Many of you might have remembered Bhopal as the site of the tragic&nbsp;&nbsp; 1984 incident. The accident that shook not only India but also the whole world. In December, 1984 40 tonnes of Methyl Isocyanate leaked out of a chemical plant, created havoc in the city. The poisonous gas killed hundreds and thousands of people in that area. Still, inhabitants of Bhopal are suffering from that pollution. <br /> <br /> Historically, Bhopal was also the name of a Muslim princely state in central India. The city attracted international attention as a consequence of the Bhopal disaster, when the Union Carbide plant (now a part of Dow Chemical Company) leaked deadly Methyl Isocyanate gas during the night of December 3, 1984. The poisonous gas killed thousands of people in the city and its neighbouring areas, and thousands of others still suffer from its effects even two decades later. Since then, Bhopal has been a center of protests and campaigns which have been joined by many people across the globe.<br /> <br /> On 11 April 2005, the Indian Space Research Organisation established a Master Control Facility in Ayodhya Nagar, to control the movements of satellites.[2] It is the second of its kind in the country. The Indian Institute of Forest Management in Bhopal offers a unique MBA degree in Forest Management. Bhopal is one of the six cities chosen to have All India Institute of Medical Sciences Institute apart from Delhi.[3] The land has been allotted by the government and construction work has been started for the same.<br /> {mospagebreak}<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> History:</span><br /> Bhopal is said to have been founded by the Parmara King Bhoj (1000â€“1055), who had his capital at Dhar. The city was originally known as Bhojpal named after Bhoj and the dam ('pal') that he is said to have constructed to form the lakes surrounding Bhopal. The fortunes of Bhopal rose and fell with that of its reigning dynasty. As the Parmaras declined in power, the city was ransacked several times and finally faded away into obscurity.<br /> <br /> An Afghan soldier called Dost Mohammad Khan (not to be confused with the later Afghan King carrying the same name) laid out the present city at the same site following the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. He brought with himself the Islamic influence on the culture and architecture of Bhopal, the ruins of which can be found at Islam Nagar. Bhopal, the second largest Muslim state in pre-independence India[4] was ruled by four Begums from 1819 to 1926. Qudisa Begum was the first female ruler of Bhopal, who was succeeded by her only daughter Sikandar, who in turn was succeeded by her only daughter, Shahjehan. Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum was the last female ruler, and stepped down to her son. The succession of the â€˜Begumsâ€™ gave the city such innovations as waterworks, railways and a postal system. Several monuments still stand in the city as reminders of this glorious period in its history. A municipality was constituted in 1907.<br /> <br /> It was one of the last princely states to sign the 'Instrument of Accession' 1947. Though India achieved Independence in August 1947, the ruler of Bhopal acceded to the Indian government only on 1 May 1949. Sindhi refugees from Pakistan were accommodated in Bairagarh, a western suburb of Bhopal. According to the States Reorganization Act of 1956, Bhopal state was integrated into the state of Madhya Pradesh, and Bhopal was declared as its capital. The population of the city rose rapidly henceforth<br /> <br /> Coordinates: 23Â°15&#8242;N 77Â°25&#8242;E&#65279; / &#65279;23.25, 77.42 <br /> Time zone IST (UTC+5:30) <br /> Area<br /> â€¢ Elevation 308.14 kmÂ² (119 sq mi)<br /> â€¢ 427 m (1,401 ft) <br /> District(s) Bhopal <br /> Population<br /> â€¢ Density 1,482,718 (2001)<br /> â€¢ 160/kmÂ² (414/sq mi) <br /> Mayor Mr. Sunil Sood <br /> Codes<br /> â€¢ Pincode â€¢ 462001<br /> â€¢ Telephone â€¢  +91 (0)755<br /> â€¢ Vehicle  â€¢ MP-04 <br /> {mospagebreak}<br /> On December 3, 1984, a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal leaked 40 tons of toxic methyl isocyanate gas, leading to the Bhopal disaster. According to BBC, the death toll of the disaster was about 3,000 initially, with at least 20,000 additional deaths from related illnesses in the years following the disaster.[6] Greenpeace cites a total casualty figure of 20,000 as its conservative estimate.[7] The Bhopal disaster is often cited as the world's worst industrial disaster.