in explanation of subject line of previous mail.
(pl see, barely seen thread to barely known disasters, eg, indore)
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [in-enaction] scan: Another Bhopal (Correa) (Raghu Rai) (gas)
From: "Architexturez" <admin-in@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, December 3, 2004 3:55 pm
To: <in-enaction@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=25&theme=&usrsess=1&id=61740
Another Bhopal
This is a city with a proud heritage,
an unrelenting spirit that helps it
overcome the greatest tragedies, writes Swaati Chaudhury
A tourist in Bhopal can quite easily forget the Bhopal gas tragedy,
perhaps this is because the epicentre of the disaster is in the
industrial part of town and there is so much to see in the older
quarters. Or perhaps, when you are touring on a vacation you don?t
really care for grim realities. But when I happened to see Raghu Rai?s
Bhopal photographs at a show in Kolkata the first thing that hit me was
that I DIDN?T KNOW!! I had been so close, maybe even brushed shoulders
with gas victims but the Bhopal I carried back with me was a serene
place with beautiful lakes and wildlife resorts, imposing architecture
and ancient traditions.
This capital city of Madhya Pradesh is one of the few in India to offer
a delightful blend of the old and the new. A discovery of Afghan ruler,
Dost Mohammad Khan, Bhopal offers a wide array of tourist attractions.
A family friend had been pressing us to visit his new house in Bhopal
and we decided to check it out that October.
The legendary Paramar ruler of Dhar, Raja Bhojadeva, is said to have
built Bhopal sometime in the 11th century AD. The region witnessed a
major power struggle and the Mughals took over. The decline of the
Mughal Empire with the death of Aurangazeb (AD 1707) led to another
political turmoil. The small princely state of Bhopal and the
present-day city was founded by an Afghan soldier Dost Mohammad in 1723.
As the second largest Muslim state during the rise of British power in
India, it sided the British against the Marathas. During India?s
independence, Bhopal was a separate state, until 1949, when it acceded
to India.
Bhopal lies along the slopes of a sandstone ridge, a part of the Malwa
plateau. The weather in Bhopal during summers (April-June) is quite hot,
but winters (November-February) are cool and pleasant.
We reached Bhopal at midnight and halted at a PWD guest house in TT
Nagar where we had booked in advance. The next morning, found us being
treated to a hearty breakfast by our friend Surendra Tiwari, at his
residence. Tiwari the proprietor of a reputed Hindi daily of Bhopal, Nai
Dunia, had gathered all necessary travel info for us and very kindly put
his car to our service.
So we drove off to Bhojpur with a light heart. The 28 km-long drive took
us to a quaint, little town. Prime attraction here is the magnificent
but incomplete Bhojeshwar temple devoted to Lord Shiva. The 12th century
shrine, a protected monument of national significance is popularly known
as the ?Somnath of the East?. The temple attracts devotees and tourists
by the hundreds. We spend an hour admiring this artistic gem. Set on a
raised stone ramp, its richly ornate dome supported by four massive
pillars with tapering ends, this structure is truly amazing. The lofty
west facing edifice raised on a huge platform of 32.25 m long, 23.50 m
wide and 5 m high. The colossal lingam in the sanctum also stands on a
huge
square-shaped platform of 21.5 feet. Made of three limestone blocks, the
actual structure rises to a height of about 7.5 feet. This rare
architectural blend adds to the solidity and lightness of the lingam.
The interiors are done up with a large ornate ceiling with concentric
rings inlaid with tastefully modelled mythical figures.
>From Bhojpur, we returned to the walled city of Bhopal that wears the
traditional old world charm. The Chowk in the city hub was bustling with
vibrant markets and shops in narrow alleys that offer Bhopali craft
items like silver jewellry, beadwork, sequinned cushions and velvet
handbags at highly affordable rates.
We dropped in at Taj-ul-Masjid, the largest mosque in India that was
initiated by Shah Jehan Begum, the queen of Bhopal. The presence of
inter-arched roof, broad façade and spacious courtyard sets apart the
towering structure from other mosques in India. There are other
monuments that deserve special mention like the Jama Masjid with gold
spikes adorning the minarets, the imposing Moti Masjid and the Sadar
Manzil at the entrance of the Chowk.
The new city is spruced up with verdant landscapes, well -maintained
parks, broad avenues and streamlined structures. We had a hurried glance
of the renowned Bharat Bhawan, a creative destination for culture and
visual arts. A dream project of highly acclaimed architect, Charles
Correa, the contours of the centre with its spacious landscape create an
aura of elegance. The centre remains closed on Mondays and prides itself
in its art gallery, museum, a workshop for fine arts, stage plays,
outdoor and indoor auditorium and well-stocked libraries of Indian
literature, classical and folk music.
