Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh's capital, is built around two large lakes and retains a distinctive old-city character shaped by its history as the seat of a succession of female Muslim rulers (Begums) during the 18th and 19th centuries, alongside newer planned areas developed since independence. The Taj-ul-Masajid, one of India's largest mosques, and the old city's bustling Chowk market reflect this Nawabi-era heritage.
Bhopal's modern identity is also shaped by the tragic 1984 Union Carbide gas disaster, one of the world's worst industrial accidents, a history the city continues to reckon with alongside its role as a gateway to the nearby Bhimbetka rock shelters and other Madhya Pradesh heritage sites.
Bhopal was ruled by a remarkable succession of Begums (female Muslim rulers) from 1819 to 1926, an unusual continuity of female leadership in princely India that shaped much of the old city's surviving architecture and institutions.
October to March.
Bhopal has its own airport and is a major railway junction on the central Indian network.
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