<br /> <br /> Bhopal has an average elevation of 499 metres (1637 feet). Bhopal is located in the central part of India, and is just north of the upper limit of the Vindhya mountain ranges. Bhopal is a hilly and moderate weather area, with hot summers and cold damp winters. Located on the Malwa plateau, it is higher than the north Indian plains and the land rises towards the Vindhya Range to the south. The city has uneven elevation and has small hills within its boundaries. The major hills in Bhopal comprise of Idgah hills and Shyamala hills in the northern region and Arera hills in the central region. The summers are hot and dry and the temperatures soar as high as 40Â° to 42Â°C with a minimum of 24Â°C to 27Â°C. Winters are quite cold with temperature going down about 8Â°C, sometimes accompanied with heavy fog. The weather usually remains damp and misty. It rains moderately during the rainy season. Isolated rains are observed all through the year. The South-West monsoon reaches the city during mid-June and provides frequent showers till September-end/October-start. Light rainfalls are also recorded during December-January. It does hail generally during winter rains or sometimes even during June-July, the summer season.<br /> {mospagebreak}<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Economy:</span><br /> The city is divided into two major areas, the old city and the new city. The major industries in the old city are electrical goods, cotton, chemicals and jewellery. Other industries include cotton and flour milling, cloth weaving and painting, as well as matches, sealing wax, and sporting equipment.[10] The residents here also engage in small retail businesses. Handicraft is a major product of the old city. There is a huge demand for its very famous zardozi work, which is a kind of embroidery done on bridal dresses, sherwanis, and purses. Another famous handicraft of Bhopal is 'Batua', a small string purse, usually used with Indian traditional dresses.[11] There are a large number of garages in the older city which specialise in automobile conversion. These garages produce custom-modified and tuned cars, SUVs and motorbikes.<br /> <br /> Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in India, has a unit in Bhopal. It occupies a large area on the eastern side of the city and maintains a suburb named after it. A majority of the residents of the suburb are employed by the unit. Mandideep is an industrial suburb of Bhopal. It is located to the South of Bhopal on the Bhopal-Itarsi highway and houses a number of plants belonging to some of the reputed companies of India like Procter &amp; Gamble, Fujitsu, Eicher, L&amp;T, HEG and VA Tech Hydro. A North Western suburb of Bhopal called Bairagarh, which was earlier a camp for Sindhi refugees from Pakistan, has developed into market for textiles.<br /> <br /> Bhopal is also home to the Bhaskar Group which is a Rs. 1700 crore (Rs. 17 billion) business conglomerate with strong presence in newspapers, television, entertainment, printing, textiles, fast moving consumer goods, oils, solvents and internet services. Its head office is located in Maharana Pratap Nagar. Manjul Publishing House, located in the old city, is a major publishing house made famous by the translation of the Harry Potter series of novels into Hindi.<br /> <br /> The Madhya Pradesh State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd. is going to develop a Software &amp; Hardware Technology Park in Bhopal. Multinational companies like Genpact,Fujitsu and Taurus Microsystems are expected to open their centers in the Technology Park.<br /> <br /> Being a state capital, the new city has a majority of residents working for the State and Central Government Departments. There are two major office complexes on Arera Hills named Satpura and Vindhyachal, which house a number of State Government offices and projects. Adjacent to them is the State Secretariat, Vallabh Bhavan. In their vicinity are other State and Central Government offices which include major national banks and insurance companies. Bhopal's major commercial area is Maharana Pratap Nagar, which accommodates many business houses. There are a number of hardware as well as software vendors in this part of the city. Other businesses include daily newsletter offices and press, hotels and restaurants, coaching and tuition centers and entertainment.<br /> <br /> Bhopal has a cantonment in the old city as well as military presence near Bairagarh and the airport. The cantonment houses one of the Services Selection board centers that recruits troops and officers for the armed forces.