Bhopal

Bhopal is the state capital of Madhya Pradesh in central India, stretching across hills and several lakes that shape the city layout. The northern districts show colonial-era buildings and wide avenues, while the southern quarters concentrate around the Lower Lake with mosques and narrow lanes forming the older town.

The city developed from 1707 when an Afghan soldier built a fort and turned the settlement into a local power center. In the 19th century, Muslim princesses ruled the territory, giving the place its particular architectural and cultural character.

In the old town, workshops remain active where weavers and embroiderers sell their work directly from small ateliers along the narrow lanes. Around the mosques, open-air markets trade in embroidered textiles and metalwork, while families gather by the water in the evenings for quiet walks.

The city is reached by plane through Raja Bhoj Airport or by train via the central railway station, which links all directions across the country. Within the city, auto-rickshaws and local buses run regularly, and the lakes and large mosques serve as helpful landmarks for finding your way around.

A national park sits within city limits, where visitors can observe tigers, lions, and leopards in forested zones without leaving town. The animals live in semi-open enclosures here, allowing people to see them from pathways without traveling into remote wilderness.