that on moonlit
nights, would drift across the lake. The two lakes
of Bhopal still dominate the city, and are indeed
its nucleus. Little wonder then that Bhopal is called
the
City of Lakes. The city itself
sits on the banks of a vast lake spanning almost 10
square miles, which dominates the landscape and gives
it a magnetic, mesmerizing quality. The tranquility
of the lake is perhaps responsible for the calm, laid-back
attitude that pervades the entire city. Bordered along
their shores stand silent sentinels that testify to
the growth of a city.
Once a small, sleepy town with lush forests and relaxed
days filled with
shatranj
(chess), of
shikar (hunting),
picnics, and quiet fishing trips. Bhopal today offers
a versatile profile; the old city with its teeming
market places and fine old mosques and palaces still
bears the aristocratic impression of its former rulers,
among them the succession of powerful Begums who ruled
Bhopal from 1819 to 1926. Equally impressive is the
new city with its verdant, exquisitely laid out parks
and gardens, broad avenues and streamlined modern
edifices and wide, clean, well-lit roads lined with
bright, Gulmohar trees.
A trip around the walled city of Bhopal reminds
you of the charm of the lives led by the Nawabs
and Begums at yore. The mosques and the temples
evoke the curiosity of onlookers. Among other attractions
is the Laxmi Narayan Temple situated to the south
of the Lower Lake on the Arera Hills. The Moti
Masjid, built by Sikander Jahan Begum in
1860 A.D., is similar in style to Delhi's Jama Masjid,
and has two dark red minarets crowned by golden
spikes. The Taj-ul Masjid is a
huge pink mosque with two massive white-domed minarets.
The Shaukat Mahal, situated in
the heart of the walled city, is built in an European
style rather than the predominantly Islamic architecture
of the area. Nearby is the Sadar Manzil,
what used to be the hall of public audience of the
former rulers of Bhopal. Besides, the Upper and
Lower Lakes, and the adjoining zoo called Van
Vihar, are well worth a visit while on
a trip to this city of lakes.
The history of Bhopal dates back
to the 11th century A.D., when the legendary King
Bhoj built it. It is believed that the name Bhopal
is a distortion of the founder's name. However, the
region soon came under Mughal rule and remained a
part of that empire till the death of the Emperor
Aurangzeb in 1707 A.D.
After a few years of turmoil, the small princely state
of Bhopal and the present-day city, was founded by
an Afghan soldier called Dost Mohammad in A.D. 1723.
He is said to have assisted Rani Kamalapathi, the
queen of the Gond tribals of the Norbada region, in
protecting her territory from the attacks at the Rajput
Thakurs. Due to the lack of capable male rulers, the
Begums of the royal family ruled Bhopal for close
to almost a 100 years after that. The Begums were
deeply religious and conservative, led very austere
lives, and were keenly interested in the administrative
aspects of the state. The third Begum, Nawab Sultan
Jahan, was one of the most able rulers of the state.
Her son Nawab Hamidullah ascended the masnad (throne)
in A.D. 1926, and was deeply involved in the political
developments of his time. He had believed it imperative
for the princes to remain united during Partition
and advocated this strongly in his capacity as Chancellor
of the Chamber of Princes. Bhopal was one of the last
states to sign the 'Instrument of Accession' in A.D.
1947. Thus, it was under him that Bhopal's transformed
from a sleepy town into a major developing metropolis.