<br /> {mospagebreak}<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> People:</span><br /> Bhopal is known for its exquisite manners and high culture. To this day, shairis and poetry recitals are as popular in Bhopal as in movies. Typical Bhopalis, residing in the old city, are known for their nafasat, or sophistication. Bhopal is famous for its culture of parda, zarda, garda aur namarda. Parda is a curtain, which was used to veil the women of the house from outsiders, zarda is a kind of tobacco product which is quite famous with Bhopalis, garda is loose dirt that used to blow around specially during hot summer days, and namarda meaning a eunuch. Eunuchs are an integral part of Bhopali culture as any celebration is incomplete without them. Basically found in the old city areas of Itwara, Mangalwara, Budhwara etc., they roam around the city and collect chanda, or donation, for every big festival such as Diwali, Holi, Eid etc. At special occasions like marriage or a child birth, they visit the families and demand huge sums for donations. At this moment they showcase their talent, which is singing and dancing. They have also started to contest elections at local and state levels.<br /> <br /> Bhopal has an extensive culture of paan eating. Paan is a preparation with a betel leaf topped with variety of seasonings, the most common being chuna, kattha and supari. Bhopali people treat paan preparation as a science and an art, which is perfected among the streets of Bhopal, a tradition passed down generations. The paans in Bhopal are wide in variety and innovations. Remember Soorma Bhopali from Sholay?<br /> <br /> Bhopalis celebrate all festivals with equal fervor. Diwali is celebrated with equal pomp and glory as Eid. People still visit each others houses and greet each other on various occasions. Gifts and sweets are exchanged and donations made to the poor. Diwali is celebrated by performing puja of the wealth goddess Lakshmi. Later in the night, fire-crackers are burst in the open by young and old with equal enthusiasm. Eid is special to the city as all the Hindus take time out to visit their Muslim friends and greet them and get treated with delicacies, the specialty of the day being sweet sewai. Bhopali culture is such that both Hindus and Muslims visit each other on their respective festivals to greet and exchange sweets. During Ganesh puja and Durga Puja (Navratras), idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Durga are established in jhankis throughout the city. People throng to offer prayers to their deities. At the end of Navratras, on the day of Vijayadashmi, or Dusshehra, huge effigies of Ravan are burnt in different parts of the city. Some of them are organized by the local administration and stand as tall as 60 feet.<br /> {mospagebreak}<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Sports:</span><br /> Cricket is popular in Bhopal. Although it does not have any stadium of international level, cricket at various levels is played at the Babe Ali stadium and the Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd. Sports Complex; the latter has even hosted a few matches at the national level.[26] At local level, cricket is played at Old Campion ground. Other tennis ball matches also take place in various parts of the city. The youngest captain of the Indian cricket team, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, was born and brought up in Bhopal. The Tatya Tope Stadium, located in the heart of the city, was a cricket stadium and held matches at local and state level.[27] But it has lately been converted into a multi-purpose stadium, with facilities for athletics, footbal, tennis, squash, table-tennis, volleball, basketball and a gymnasium.<br /> <br /> Bhopal is also known for its hockey lovers. The Aishbagh stadium is synonymous for hockey players. Many players reach different grounds for practice. The city has produced many national and international players for Indian hockey team. The more famous one being Aslam Sher Khan, who represented India in several international games and was a part of the World Cup winning team in 1975. He later joined politics and went on to become a Member of Parliamnet. He also served the national hockey by being a part of the national selection committee. His father, Ahmed Sher Khan, represented India at the Berlin Olympics in 1936 along with Major Dhyan Chand.[28]<br /> <br /> Another popular sport of Bhopalis is body building. In the old city, there are a number of gyms where youngsters workout everyday to make their body muscular. Slowly, this trend has caught up even in the new city where more modern equipments are being employed to help their members get into better shape. Body builders from the local gyms participate at national level and have tasted success at the state level. Apart from this, at school and college level, table-tennis, volleyball, basketball, football and swimming are also popular sports. Every summer, Sports Authority of India holds camps which provide coaching to students of various ages games and sports of their choices.