Known as the City of Lakes, Bhopal is the capital city of
Madhya Pradesh and is located in the central part of the Indian Subcontinent.
The original name of Bhopal was Bhojpal, after the name of the King Bhoj of
Paramara dynasty, who founded and ruled that region for a number of years as
well as the dam or "pal" constructed during this period.
However, some people believe that the name was derived
from the name of King Bhupal. The modern city of Bhopal was founded by an
afghan soldier named Dost Mohammad who left Delhi after the death of Aurangzeb
and after several battles, won the place from the queen of Gond. Bhopal
remained under Islamic influence after him, especially during the reign of
Nizams, before it was conquered by the Marathas in the 18th century. When it
came under the British Empire, it was ruled by the Muslim women or begums. That
gave the city many things like waterworks, postal system, railways and
municipality. As India got its independence in 1947, Bhopal merged with the
Indian Union and became a part of Madhya Pradesh as well as, eventually, its
capital. During 2002, almost 5.30 crore domestic tourists and around 2.75 lakh
international tourists visited the city.
History: Bhopal was founded by the King Bhojaof Paramara
dynasty. The city was modernized by an Afghan soldier, Dost Mohammed Khan, a
subordinate of the Mughals. In 1724, Nizam ul Malik, another Mughal nobleman
invaded the city and with him, Bhopal came under the rule of the Nizams. Within
a few years, the Nizams were defeated by the Marathas, who were defeated by the
British in the Anglo-Maratha war. As Bhopal became one of the princely states,
four female rulers were given the charge and they ruled for around 100 years
through successive generations. Later Bhopal was taken over by the Indian
government in the year 1949 and with the state reorganization act, the city
came under the jurisdiction of Madhya Pradesh.
Indore is both traditional and modern. This largest city
of the state of Madhya Pradesh in India bears testimony to both historical
lineages and ultra-modern economic development. With a rich culture and
heritage for its backbone, Indore has always been the forerunner when it came
to city planning or progressive education. Today, Indore is one of the fastest
growing economies of India with varied industrial sectors such as automobiles,
IT, pharmaceuticals, textiles and universities. At the same time, Indore still
finds a huge fan following for its heritage structures including palaces and
temples.
Indore is located on the banks of the rivers Khan and
Saraswati. It derives its name from the deity Indreshwar whose temple still
exists at the point of convergence of these two rivers. Traditionally, Indore
and its surrounding regions were ruled by the house of Holkars who took great
efforts in creating a vibrant culture, a thriving economy and a solid
foundation for both education and business in and around Indore.
malls indore If you plan to explore Indore on a personal
trip or during abusiness visit, there are some places you cannot absolutely
miss. Soak in the spirituality of the age-old temples in and around Indore
including Ujjain, Omkareshewar and Mandu. Visit the beautiful palaces and
architectural gems of the Lal Baag Palace, Rajwada and Kanch Mandir. Enjoy a
truly Indian experience at Chokhi Dhani and pay a visit to the Chhatris for a
lesson on Indian bravery. Don’t miss the Central Museum if you crave historical
facts and artifacts!
Although visiting Indore the year round is never a
hurdle, the best time to enjoy your outing there is from October to March.
Indore’s Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport sees both international
and domestic flight operations. Local transport includes buses, private
vehicles, mini buses and auto rickshaws.
Gwalior is the northernmost city of MadhyaPradesh. The
city of Gwalior was founded by the King Suraj Sen and named after the saint
Gwalipa, who cured his leprosy. Gwalior’s history can be traced back to 8 AD
when the chieftain Suraj Sen was stricken with leprosy. A great saint Gwalipa,
lived on the hill-top where the Gwalior fort stands. King Suraj Sen who ruled
over the region, approached the holy man for cure of his leprosy. The holy man
gave him water from the Surajkund, a water tank and the king was cured. Suraj
Kund is still in the fort. The king established a town here and in gratitude,
named the town after the saint Gwalipa. Gwalior is known for its historic
massive 15th century fort. The distinctive and colourful hill fort of Gwalior
on the north-south corridor was the key to control of the Central Provinces.
Hindi and English are the main languages which are spoken here. The best season
to visit Gwalior is from October to March.
Gwalior was ruled by Suraj Sen. The saint Gwalipa gave
the king a new name, Suhan Pal and directed him that so long as his descendants
would retain the Pal name they would rule uninterruptedly. This lasted for 84
generations. The 85th descendant changed his name to Tej Karan and lost his
throne. An inscription in the fort records that during the 5th century reign of
Mihiragula the Hun, a temple of the sun was erected here. In more historical
times, Gwalior came into limelight when Tomar Rajputs took power in 1398.
