Sightseeing in Bhopal

Shaukat Mahal, forgotten Taj Mahal of Bhopal, modern New Market

Today we went sightseeing in Bhopal. First we went to a new market, which surprised us with a kind of order and modernity in comparison to other markets in other cities. We have done a little shopping here, among others we bought a mosquito-mashine. We were surprised with the diversity of Indian vegetables and fruit in the stalls.

Then we got a rickshaw and ordered to be taken to Shaukat Mahal, a former palace, which is now converted into a residential building and is a bit neglected.

The rickshaw-driver soon saw that we are interested In the Bhopal’s architecture, and he began to say something about Taj Mahal in Bhopal. I thought I misunderstood him. But it turned out that indeed there is a Taj Mahal in Bhopal. It is a palace built by Bhegum of Bhopal, Shahjehan in 1874.

The palace is in a deplorable condition, fortunately, restoration work is ongoing, and perhaps soon it will be restored to its full glory.

When we’d arrived there, the rickshaw-driver knocked on the gate and some guy opened it, and let us inside. In this way we could quietly and carefully examine the monument, which is not mentioned in any guide-book.

After visiting the Taj Mahal of Bhopal, we went to see the biggest mosque in the city, Taj-ul-Masjid. It is also the seat of a madrassa school. We felt a bit strange, because we were the only women on the premises of the mosque, but we were let in with no problem and no one bothered us.

Slightly tired we asked our driver to go to Bharat Bhavan - a museum of modern art and the urban center of culture. But everything was closed there and so we have only took a walk in the park and then went back to the hotel.

In the evening we went to church in Bhopal, where the mosquitoes bit my mother terribly. Later we went to the Indian Coffee House, where men in funny costumes handed desserts, coffee and normal Indian dishes. There were different rooms for men only, and another for women and families. Afterwards we went for a walk through modern streets of New Market. Along the main street, great shops filled with saris and suites piled up one after the other, many people gathered in the street, they were buying ice creams, and in a nearby temple puja was being performed.

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