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Places around Bhopal
Islamnagar
Located 11 km away on the Bhopal-Berasia Road, past the infamous Union
Carbide Factory (the poisonous gas leakage causing the worst industrial disaster in1984), Islamnagar is a small village known for the palace of Bhopal's Afghan rulers
built by Dost Mohammed Khan. Gardens surround the palace and the pavilion. The
pavilion, a synthesis of Hindu and Islamic decorative art, has pillars richly
decorated with floral motifs. Other important monuments are the hamam (baths) of the Chaman Mahal and the
double-storeyed Rani Mahal.
Bhojpur
Located 28 Kms from Bhopal, Bhojpur is famous for the magnificent 11th
century Shiva temple, 'Bhojeshwar Mandir' and the lake constructed by the
legendary Parmar King of Dhar, Raja Bhoj (1010-1053). The enormous Shiva Lingam
in the temple carved out of a single rock over a three tiered square sandstone
platform, is the largest in India. The Lingam is 7.5 ft tall with nearly 21.5 ft
circumference. The temple is a simple square with a richly carved dome supported
by four pillars guarded by two ornamental figures at the entrance. There is a
simple Jain shrine nearby which has a 6m high black statue of a Thirthankara and
two smaller ones.A very colourful and big mela is organised here on the occasion of the
festival 'Maha Shivratri'.
Bhim Bhetka
Bhim Bhetka based on the northern fringe of Vindhya Mountain ranges is a major tourist attraction 46 Kms from Bhopal.
The site has South A sia's richest collection of prehistoric paintings and other
archeological discoveries. In the rocky terrain of dense forest and craggy cliffs, over
1000 rock shelters belonging to the Neolithic age were discovered in 1957, by VS
Wakanker of the Vikram University, Ujjain. The paintings in over 500 caves
depict the life of the prehistoric cave dwellers and a smaller number have
evidence of Stone Age habitation from the lower Palaetholic period to the late
Mesolithic, making the Bhimbetika group an archaeological treasure. It was
declared a UNESCO World heritage site in July 2003, thus becoming the 22nd site
in India to receive the status.
The oldest paintings are believed to be up to 1200 years old. Executed mainly in red and white with the occasional use of green and yellow,
the scenes usually depict hunting, dancing, music, horse and elephant riders, animals fighting, honey collection, decoration of bodies, disguises, masking and household scenes. Animals such as bison's, tigers, lions, wild boar, elephants, antelopes, dogs, lizards, crocodiles etc, have been abundantly depicted in some caves. Popular religious and ritual symbols also occur frequently.
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