Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Bhopal

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Bhopal is a large and important city in central India.

Welcome to Bhopal
Welcome to Bhopal

It serves as the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh. Many people call it the "City of Lakes." This name comes from the many natural and man-made lakes near the city.

Boats in Upper Lake, Bhopal
Boats in Upper Lake, Bhopal

The city is also known for being very green. It has been named the cleanest state capital in India for several years.

Road in Bhopal
Road in Bhopal

It is the 16th largest city in the whole country.

The land in Bhopal is not flat like a plain. It sits on the Malwa plateau, which is higher than the north Indian plains.

Tourist Map of Bhopal
Tourist Map of Bhopal

The city has an uneven ground with several small hills. Some of these hills are named Idgah, Arera, and Shyamala. There are also Katara hills in the southern part of the city.

Bharat Bhavan Bhopal
Bharat Bhavan Bhopal

Water is everywhere here, with 17 lakes and 5 reservoirs. The biggest is the Upper Lake, which was built in the 11th century.

Boats in Upper Lake, Bhopal
Boats in Upper Lake, Bhopal

The Lower Lake is also a very important water body.

Bhopal has a long and interesting history. Some stories say it was founded by a king named Bhoja in the 11th century.

Statue of Raja Bhoja 01
Statue of Raja Bhoja 01

Another version says it was named after a king called Bhupala. In the early 1600s, it was a small village in the Gond kingdom. Later, a soldier named Dost Mohammad Khan helped establish the Bhopal State.

Shivaji statue Bhopal
Shivaji statue Bhopal

Between 1819 and 1926, the state was ruled by four women called Begums. This was very rare for royalty at that time. One ruler, Sikandar, was even as honored as a British knight.

The city has many important places for learning and science. It is home to many big institutes like AIIMS and MANIT.

NLIUGyanmandir3
NLIUGyanmandir3

There is even a facility for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Bhopal is also a strong center for business and industry.

BHEL Bhopal in rain
BHEL Bhopal in rain

However, the city faced a very hard time in December 1984. A pesticide plant leaked deadly gases, causing a huge industrial disaster. This event changed the city forever and is still talked about today.

The weather in Bhopal changes quite a bit during the year. Summers start in late March and can get very hot.

In May, temperatures often go above 40 °C. The monsoon season brings heavy rain and thunderstorms from June to September. This season provides about 1020 mm of rain.

Winters arrive in November and stay until early March. During these months, the air is cool and dry. On some cold nights in January, the temperature can drop close to freezing.

412 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (17)
File:Statue of Raja Bhoja 01.jpg
Statue of Raja Bhoja 01.jpg
File:Boats in Upper Lake, Bhopal.JPG
Boats in Upper Lake, Bhopal.JPG
File:Welcome to Bhopal.jpg
Welcome to Bhopal.jpg
File:Tourist Map of Bhopal.jpg
Tourist Map of Bhopal.jpg
File:Shivaji statue Bhopal.jpg
Shivaji statue Bhopal.jpg
File:Bharat Bhavan Bhopal.JPG
Bharat Bhavan Bhopal.JPG
File:Durga_puja_celebration_in_Bhopal.jpg
Durga_puja_celebration_in_Bhopal.jpg
File:BHEL Bhopal in rain.jpg
BHEL Bhopal in rain.jpg
File:Raja Bhoj International Airport (BHO) Bhopal India.jpg
Raja Bhoj International Airport (BHO)...
File:Kushabhau Thakre ISBT Bhopal (2).jpg
Kushabhau Thakre ISBT Bhopal (2).jpg
File:Road in Bhopal.jpg
Road in Bhopal.jpg
File:Outside view of Rani Kamlapati Railway Station 25.jpg
Outside view of Rani Kamlapati Railway...

+ 5 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.