Bhopal: the city of lakes and the gateway to Sanchi

Built around two large artificial lakes, Bhopal also remains the starting point to reach the Buddhist stupa of Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The center, stretched between its lakes and gateway to the Buddhist monuments of Sanchi, can be comfortably visited by motorized rickshaw.

The Taj-ul-Masajid, among the largest mosques in India, features pink domes and minarets that dominate the old city skyline.

A few steps away, the Upper Lake, an artificial lake dating from the eleventh century, offers boat rides with views of palaces lining its shores.

Heading north, you reach Sanchi, a UNESCO World Heritage site with the best-preserved Buddhist stupa in India, built by Emperor Ashoka's command.

As evening approaches, the Chowk quarter in the heart of the old city comes alive with spice and textile markets, traditional to Madhya Pradesh.

The stupa at Sanchi, built in the third century BCE to house relics of the Buddha, remains the oldest and best-preserved Buddhist monument in India, having survived over two thousand years of history.

Bhopal was governed for over a century by a succession of four women, known as the 'Begums', a rare case of matriarchal dynasty in colonial India, notable for their social and urban reforms.