Other must-visit sights are Birla temple and Gandhi Bhawan with its
museum flaunting rare moments from Gandhiji?s life.
Post-lunch we decided to visit the two man-made lakes at the centre of
the city, the picturesque Upper and Lower Lakes. An over bridge
separates the two lakes and Madhya Pradesh Tourism?s Yacht Club offers
all groups exciting cruising facilities with the right ambience. The
lakes offer some wondrous wide angle glimpses of the city. They also
forms a winter refuge for migratory water birds.
Later we took the road running parallel to the Upper Lake for the Van
Vihar National Park. This safari park forms the green lung of the city.
This green patch on a hillock was recognised as a National Park in 1983.
The over 445 hectares of untamed landscape showcases an exemplary
conservation effort with its rare faunal wonders. The park offers
sanctuary to a wide spectrum of faunal lives like cheetal, nilgai, black
buck, chousingha, wild boar, barasingha, langur and porcupine. The white
tigers from Rewa and albino sloth bear are the prime attractions here.
We spent hours roaming through this animal kingdom. We found the animals
quite easily lazing around in open-air enclosures. Cruising down the
lake provided us still better views of the rejuvenated landscape of Van
Vihar. We took two hours to cover the park. As dusk descends, the
tranquil sunset on the lake with the park in view was a mesmerising
moment a point when we suddenly experienced our inner ties with the
natural world.
When we returned to our guest house late that evening we were all too
full of beautiful Nature. Turning once more to the city again we found
that it was decked in festive lights and colour. It was Navratri and
Bhopal surmounting its countless odds was determined to celebrate.
Access: The city is well connected with regular flight services from
Delhi, Mumbai, Gwalior and Indore. It lies on the Delhi-Chennai railway
route and has sound motorable roads making it easily accessible with
major towns of the state.
Accommodation: Madhya Pradesh Tourism runs opulent hotels that include
Hotel Palash, Ashok Lake View and Hotel Panchanan. The heritage groups
of hotels are Jehan Numa Palace Hotel and Noor-us-Sahab in the heart of
the city.
For further information, contact:
Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Limited, 4th Floor,
Gangotri Building, TT Nagar,
Bhopal-462003.
_______________________________________________
in-enaction mailing list
in-enaction@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://mail.architexturez.net/mailman/listinfo/in-enaction
(pl see, barely seen thread to barely known disasters, eg, indore)
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [in-enaction] scan: Another Bhopal (Correa) (Raghu Rai) (gas)
From: "Architexturez" <admin-in@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, December 3, 2004 3:55 pm
To: <in-enaction@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=25&theme=&usrsess=1&id=61740
Another Bhopal
This is a city with a proud heritage,
an unrelenting spirit that helps it
overcome the greatest tragedies, writes Swaati Chaudhury
A tourist in Bhopal can quite easily forget the Bhopal gas tragedy,
perhaps this is because the epicentre of the disaster is in the
industrial part of town and there is so much to see in the older
quarters. Or perhaps, when you are touring on a vacation you don?t
really care for grim realities. But when I happened to see Raghu Rai?s
Bhopal photographs at a show in Kolkata the first thing that hit me was
that I DIDN?T KNOW!! I had been so close, maybe even brushed shoulders
with gas victims but the Bhopal I carried back with me was a serene
place with beautiful lakes and wildlife resorts, imposing architecture
and ancient traditions.
This capital city of Madhya Pradesh is one of the few in India to offer
a delightful blend of the old and the new. A discovery of Afghan ruler,
Dost Mohammad Khan, Bhopal offers a wide array of tourist attractions.
A family friend had been pressing us to visit his new house in Bhopal
and we decided to check it out that October.
The legendary Paramar ruler of Dhar, Raja Bhojadeva, is said to have
built Bhopal sometime in the 11th century AD. The region witnessed a
major power struggle and the Mughals took over. The decline of the
Mughal Empire with the death of Aurangazeb (AD 1707) led to another
political turmoil. The small princely state of Bhopal and the
present-day city was founded by an Afghan soldier Dost Mohammad in 1723.
As the second largest Muslim state during the rise of British power in
India, it sided the British against the Marathas. During India?s
independence, Bhopal was a separate state, until 1949, when it acceded
to India.
Bhopal lies along the slopes of a sandstone ridge, a part of the Malwa
plateau. The weather in Bhopal during summers (April-June) is quite hot,
but winters (November-February) are cool and pleasant.
We reached Bhopal at midnight and halted at a PWD guest house in TT
Nagar where we had booked in advance. The next morning, found us being
treated to a hearty breakfast by our friend Surendra Tiwari, at his
residence. Tiwari the proprietor of a reputed Hindi daily of Bhopal, Nai
Dunia, had gathered all necessary travel info for us and very kindly put
his car to our service.
