Bhopal भोपाल

Bhopal is a city of lakes, traditionally linked with the eleventh century Paramara king Bhoja, to whom the founding of the city and its large lake are attributed in local legend. The region's older temples belong to that Paramara era, and they stand beside the heritage left by later Muslim rulers. As a result, religious life here is mixed, and temples are found in a landscape shaped by several cultures.

Bhojeshwar Mahadev at Bhojpur, outside the city, is famed for an enormous Shiva lingam set within an unfinished stone temple, and tradition names it the Somnath of the East. The Birla Mandir, also called the Lakshminarayan temple, sits on a hill with views over the Upper Lake. The Gufa Mandir is a cave shrine to Hanuman, and Khedapati Hanuman is another Hanuman temple that attracts Tuesday and Saturday visitors. Bhopal is also a gateway to the nearby holy cities of Ujjain, Omkareshwar and Maheshwar, which many travellers combine into a regional circuit. Mahashivratri brings a large fair at Bhojpur each year. Roads to Bhojpur are best done in daylight, and visitors should carry water. Dress respectfully, remove footwear at doorways and look for notices on photography before entering the inner halls. Monkeys can be bold near hill temples, so keep prasad covered.