The city of lakes, Bhopal enthrals you with its cultural and religious blend. Along with the heritage sites, contributions from the reigns of various dynasties, this place has safely nested some of the famous temples and mosques.
While planning your trip along with all the hotel booking in Bhopal, mark these mosques and temples as must-visits.
Moti Masjid:
Located at the heart of Bhopal, that is, the busy market place chowk bazaar, this mosque is a significant one. Similar to the ‘Taj-ul-masjid’, this mosque also symbolizes female emancipation, and owes its constructional origin to Sikander Begum, daughter of Qudisiya Begum in the year of 1860.The high minarets of this mosque will once again remind you about the architectural style of the Mughal era. This red-bricked building owes its name, ‘Moti Masjid’ or ‘pearl mosque’ to its shiny, white marble halls.
Sanchi:
Around thirty kilometers from Bhopal,expands a collection of Buddhist stupas at Sanchi. Prior to the deathof Gautam Buddha, his disciples had built eight shrines to commemorate his priceless preaching.Out of these, the Nagas have preserved one shrine. Mauryan king Ashoka, after embracing Buddhism, had rebuilt the remains of Gautam Buddha from the remaining seven shrines, into over one thousand shrines or stupas.Sariputraand Mahamogallana– disciples of Gautam Buddha, remains of whose, are said to have been preserved in a SriLankan shrine at Sanchi. Thousands of people visit this sacred land of Sanchi on the occasion of Buddha Purnima.
JamaMasjid:
With a close resemblance to the Jama Masjid of Delhi, this red-bricked mosque sprawls over an area of around four lacs and thirty thousand square feet. This place is more popular as ‘Taj-ul-masjid’- ‘crown of mosques’- and is the largest of all mosques in India.One can spend as much time, sitting by the lake, ‘Motia Talab’ near this mosque. The splendour of Islamic architecture is depicted by every inch of this beautifully carved out masterpiece. This mosque has lived up to the meaning of its name, ‘Taj-ul-Masjid’, with its magnificence. The eight-sided minarets of this mosque are as high as eighteen-storied buildings. The high red-bricked walls complement the shiny white-marbled floors of the halls inside. A long flight of stairs leads you to the prayer area.The echoes of children studying here will touch your hearts. On Fridays, this place witnesses around one lac and seventy-five thousand people praying. Within a distance of about three kilometres from the railway station, this place is a must-visit in Bhopal!
Lakshmi Narayana temple:
Located on the hills of Arera, this temple is one of the famous spots in Bhopal. Beautiful idols of Lakshmi, goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Vishnu, along with idols of Lord Shiva and Parvati are nestled in this temple. This temple is often referred to as the Birla Mandir, owing to the Birla group of builders.With the location on the hill-top, towards south of Bhopal’s lower lake, this Lakshmi Narayana temple offers a splendid panoramic view of the whole city of Bhopal. A collection of age-old antique sculptures, from Shahdol, Mandsaur, Sehore, and Raisen, various districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh, are housed in a museum, mostly referred to as the Birla Museum, inside the temple premises. The fountains, the colourfully floral garden, lush green of the place undoubtedly calm your inner soul.
If you are running short of leaves, and still travel is on your mind, Bhopal is the right place you should plan for. Along with the historic buildings, Bhopal can also serve you with the best of amenities (like spa)at its luxury hotels. If yours is a budget-trip, you can always go for the hotels in Bhopal with rates with lesser pocket-pinch.This historic city of Bhopal apart from the forts and buildings nestles some of the best places serving your search for solace to the utmost.