So we drove off to Bhojpur with a light heart. The 28 km-long drive took
us to a quaint, little town. Prime attraction here is the magnificent
but incomplete Bhojeshwar temple devoted to Lord Shiva. The 12th century
shrine, a protected monument of national significance is popularly known
as the ?Somnath of the East?. The temple attracts devotees and tourists
by the hundreds. We spend an hour admiring this artistic gem. Set on a
raised stone ramp, its richly ornate dome supported by four massive
pillars with tapering ends, this structure is truly amazing. The lofty
west facing edifice raised on a huge platform of 32.25 m long, 23.50 m
wide and 5 m high. The colossal lingam in the sanctum also stands on a
huge
square-shaped platform of 21.5 feet. Made of three limestone blocks, the
actual structure rises to a height of about 7.5 feet. This rare
architectural blend adds to the solidity and lightness of the lingam.
The interiors are done up with a large ornate ceiling with concentric
rings inlaid with tastefully modelled mythical figures.
>From Bhojpur, we returned to the walled city of Bhopal that wears the
traditional old world charm. The Chowk in the city hub was bustling with
vibrant markets and shops in narrow alleys that offer Bhopali craft
items like silver jewellry, beadwork, sequinned cushions and velvet
handbags at highly affordable rates.
We dropped in at Taj-ul-Masjid, the largest mosque in India that was
initiated by Shah Jehan Begum, the queen of Bhopal. The presence of
inter-arched roof, broad façade and spacious courtyard sets apart the
towering structure from other mosques in India. There are other
monuments that deserve special mention like the Jama Masjid with gold
spikes adorning the minarets, the imposing Moti Masjid and the Sadar
Manzil at the entrance of the Chowk.
The new city is spruced up with verdant landscapes, well -maintained
parks, broad avenues and streamlined structures. We had a hurried glance
of the renowned Bharat Bhawan, a creative destination for culture and
visual arts. A dream project of highly acclaimed architect, Charles
Correa, the contours of the centre with its spacious landscape create an
aura of elegance. The centre remains closed on Mondays and prides itself
in its art gallery, museum, a workshop for fine arts, stage plays,
outdoor and indoor auditorium and well-stocked libraries of Indian
literature, classical and folk music.
Other must-visit sights are Birla temple and Gandhi Bhawan with its
museum flaunting rare moments from Gandhiji?s life.
Post-lunch we decided to visit the two man-made lakes at the centre of
the city, the picturesque Upper and Lower Lakes. An over bridge
separates the two lakes and Madhya Pradesh Tourism?s Yacht Club offers
all groups exciting cruising facilities with the right ambience. The
lakes offer some wondrous wide angle glimpses of the city. They also
forms a winter refuge for migratory water birds.
Later we took the road running parallel to the Upper Lake for the Van
Vihar National Park. This safari park forms the green lung of the city.
This green patch on a hillock was recognised as a National Park in 1983.
The over 445 hectares of untamed landscape showcases an exemplary
conservation effort with its rare faunal wonders. The park offers
sanctuary to a wide spectrum of faunal lives like cheetal, nilgai, black
buck, chousingha, wild boar, barasingha, langur and porcupine. The white
tigers from Rewa and albino sloth bear are the prime attractions here.
We spent hours roaming through this animal kingdom. We found the animals
quite easily lazing around in open-air enclosures. Cruising down the
lake provided us still better views of the rejuvenated landscape of Van
Vihar. We took two hours to cover the park. As dusk descends, the
tranquil sunset on the lake with the park in view was a mesmerising
moment a point when we suddenly experienced our inner ties with the
natural world.
When we returned to our guest house late that evening we were all too
full of beautiful Nature. Turning once more to the city again we found
that it was decked in festive lights and colour. It was Navratri and
Bhopal surmounting its countless odds was determined to celebrate.
Access: The city is well connected with regular flight services from
Delhi, Mumbai, Gwalior and Indore. It lies on the Delhi-Chennai railway
route and has sound motorable roads making it easily accessible with
major towns of the state.
Accommodation: Madhya Pradesh Tourism runs opulent hotels that include
Hotel Palash, Ashok Lake View and Hotel Panchanan. The heritage groups
of hotels are Jehan Numa Palace Hotel and Noor-us-Sahab in the heart of
the city.
For further information, contact:
Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation Limited, 4th Floor,
Gangotri Building, TT Nagar,
Bhopal-462003.
_______________________________________________
in-enaction mailing list
in-enaction@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://mail.architexturez.net/mailman/listinfo/in-enaction