<br /> <br /> Bhopal is also coming up as a center of adventure sports. Trekking camps are being organised by Youth Hostels and other private clubs[29] and their destinations are Budhni Ghat, Narsingarh, Ratapani Sanctuary, Delawadi, Bhimbetka, Manuabhan Ki Tekri etc. The government has also established India's first National Sailing Club[30] at the Boat Club, in the Upper Lake. This club offers various water sports such as kayaking, canoeing, rafting, water skiing, para-sailing etc. Since its inception, it has hosted Canoeing and Kayaking Championships at national[31] as well as international[32] levels. Other adventure sports include parasailing, paragliding, hot air ballooning etc.<br /><br />{mospagebreak}<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Travel and What to do in Bhopal?</span><br /><br />Bhopal is a fairly quiet city when it comes to things like night life, clubs, bars etc. Most of the restaurants close around 11 PM but a majority of good hotels in Bhopal will have a bar that is open atleast till mid-night. There are also a couple of clubs in hotels like Amer Palace and The Residency in the Maharana Pratap Nagar area where you can see the young of Bhopal dance the night away. <br />Bhopal makes an excellent starting point if you want to travel to some unexploited but breathtakingly beautiful places in Madhya Pradesh. <br /><br />Bhopal is a city rich in heritage and history. Its an amalgam of the old and the new, the rich and the poor, the wide roads of New Bhopal and the narrow &quot;gullies&quot; of Old Bhopal and a mix of planned development on one side with urban sprawl on the other. <br /><br />There are various old mosques in Bhopal that will give you a glimpse into the Mughal architecture, some of it from before the British raj and the people of Bhopal, particularly the mix of the Muslim and the Hindu population will also give you a glimpse of what makes India tick with so many different religions, different cultures living together. <br /><br />Some of the old mosques that are worth visiting are Taj-ul-Masajid (largest mosque in the country), Jama Masjid, Moti Masjid and Idgah. <br /><br />Its a must to visit the Old city market (chowk bazaar) and walk around the narrow lanes to see how the old city functions and also to get some great bargains on the special arts of Bhopal like the bead work and the hand embroidery that Bhopal is known for. <br /><br />On the modern side, the Government of Madhya Pradesh has made significant efforts to make Bhopal an important seat for the arts. Bharat Bhawan (http://www.mp.nic.in/culture/bhawan.htm) is an example of this and it is a center for performing arts with many nationally renowned artists showcasing their art through this institute. The institute boasts of art galleries, an outdoor theater, and a library rich with history of Indian poetry and arts. <br /><br />Another impressive museum worth visiting is the &quot;Museum of Man&quot; again created by the government of Madhya Pradesh to showcase how the tribals of the state live in their natural form, what they cultivate, what kind of tools they make and utilize in their daily lives etc. It has been created sprawled on a small hill and gives breath taking views of the city. <br /><br />Finally, no mention of what to see in Bhopal can be completed without talking about the two lakes that are the center of attraction for Bhopal. <br /><br />Upper Lake is a beautiful water body created during the time of King Bhoj. The story goes that the water of Upper Lake cured Raja Bhoj of a skin disease which otherwise remained untreated. Today, you can rent boats, indulge in other water sports related activities and enjoy the splendor of this lake. <br /><br />The Lower Lake on the other hand was created during the Mughal empire. This lake is separated from the Upper Lake by an over-bridge. <br /><br />Along the Upper Lake and surrounding hills, the Forest department of Madhya Pradesh has created the biggest animal conservation area in the middle of a city. You can catch tigers, leopards, bears, different types of water animals, birds, deers etc. as you drive around &quot;Van Vihar&quot; <br /><br />Please also go to Bhimbetka and Bhojeshwar temple - close to Bhopal. Bhimbetka is a World Heritage site and has some of the oldest cave paintings of the world. Bhojeshwar temple has the largest shivling in India. <br /><br />Sanchi is a buddhist pilgrim destination which offers excellent views into the Buddhist religion. The first of the &quot;stupas&quot; here were built around 3rd century BC by King Ashok, a follower of Buddhism. Sanchi is about 45 kilometers from Bhopal and can be easily traveled to by road. <br /><br />Khajuraho with its umpteen temples and display of the Kamasutra through the figures/ statues on the