54 attractions in Bhopal (back)

Shaurya Smarak
Shaurya Smarak (Sanskrit : शौर्य स्मारक) is a war memorial situated at Bhopal, inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 14 October 2016. Shaurya Smarak is established by government of Madhya Pradesh at Bhopal in the heart area of Arera Hills near M.P. Nagar and Secretariat. It is sprawled over large area of about 12 acres. It is developed as a public park with imaginative and interesting architectural installations depicting sacrifice of the soldiers. In the park there is a 62-feet high sculpture rising from the ground called Shaurya Stambh depicting Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. The Army is signified by Granite, The Navy in Grey and the Air Force in White. Around the Shaurya Stambh names of the martyred soldiers have been inscribed on glass boards. Beside the Shaurya Stambh there is Smarak Jyoti which is lit in holographic flame for the honor of the martyrs. Not only this there is a red sculpture kept in the park which when seen from main axis it appears as a 'Namaskar' and when looked from another axis it appears as 'A Drop of Blood'. If we move further in the park there is an underground museum having dedicated galleries and landmark in the memory of war heroes who had shown their gallantry in the various wars with Pakistan and China. It also shows some historical heroes like Maharana Pratap and Tipu Sultan. The galleries portray the original handmade art pieces and portrait of war heroes and display of different arms. Many displays shows the various ranks and badges for different ranks of Army, Navy and Air force. It is a very good knowledge for a common citizen. Some galleries are also dedicated for award-winning heroes for Paramvir Chakra, Mahavir Chakra, etc. with their short descriptions of heroic acts. The models of various warships, submarine, aircraft are also shown as an educational supplement. On outside periphery various display boards show the proud list of martyrs of various wars of Madhya Pradesh origin along with the national heroes. The main attraction of the museum is a gallery which allows visitors to experience the cold of Siachen Glacier and understand the terrains of the Siachen war zones. Apart from this Shaurya Smarak has an amphitheater and a cafe on premise. Timings : 12.00PM-7.00PM Wednesday Closed
Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary
The Ratapani Tiger Reserve, located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, in Vindhya Range in central India, is one of the finest teak forests in the state and is less than 50 km. away from the capital Bhopal. It has been a wildlife sanctuary since 1976. As of March 2013, in principle approval by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has been granted for upgrading it to a status of tiger reserve. It will become a tiger reserve by the notification of the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Its close proximity to the capital and its relatively untouched forests makes it a promising attraction for tourists and the Madhya Pradesh tourism board plans to make it a wildlife destination in the near future. The reserve is rich in flora and fauna and a wide variety of birds and mammals call it their home. The total forest area is around 823.84 sq. km. and The landscape is undulating, with hills, plateaux, valleys and plains. A number of seasonal streams irrigate the site in the monsoon, and water is retained in some pools along these streams even in the summer. Two large reservoirs, namely Barna Reservoir and Ratapani Dam (Barrusot lake) are among the major waterbodies adjacent to or inside the sanctuary. The forest of Ratapani is dry deciduous and moist deciduous type, with teak (Tectona grandis) as the main tree species. About 55% of the area is covered by teak. The remaining mixed forests consist of various dry deciduous species. Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus) overlaps the two aforementioned forest types and covers about one quarter of the forest area. Bhimbetka rock shelters, are located within this tiger reserve. These rock shelters were inhabited by man hundreds of thousand years ago and some of the rock paintings of the Stone Age are more than 30,000 years old. It has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The tourist places include Bhimbetka, Delawari, Ginnorhgarh Fort, Ratapani Dam, KairiMahadeo and Kherbana Mandir.