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Taj-ul-Masajid
The massive pillars in the hall create 27 ceilings through
squinched arches and of these, 16 ceilings are decorated
with ornate petalled designs. Some of the remarkable
features of this great mosque are the 18 storey high
octagonal minars, onion-shaped marble domes and the
gossamer-fine screens of trellis work in the prayer
hall.
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The Museum is engaged in field activities, and in collaborative
projects, nationally and internationally, in subjects
as varied as tribal and folk medicines in the history,
movement and sharing of waters in location specific
alternatives to mega developmental programmes, in ecoconservation
approaches, evolved by communities, in inter and intra
regional transfer of knowledge in art and craft, and
in R&D initiatives for combating the ecological
and biological extinction of human and nonhuman communities.
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Jama Masjid
Gold spikes crown the minarets of this beautiful mosque
built in 1837 by Kudsia Begum.
Moti Masjid
Architecturally akin to Delhi's Jama Masjid, this imposing
mosque was built by Sikander Jehan, daughter of Kudsia Begum,
in 1860.
Shaukat
Mahal and Sadar Manzil
Situated at the entrance to the Chowk area in the heart
of the walled city, Shaukat Mahal is an architectural curiosity.
Its mixture of styles in Occidental idioms sets it apart
from the predominantly Islamic architecture of the area.
It was designed by a Frenchman, said to be a descendent
of an offshoot of the Bourbon Kings of France. Post Renaissance
and Gothic styles are combined to charming effect here.
Nearby is the elegant once-opulent Sadar Manzil, Hall of
Public Audience, of the former rulers of Bhopal.
Taj-ul-Masajid
The
Taj-ul-Masajid is one of the largest mosques in Asia, built
by Nawab Shahjehan Begum around a courtyard with a large
tank in the centre and with an imposing double storeyed
gate-way with 4 recessed archways and 9 imposing cusped
multifoiled openings in the main prayer hall. The Quibla
wall in the prayer hall is carved with 11 recessed arches,
while the mimber is made of black basalt.
The structure is enlivened by the limpid
expanse of water in the tank outside the northern wall.
The monumentality of this structure was much greater originally
when it faced the towering bastions of the Fatehgarh Fort.
A three-day Ijtima congregation held here annually draws
people from all over the country.
Gohar Mahal
Situated behind Shaukat Mahal on the banks of the Upper
Lake is Gohar Mahal, which is an architectural gem dating
back to the times of Kudsia Begum, also known as Gohar Begum,
who built this sprawling palace in 1820. The Mahal is a
magnificent expression of the fusion of Hindu and Mughal
architecture.
Bharat Bhawan
One
of the most unique national institutes in India, Bharat
Bhawan is a centre for the performing and visual arts. Designed
by renowned architect, Charles Correa, the contours of Bharat
Bhawan merge in exquisite harmony with the landscape creating
a visual impact of spacious and natural elegance. The centre
houses a museum of the arts, an art gallery, a workshop
for fine arts, a repertory theater, indoor and outdoor auditoria,
a rehearsal room and libraries of Indian poetry, classical
and folk music. Open from 2 pm to 8 pm everyday except Mondays.
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya
Manav Sangrahalaya (A Post Colonial Museum)
The
Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (National Museum
of Mankind) is a unique Museum, spread over 200 acres of
undulating land on the Shamla Hills on the Upper Lake front.
It is situated in a prehistoric site and may be the only
museum in the world strewn with numerous prehistoric painted
rock shelters. It is a post colonial museum of communities
rather than objects, dedicated to in situ revitalisation
of local knowledge systems and life enhancing traditions
rather than ex situ display of objects. It is engaged in
recollection rather than collection. The museum display
has been curated directly by the folk and tribal communities,
camping at site, to create a miniature presentation of Indian
folk ways through display of ecospecific habitations &
subsistance practices in the tribal, coastal, desert, and
Himalayan habitats.
The library, audio-visual archive, computerised
documentation and the collection of ethnographic specimens
in the Museum, though modest in size are among the best
in the world.
Government Archaeological
Museum
A fine collection of sculptures are on display here from
various parts of Madhya Pradesh. Highlights of the collection
are: paintings of various schools, copies of paintings from
the Bagh caves near Mandu and the statues of Alakshmi and
the Buddha. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Laxmi Narayan Temple and
Museum
This beautiful temple on the Arera Hills has a Museum attached
to it which houses a collection of sculptures from Raisen,
Sehore, Mandsaur and Shahdol districts of Madhya Pradesh.
The museum is open from 9am to 5pm everyday
except Mondays.
Van Vihar
This safari-park is located on a hill adjacent to the Upper
Lake, with an area of 445 hectares. In these natural surroundings,
wildlife watchers can view a variety of herbivorous and
carnivorous species.
Open everyday, except Friday,
01 April to 30 September, from
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and 01 October to 31
March, from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Regional Science Centre
Basically a science museum, located on the picturesque Shamala
Hills, Regional Science Centre houses about 300 participatory
exhibits distributed equally in 'Invention' & 'Fun Science'
galleries, and a 'taramandal' (Planetarium).
The museum remains open from 10.30 am to
6.30 pm on all days except Mondays.
Chowk
In the heart of the city, the Chowk is lined with old mosques,
havelis, reminders of a bygone era. The shops in its narrow
alleys are treasure troves of traditional Bhopali crafts
: silver jewellery, exquisitely fashioned beadwork, embroidered
and sequined velvet fashioned purses and cushions.
Upper
and Lower Lakes
The Upper Lake is divided from the Lower Lake by an overbridge.
M. P. Tourism's Boat Club on the Upper Lake provides facilities
for exciting trips by sail, paddle and motor boats. (Boat Club Brochure PDF... 488KB) (Acrobat Reader Required)
Hertiage Walk
(Download Brochure PDF... 64KB) (Acrobat Reader Required)
Aquarium
Facing the Lower Lake, the fish-shaped aquarium houses a
number of fascinating species of fish in all shapes and
sizes.
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