Bhopal was founded in the 11th century by Raja Bhoja of the Parmara dynasty.
He constructed two beautiful lakes and established Bhojapal on and around these
lakes and seven hills. It served as capital during the reign of this dynasty but
as their fortunes dwindled and under the onslaught of repeated plundering, the
city slipped into obscurity. Little or nothing remains to show of that period.
In 1707, Dost Mohammed, an Afghan soldier of fortune, laid out a city at the
same site following the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. A great deal of
the 18th century architecture and the Islamic influence of the time shapes the
city of Bhopal with its crowded markets, narrow alleys, beautiful palaces, old
haveli residences and fine mosques; and even its famed cuisine. Alongside this
old city is the neatly laid new one with broad avenues, modern buildings and
well planned residential colonies.
For over a century from the early 19th century, a succession of powerful
"Begums" ruled over Bhopal and introduced waterworks, railways and the postal
system, and there is a great deal still to show for the heyday of this city.
The undulating seven hills, the large lakes and the profusion of parks lend a
relenting charm to urban Bhopal. Two lakes, the Upper and Lower Lakes, serve as
a neat division between the old and new urban sections of the city. The new is
evenly sprawled over the seven hills of Bhopal, while the old is crowded and
teeming with activity with houses, shops and markets jostling for space through
narrow streets and alleyways.
Bhopal enjoys a fairly temperate climate through the year except for a couple of
months of summer preceding the monsoons when temperatures can be rather harsh.
