The city undulates on the banks of a vast lake spanning several square miles, which dominates its landscape and gives it a magnetic, mesmerizing quality difficult to resist. The tranquillity of the lake is perhaps, to a large extent, responsible for an air of almost deliberate indolence and complacency. It affects one unawares and stubbornly clings to the old fabric of a Bhopal that was-a small, sleepy picturesque town, a town with lush forests and leisurely days of shikars, picnics and quiet fishing trips. Even today, despite becoming the capital of Madhya Pradesh and the consequent conflux of people due to industrialization and growth, Bhopal retains about it an almost eternal quaintness and charm. Situated in the north-western part of Madhya Pradesh along the slopes of a sandstone ridge, the city of Bhopal was built by King Bhoj in the 11th century. The region remained the part of the Mughal Empire until the death of Aurangzeb in 1707. It was ruled by the Begums of the royal family for almost a hundred years. In 1926 Nawab Hamidullah, son of the third Begum, Nawab Sultan Jahan, ascended the throne. It was under him that Bhopal acceded to India in 1947. Bhopal is quite hot during summers. The monsoons arrive here during the month of July-September. The winters are quite cool and pleasant and are the best time to visit the city.

Sightseeing
A trip around the walled city makes you feel the glamour of the lives led by the Nawabs and Begums. The mosques and the temples evoke the archaeological curiosity of the onlookers. The museums in the city bring alive its history while the two scenic lakes make ideal picnic spots.