|
Jama Masjid
Gold spikes crown the minarets of this beautiful mosque built in 1837 by
Kudsia Begum.
Moti Masjid
Architecturally akin to Delhi's Jama Masjid, this imposing mosque was
built by Sikander Jehan, daughter of Kudsia Begum, in 1860.
 Shaukat
Mahal and Sadar Manzil
Situated at the entrance to the Chowk area in the heart of the walled
city, Shaukat Mahal is an architectural curiosity. Its mixture of styles
in Occidental idioms sets it apart from the predominantly Islamic
architecture of the area. It was designed by a Frenchman, said to be a
descendent of an offshoot of the Bourbon Kings of France. Post
Renaissance and Gothic styles are combined to charming effect here.
Nearby is the elegant once-opulent Sadar Manzil, Hall of Public
Audience, of the former rulers of Bhopal.
 Taj-ul-Masajid
The Taj-ul-Masajid is one of the largest mosques in Asia, built by Nawab
Shahjehan Begum around a courtyard with a large tank in the centre and
with an imposing double storeyed gate-way with 4 recessed archways and 9
imposing cusped multifoiled openings in the main prayer hall. The Quibla
wall in the prayer hall is carved with 11 recessed arches, while the
mimber is made of black basalt.
The structure is
enlivened by the limpid expanse of water in the tank outside the
northern wall. The monumentality of this structure was much greater
originally when it faced the towering bastions of the Fatehgarh Fort. A
three-day Ijtima congregation held here annually draws people from all
over the country.
Gohar Mahal
Situated behind Shaukat Mahal on the banks of the Upper Lake is Gohar
Mahal, which is an architectural gem dating back to the times of Kudsia
Begum, also known as Gohar Begum, who built this sprawling palace in
1820. The Mahal is a magnificent expression of the fusion of Hindu and
Mughal architecture.
 Bharat
Bhawan
One of the most unique national institutes in India, Bharat Bhawan is a
centre for the performing and visual arts. Designed by renowned
architect, Charles Correa, the contours of Bharat Bhawan merge in
exquisite harmony with the landscape creating a visual impact of
spacious and natural elegance. The centre houses a museum of the arts,
an art gallery, a workshop for fine arts, a repertory theater, indoor
and outdoor auditoria, a rehearsal room and libraries of Indian poetry,
classical and folk music. Open from 2 pm to 8 pm everyday except
Mondays.
 Indira
Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (A Post Colonial Museum)
The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (National Museum of
Mankind) is a unique Museum, spread over 200 acres of undulating land on
the Shamla Hills on the Upper Lake front. It is situated in a
prehistoric site and may be the only museum in the world strewn with
numerous prehistoric painted rock shelters. It is a post colonial museum
of communities rather than objects, dedicated to in situ revitalisation
of local knowledge systems and life enhancing traditions rather than ex
situ display of objects. It is engaged in recollection rather than
collection. The museum display has been curated directly by the folk and
tribal communities, camping at site, to create a miniature presentation
of Indian folk ways through display of ecospecific habitations &
subsistance practices in the tribal, coastal, desert, and Himalayan
habitats.
The library, audio-visual
archive, computerised documentation and the collection of ethnographic
specimens in the Museum, though modest in size are among the best in the
world.
Government Archaeological Museum
A fine collection of sculptures are on display here from various parts
of Madhya Pradesh. Highlights of the collection are: paintings of
various schools, copies of paintings from the Bagh caves near Mandu and
the statues of Alakshmi and the Buddha. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Laxmi Narayan Temple and Museum
This beautiful temple on the Arera Hills has a Museum attached to it
which houses a collection of sculptures from Raisen, Sehore, Mandsaur
and Shahdol districts of Madhya Pradesh.
The museum is open from
9am to 5pm everyday except Mondays.
Van Vihar
This safari-park is located on a hill adjacent to the Upper Lake, with
an area of 445 hectares. In these natural surroundings, wildlife
watchers can view a variety of herbivorous and carnivorous species.
Open everyday, except
Tuesday, from 7-11 am and 3-5.30 pm.
Regional Science Centre
Basically a science museum, located on the picturesque Shamala Hills,
Regional Science Centre houses about 300 participatory exhibits
distributed equally in 'Invention' & 'Fun Science' galleries, and a 'taramandal'
(Planetarium).
The museum remains open
from 10.30 am to 6.30 pm on all days except Mondays.
Chowk
In the heart of the city, the Chowk is lined with old mosques, havelis,
reminders of a bygone era. The shops in its narrow alleys are treasure
troves of traditional Bhopali crafts : silver jewellery, exquisitely
fashioned beadwork, embroidered and sequined velvet fashioned purses and
cushions.
 Upper
and Lower Lakes
The Upper Lake is divided from the Lower Lake by an overbridge. M. P.
Tourism's Boat Club on the Upper Lake provides facilities for exciting
trips by sail, paddle and motor boats.
Aquarium
Facing the Lower Lake, the fish-shaped aquarium houses a number of
fascinating species of fish in all shapes and sizes.
 Taj-ul-Masajid
The massive pillars in the hall create 27 ceilings through squinched
arches and of these, 16 ceilings are decorated with ornate petalled
designs. Some of the remarkable features of this great mosque are the 18
storey high octagonal minars, onion-shaped marble domes and the
gossamer-fine screens of trellis work in the prayer hall.
 The
Museum is engaged in field activities, and in collaborative projects,
nationally and internationally, in subjects as varied as tribal and folk
medicines in the history, movement and sharing of waters in location
specific alternatives to mega developmental programmes, in
ecoconservation approaches, evolved by communities, in inter and intra
regional transfer of knowledge in art and craft, and in R&D initiatives
for combating the ecological and biological extinction of human and
nonhuman communities.
|