Gwalior rulers became involved in wars with neighbouring kings. Man Singh Tomar
who came to power in 1486 was the greatest of the Tomar Kings. He defeated the
Lodhis of Delhi. When Sikandar Lodhi attacked again, Man Singh died but his son
held the fort for one year.
Muslim invaders like Qutb-ud-din-Aibak also ruled Gwalior
before it passed into through a succession of Tomar Rajputs, Mughal, Afghan and
Marathas. During the Mughal period, Babur was defeated but Man Singh’s grandson
continued to fight till Akbar became the Emperor. After the Mughals, the
Marathas took over Gwalior and they were followed by the British. Maharaja
Scindia sided with the British during the Mutiny but his forces did not.
Gwalior was the scene of many bloody battles with the British in 1857. During
the 1857 Mutiny, the Maharaja remained loyal to the British but his troops,
6500 of them, mutinied on Sunday June 14th. Next year, there was fierce
fighting round Gwalior, the rebels being led by Tantia Tope and the Queen of
jhansi. When the fort was taken by the British, the Rani was found dressed in
men’s clothes among the slain. Although the Maharaja of Gwalior had remained
loyal to the British they kept the fort for another thirty years.
Khajuraho Temples History : Madhya Pradesh is land of
great antiquity. Madhya Pradesh is the home of monuments representative of
various periods of history. Among most popular world heritage sites of Central
India like Rock paintings, Buddhist Stupas and Temples, Khajuraho is known for
its ornate temples that are spectacular piece of human imagination, artistic
creativity, magnificent architectural work and deriving spiritual peace through
eroticism.
Khajuraho Temples are among the most beautiful medieval
monuments in the country. These temples were built by the Chandella ruler
between AD 900 and 1130. It was the golden period of Chandella rulers. It is
presumed that it was every Chandella ruler has built atleast one temple in his
lifetime. So all Khajuraho Temples are not constructed by any single Chandella
ruler but Temple building was a tradition of Chandella rulers and followed by
almost all rulers of Chandella dynasty.
The first recorded mention of the Khajuraho temples is in
the accounts of Abu Rihan al Biruni in AD 1022 and the Arab traveler Ibn
Battuta in AD 1335. Local tradition lists 85 temples in Khajuraho out of which
only 25 temples are surviving after various stages of preservation and care.
All these temples are scattered over an area of about 9 square miles.
Khajuraho is believed to be the religious capital of
Chandellas. Chandella rulers had tried to discriminate politics from religious
& cultural activities, so they established their political capital in
Mahoba which is about 60km. away from Khajuraho and religious/cultural capital
in Khajuraho. Whole Khajuraho was enclosed by a wall with about 8 gates used
for entry/exit. It is believed that each gate is flanked by two date/palm
trees. Due to these date trees present Khajuraho get its name Khajura-vahika.
In hindi language, “Khajura” means ‘Date’ and “Vahika” means ‘Bearing’. In
history Khajuraho is also described with the name of Jejakbhukti.
After fall of Chandella dynasty (after AD 1150),
Khajuraho Temples suffered destruction & disfigurement by muslim invaders
in this area which forced local people to leave Khajuraho. As muslim invaders
had a ruling policy of intolerance for worship places of other religions so all
the citizens of Khajuraho left the town with a hope that its solitude will not
attract attention of muslim invaders into the temple area and in this way both
temple and they themselves will remain unhurt. So from about 13th century to
18th century, Khajuraho temples remain in forest cover, away from popularity
till it was re-discovered by British engineer T. S. Burt.
Ujjain is the quiet and relatively small provincial town.
Ujjain is situated about 60 kms. from Indore. Ujjain is one of the greatest
cities of ancient India and one of the seven sacred cities ofHindus in India.
It is also one of the four towns where the Kumbh Mela is held and plays as a
host up to a million pilgrims who gather on the place every twelve years.
Various people came here to bath in the Shipra river and worship at the temples
on its banks. According to Hindu astronomers, it is also the city from where
the Tropic of Cancer pass. This explains the presence of the observatory (Vedha
Shala) built by the Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur in 1725. Even today, the Ephemeris
tables (predicted positions of the planets) are published here. Ujjain is also
known for industry and crafts. The best season to visit Ujjain is from October
to March.
According to legend, the gods and the demons once churned the ocean for Kumbha (a pot of divine nectar). First emerged a pot of vish or
poison. The Lord Shiva drank it down. The poison was so strong that his divine
neck turned blue and he was known as the Nilkantha or the blue-necked one. It
all happened at Ujjain and that is the reason for its sacredness. In the
ancient times and in the great Hindu epics, the Upanishads and the PuranasUjjain was known as Avantika. According to the legend, the Lord Siva
commemorated his victory over the demon ruler of Tripuri by changing the name
of his capital to Ujjaiyini. Ujjaiyini means one who conquers with pride.
