648.24 km2
1,995,648 as recorded in 2011
November to February
0755
Bhopal is the capital city of Madhya Pradesh. Just like Udaipur, Bhopal is also called the City of Lakes for the natural and artificial lakes it houses. Bhopal is also one of the greenest cities of India. The city is divided into Old Bhopal and New Bhopal which have stark differences in terms of their look and infrastructure. Many noted educational, scientific and health institutions are located in this city. Internationally, Bhopal got highlighted for an unfortunate tragedy in 1984, when certain harmful gases got leaked from the Union Carbide factory and resulted in one of the worst industrial disasters of the world.
Bhopal is reckoned to have been founded by king Bhoja of the Paramara dynasty, after whom the city and many other prominent places of the city have been named. Another theory suggests that the city was named after king Bhupala. Bhopal, after being ruled by Mughals, Marathas and some other princely rulers, was finally joined in the Indian union on 1 June 1949.
Climate and Geography
Situated in the Malwa Plateau region of central India, Bhopal has an average elevation of 500m. The city is positioned just north of the upper limit of Vindhya Mountain Range. There are some small hills inside the city also. Bhopal has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are extremely hot while winters are cool and dry and therefore suitable for visiting. The city gets reasonably good monsoon with occasional floods and thunderstorms.
Transportation
Being a capital city, Bhopal is very much urbanised and connected through all modes of transport.
Air: The Raja Bhoj Airport has frequent flying services to Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Indore, Chennai and Kolkata. It also gets international air traffic.
Rail: Bhopal is a major junction and receives trains from Central and Western Railway networks. Both express and passenger trains connect this city with others.
Roadways: The National Highway 12 and 86 pass through Bhopal, connecting it to Jabalpur, Indore and other major cities of Madhya Pradesh.
Local Transport: Metro Rail project is underway in Bhopal. Thousands of minibuses ply on the city roads. Other modes of travel are auto-rickshaws and cabs.
Shopping & Entertainment
Shopping in Bhopal is a must-do. People can take away bead work or embroidered purses, bags, shawls, tunics etc. Various fabrics, sarees and shawls can be bought from emporiums. There are some new malls where one can shop for brands. For art lover, Bharat Bhavan hosts plays and musical nights can be enjoyed at Ravindra Bhavan.