautiful structures are crumbling. On the other hand, the city, which is spread o ver seven hills with two lovely lakes, now has a splendid new beach road circling the lakes -- a major attraction.

The Taj-ul-Masjid, one of Bhopal's more recent monuments, was begun under Shah Jahan Begum who ruled from 1868 to 1901, but was completed only in the 1970s. Other important mosques include the Jama Masjid built in 1837 and the Moti Masjid in 1860. The ch owk area of the old city is full of gracious old homes with their distinctive architecture, havelis in narrow lanes, large mosques and shops stocked with the crafts of the region -- bead work, embroidered and sequinned handbags and silver jewellery.

A unique art centre is Bharat Bhawan, designed by the eminent architect, Charles Correa. Within these sprawling premises, art activities of all kinds are carried on with visiting artists and theatre people constantly visiting the venue. It has a fine col lection of contemporary Indian art with major works by most of India's leading artists. For art lovers, a visit is worthwhile as many of the paintings and sculptures have seldom been seen elsewhere. The museum of folk art, a repository of the rich folk a rt traditions of Madhya Pradesh, finds expression through pottery and art workshops held regularly on the premises. However, it is the repertory theatre of Bharat Bhawan that is really famous and there are shows at the in-house auditorium every evening. Visiting international theatre directors and actors also help keep the theatre activities of Bharat Bhawan alive.

Bhopal is the best base for many interesting excursions. The main palace of Dost Mohammad at Islamnagar is just 11 km away. The palace is well worth a visit for its inspired combination of Islamic and Hindu architectural features. Within the palace compl ex, the Chaman Mahal and the two-storeyed Rani Mahal deserve special mention.

On the road to Bhimbetka, a short diversion takes you to Bhojpur. Located on a rocky mound is Raja Bhoja's massive Bhojeshwar Temple, designed in massive proportions with steep stairs. The temple is said to have never been completed; an ancient scaffoldi ng used for lifting stones can still be seen side by side with the new scaffolding, put up in an effort to restore and complete the temple. But incomplete as it is, it still attracts a large number of pilgrims who come to pray at the Shivling installed w ithin.

Bhimbetka, located 45 km south of Bhopal, has approximately 500 caves discovered fairly recently where the most amazing rock paintings can be seen.

Some of these are said to date as far back as 12,000 years and some seem to have been painted over, indicating that these caves were used by succeeding generations. The colours of the paintings are remarkably well preserved with depictions of wild buffal o, rhinos, bears and tigers. Human figures also feature in the paintings -- in hunting scenes, dancing, drinking and religious scenes. The caves are on a hill and are not difficult to find with 15 of them being within easy reach. The cave known as the `Z oo Rock Shelter' has a variety of animal paintings. It is best to drive up to the caves and to carry something to drink as there are no facilities of any kind near the caves.

Sanchi, one of India's most important Buddhist sites, lies 46 km north-east of Bhopal; in fact, trains from Delhi stop at Sanchi station before going on to Bhopal. This is the site of the Great Stupa, considered India's oldest stone structure -- a majest ic dome built over Buddhist relics surrounded by an intricately carved railing with four ornate gateways. Besides the main stupa, there are a number of prayer halls with distinct Greco-Roman influences. There are also a number of monasteries, smaller vot ive stupas and innumerable other ruins, including foundations and pillars of residences or temples, as well as a water tank, and a large begging bowl carved out of a single rock, where the offerings for the monks would be collected. It is still a thrill to see the Lion Capital which the Indian Government uses as one of its symbols.

From Sanchi, a short drive takes one to Udaigiri, a rocky hillock where a number of caves have been carved out. Here, there are some fine images of Vishnu, Durga, Ganesha and an unusual Shivling with Shiva's image carved on it. Another very important ima ge is that of Vishnu reclining on Sesh Nag, on the ocean. Though the image is damaged, one marvels at the concept in which waves have been carved on the face of the rocks to represent the ocean, all down the steps.

During the Mauryan rule, Vidisha was an important town and Emperor Ashoka's wife is said to have hailed from Vidisha. Lying fairly close to Sanchi and very close to Udaigiri, it may have been the location of the Mauryan court. There is not much of the pa st to be seen now though it is said that the earliest use of cement in India was found here. However, at the Vidisha railway station, there is a museum with some fine pieces recovered from the area.

Between Vidisha and Udaigiri is an interesting pillar with inscriptions, commonly referred to by locals as `Khamb Baba'. It was erected as far back as 140 B.C. by Heliodoros, a Greek ambassador to the Mauryan court who hailed from Taxila. The pillar was erected to celebrate the conversion of Heliodorous to Hinduism. The pillar is dedicated to Vishnu and worshipped by the fishermen in the region.

Before you leave Bhopal, make a visit to some of the old monuments -- especially the Taj Mahal. Earlier known as the Raj Mahal, it was renamed `Taj Mahai' on a suggestion by the Viceroy of India to the ruling monarch, Shah Jahan Begum -- prior to the vis it of the Prince of Wales. A splendid complex of palaces with a garden courtyard with covered walkways, it is now in total ruins. With the ceiling near the entrance having collapsed, one has to clamber over stones to get inside. That Bhopal's heritage is still alive can be seen here in the palace PWD guard, Komal Singh Rajput, who is very proud of the palace and continues to guard it as though it were still the residence of royalty.

Pictures by the author

Fact file

How to get there

By air: Indian Airlines connects Bhopal with Delhi, Mumbai, Gwalior and Indore.

By rail: Bhopal is best-connected by rail on the Delhi-Chennai line. It is also connected with Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore, Amritsar and Secunderabad.

Where to stay: Middle and upper-level accommodation is available.

Best time to visit: September to February.

Pic.: Sanchi