Various dynasties like the Sakas, Guptas, Paramaras, the governors of the Slave
Dynasty of Delhi, Mughals and Marathas ruled over this prosperous city.
It is also said to have been the seat of the viceroyalty
of Ashoka during the reign of his father at Pataliputra (Patna) in 275 BC.
Chandragupta II also transferred his capital from Pataliputra to Ujjain. The
emperor Asoka’s sons were born here, and it was from here that they set out to
preach Buddhism. The poet Kalidasa, wrote some of his works here and even the
god Krishna is believed to have studied here. Kalidas described the city as the
“town fallenfrom Heaven to bring heaven to earth.” Ujjain was also situated on
a trade route to Mesopotamia and Egypt and consequently trade flourished.
Nowdays, it is little more than a provincial town.
Jabalpur is one the biggest city of Madhya Pradesh State
in Central India. It lies in Mahakoshal region of Madhya Pradesh, Central
India. It is a district of Madhya Pradesh State. District Head quarter of
Jabalpur is in Jabalpur city. It is considered one of the fastest growing
cities of Central India. Despite of the pace of growth, it is believed to have
maintained its natural beauty and resources.
It is on the bank of holy Narmada River. Jabalpur is also
known for famous National Parks (Tiger reserves) around it and marble rocks on
Narmada River. From Wildlife Tourism point of view also Jabalpur has its unique
presence in Tourist Map of Madhya Pradesh. Important government offices like
head quarters of West Central Zone, Madhya Pradesh High court, Madhya Pradesh
State Electricity Board etc are in Jabalpur city.
History of Jabalpur City : It is a historical city and
has description in ancient Hindu’s religious books & Veda’s. The name of
the Jabalpur City is derived from holy Hindu saint “Jabaali” who had his
aashram in this area. Jabalpur is also known as “Gondwana Land”. Jabalpur was
the capital of Gond kings during the 12th century. During the 16th century it
became the powerful states of Gondwana. After 16th century, i.e. after defeat
of Rani Durgawati, area lost its enamor and flourish-ness. Although it was
ruled by Gonds but with limited rights & power under supremacy of Mughals,
It was also beleaguered by the Mughals and later it was conquered by the
Marathas in the end of 17th century.
One of the oldest stone structures in India, the Great
Stupa at Sanchi is an important Buddhist monument. Built by EmperorAshoka to
honor Lord Buddha, the stupa stands proud as an icon of Sanchi, though there
are other architectural marvels in the vicinity. UNESCO has listed it among the
world heritage sites.
A hemispherical brick structure, the Stupa is surrounded
by four gateways called Toranas, each representing love, trust, courage and
peace. These gateways are beautifully crafted and sculptured, some having its
own dramatic narrations and tales associated with them. The Great Stupa is
built over the relics of the Buddha and thus to honour these relics, the Stupa
was crowned with chatra. It is around 37 meters in diameter and over 16 meters
high.
There are other monuments in Sanchi that can be visited
besides the Great Stupa. These include Ashoka Pillar, Chetiyagiri Vihara,
Archaeological Museum, Buddhist monasteries, temples and viharas, Gupta Temple
and others.
Lush gardens surround the stupa. One can plan for a
family picnic and spending quality time there. The surroundings are clean and
well maintained. Audio guides are also available to provide a detailed insight
about the place.
Orchha is a town in Madhya Pradesh near the banks of
Betwa river. The medieval city of Orchha seems to have frozen in time, its
palaces and temples still retaining their original grandeur. Orchha had the
distinction of being the capital of one of the largest and most powerful
kingdoms of Central India. The Bundela Rajput chieftain, Rudra Pratap, founded
the city, located by the side of the beautiful Betwa River, in the 16th
century. The word Orchha means 'hidden'. When the Tughlaqs, who were ruling
Delhi in the 15th century, pushed the Bundelkhand rajas out of Garkhundar, they
retreated to distant Orchha.
Orchha travel offers detailed information on the
important tourist destinations, dinning and accommodation facilities and means
of transportation of the town. Orchha is a small town in the Tikamgarh district
of Madhya Pradesh, which is situated at a distance of 120 kilometers from
Gwalior and 178 kilometers from Khajuraho. The best time to visit Orchha is
between October and March.
Orchha was founded in 16th century by Rudra Pratap, a
Bundela chieftain. The rich historical legacy of the town is preserved in the
beautiful stone sculptors and the ancient forts and buildings of the town. The
travel to Orchha provides the tourists with an opportunity to explore the rich
cultural heritage of the town. One must tour Orchha to discover the rich
architectural splendor of the town.
A travel to Orchha would take you to a scenic destination
where austere hills rise in striking contrast with the lush green surrounding
along the limpid flowing river Betwa. Tourist attractions in Orchha still
retain much of their pristine charm.
