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Madhya Pradesh is not called the heart of India only because of its location in the centre of the country. It has been home to the cultural heritage of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainisim and Islam. Innumerable monuments exquisitely carved temples, stupas, forts and palaces are dotted all over the state. The National Parks of Kanha, Bandhavgarh and many others you can spot the tiger, the bison and a wide variety of deers and antelopes.
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What to see in Madhya Pradesh
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Places to see
Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh. It is a fascinating amalgum of scenic beauty, a proud heritage and modern urban planning. An Afgan soldier of fortune Dost Mohammed was the founder of the existing city which is situated on the site of the 11th century city, Bhojapal founded by the legendary Raja Bhoja. It represents a harmonic symphony of the old and the new. The old city with its teeming market places, beautiful mosques and quaint palaces still bears the sristocratic imprint of its former rulers. The new city is equally impressive with verdant exquisitely laid out parks and gardens, broad avenues and streamlined modern edifices. The two lakes, upper and lower dominate the city and form its nucleus.
Islamnagar
11 kms from Bhopal his place was buil by Dost Mohammed Khan, Islamnagar was the palace of Bhopal's Afgan rulers. Formal gardens sorround the palace and pavilion - a synthesis of Hindu and Islamic decorative art. Other monuments here are the hamam of the Chaman Mahal and the double storeyed Rani Mahal.
46 kms via Diwankunj and 72 kms via Raisen from Bhopal, Sanchi is known for its stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars dating from 3rd century B.C to 12th century A.D. The Sanchi stupa the best known was originally built by the Maurayan Emperor Ashoka. His son Mahindra and daughter Sanghamitra were born in Ujjain and sent to Sri Lanka where they converted the king, queen and their people to Buddhism.
Bhojpur
28 kms from Bhopal, Bhojpur is famous for its exquisite 11th century Shiva temple, Bhojeshwar and the lake built by Raja Bhoj Paramara. The temple also houses an enormous 7.5 ft Shivalingam carved out of a single stone.
64 kms from Bhopal the village of Bhimbetka is sorrounded by the northern fringe of the Vindhya mountains. The range is covered by huge rocks and recent discoveries here of over 600 rock shelters (the largest group in the world) have revealed paintings that date back to the early stone age.
195 kms from Bhopal, Panchmarhi is a lovely hill resort girdled in the Satpura ranges. Complementing the magnificence of nature are the works of man. The cave shelters of the Mahadeo hills present astonishingly rich rock paintings. Most of these have been placed in the period 500-800 A.D but the earliest paintings are an estimated 10,000 years old.
Madhya Pradesh is the largest state of India and lies almost in the centre of the country. The land where nature is at its munificent best, has a lot ot offer tourists. The land is a plateau with the Vindhya and Satpura ranges giving a welcome break in the otherwise flat terrain. The rivers Narmada and Tapti, running from east to west, and Chambal, Sone, Betwa, Mahanadi, and Indravati flowing from west to east arise from these mountains.
The home of Kalidas, the great Sanskrit poet and Tansen, the musician jewel of Akbar's court, Madhya Pradesh has a rich history. The national parks of Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Shivpuri and others provide sanctuary to a large number of animals including the tiger. The ruins of historical monuments built by rulers like Ashoka, the Sungas, Chandragupta Vikramaditya, Harsha, Raja Bhoj, the Chandelas, the Delhi Sultans and the Mughals can be seen in the state. The tree main tribes of Madhya Pradesh are the Gonds, the Bhils and the Oraons. Bhopal is the capital city.