temples is about 383 kilometers from Bhopal. <br /><br />Pachmarhi, a quaint little army settlement, known as the Hill Station of Madhya Pradesh is about 210 kilometers from Bhopal. <br /><br />From Bhopal, you can also connect to Jabalpur which is about 160 Kilometers from the Kanha National Park. This national park is spread over 1940 sq kilometers and offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the majestic tiger in all its mystique and natural glory. Project Tiger that was started in the 70's with support from the Government of India has managed to bring the tiger on an assured course of recovery from the brink of extinction. Kanha National Park is one of the important parks in India that has been part of Project Tiger and has successfully worked at increasing the tiger population of India and at reducing the crimes against tigers. Kanha also offers unexploited views into flora and fauna of the Indian forest. <br /><br />To help create an itinerary, refer Madhya Pradesh tourism or contact Extended Stay Pvt. Ltd. for professional travel services in Madhya Pradesh. <br /><br />{mospagebreak}<br /><br />Bhopal has some good budget as well as three to fours star hotels to choose from if you want to spend a few nights in the city. A couple of hotels in the old Bhopal area are considered Grand Heritage hotels as they have been converted from palaces and residences of the Mughal era to modern hotels. Jehan Numa Palace Hotel and Noor us Sabah hotel fall under this category and staying here will transform you into an era where you will be able to imagine how the Mughal aristocracy lived a life of pure luxury. The customer service at both these hotels is exemplary and you will enjoy your stay here. <br /><br />Towards the New Bhopal area, Hotel Lake View run by the Ashoka group is a decent place to stay in. Also, hotels in the commercial hub of Bhopal, Maharana Pratap Nagar, like Amer Palace, The Residency, Nisarga etc. serve more business travelers to Bhopal but are certainly good places to consider. <br /><br />Jehan Numa Palace 157, Shamla Hill, Bhopal - 462013, Madhya Pradesh, India, Tel :+91-755-2661100, 4235100 E-mail : jehanuma@sancharnet.in <br /><br />Noor us Sabah Hotel V.I.P. Road, Koh-e-Fiza, Bhopal - 462001, Madhya Pradesh, India, Tel: +91 755 4223333 Fax: +91 755 4227777 contact@noorussabahpalace.com <br /><br />Lake View Ashoka Shiamla Hills Opp. TV Tower Premises Bhopal - 462013 Madhya Pradesh, India, Tel : 2660090-99, 2540452, 2541075, 235151 Fax : 91-0755-2660096, 91-0755-2660097 E-mail : hlvashok@bom.6.vsnl.net.in <br /><br />Amer Palace 209, Zone-1, Maharana Pratap Nagar, Bhopal- 462011, Phone: 0755-272110 (8 lines), 557127/557128 <br /><br />The Residency 08, Zone -1, Maharana Pratap Nagar, Bhopal - 462011, India Phone: 0755-5566001-06, 270001, 270002 <br /><br />Nisarga 211 , Zone 1 , Maharana Pratap Nagar, Bhopal - 462 016, India Phone: 0755-272701/02/03/04/05 <br /><br />For tourists from foreign countries, its recommended that they stick to Mineral Water. If you want to be adventurous, try the sugarcane juice from the street side vendors. If you are lucky, you will not get an upset stomach and will be able to enjoy the rich sweetness of sugarcane. <br /><br />Bhopal, like any other north Indian city offers a rich Indian cuisine to explore. People enjoy eating the sweet - sour and spicy &quot;chaat&quot; in Bhopal. Due to the Mughal influence, Bhopal also offers delicacies like Kebabs, Goat Biryani, Chicken Tikka, Jalebi, Ras Malai etc. The best chicken Biryani can be tasted at Jameel Hotel in old Bhopal . <br /><br />Hotel Jehanuma Palace in Bhopal has a very good restaurant that serves awesome North Indian delicacies. Hotel Noor us Sabah also has a couple of good restaurants to choose from. As in any mid-sized Indian city, the safest bets for good food and a variety of cuisines are in restaurants that are part of 3-4 star hotels. <br /><br />Apart from North Indian and Mughlai cuisine, you can also savor Indo-Chinese, Continental and American cuisine in the various restaurants of Bhopal. <br /><br />If you have a mixed taste, GENERATIONEXT restaurant is a good option for you. An eclectic mix of cuisine is served, that suits your taste ( &amp; pocket too!). There are many other good eating spots in New Market, MP Nagar and Hoshangabad Road area. <br /><br />Filfora,Koh-e-fiza in Bhopal has a very good place for Mughlai delicacies.Kadai ghost may be best to eat here and biryani's of both made with chicken and mutton are awesome. <br /><br />Alcoholic drinks: Only use hotel bars for this as there are very few pubs in the city and the local bars are not a place to hangout. Only good place other that Hotels is the Tavern Pub at Board office roundabout in M P Nagar.<br />  