BHOPAL, CAPITAL OF MADHYA PRADESH, is fascinating amalgam of scenic beauty, historicity and modern urban planning. It is situated on the site of an 11th century city, Bhojapat, founded by Raja Bhojapal. The founder of the existing city was, however, an Afghan soldier of fortune. Dost Mohammed (1708-1740).

Fleeing from Delhi in the chaotic period that followed Aurangzeb's death, Dost Mohammed encountered the beautiful Gond queen Kamlapati, who sought his aid after the murder of her consort. A charming legend relates how the queen would recline in a lotus that would drift across the lake on moonlit nights. The tow lakes of Bhopal still dominate the city, and are indeed its nucleus; along their shores stand silent sentinels that testify to the growth of a city.

Bhopal today presents a multi-faceted profile; the old city with its teeming marketplaces and fine old mosques and palace still bears the aristocratic imprint of its former-rulers, among them the succession of powerful Begums who ruled Bhopal from 1819 to 1926. Equally impressive is the new city with-its verdant, exquisitely laid out parks and gardens, broad avenuse and streamlined modern edifices.

HOW TO GET THERE :

• R oad : 186 kms - Indore, 285 kms - Mandu, 188 kms - Ujjain, 383 Khajuraho, 423 kms - Gwalior, 46 - Sanchi.
• Air     : Regular air services connect Bhopal with Delhi, Gwalior, Indore and Bombay.
• Rail   : Bhopal is on the main Delhi-Chennai line. Major trains going from Bombay to Delhi via Itarsi and Jhansi also go through Bhopal.