Jehan Numa Palace Hotel: Bhopal’s Royal Boutique Address

Staying at a palace hotel has its own charm. It oozes a lot of character and is packed with history. And when it has a cosy home-like feel and is surrounded by lush greenery, it becomes a must-experience. One such place is the Jehan Numa Palace Hotel, which I call as Bhopal’s royal boutique address.



It is a beautiful mix of British Colonial, Italian Renaissance and Classical Greek architecture that is located amidst an intimate green surrounding full of vibrant floral hues. Each hall, corridor and seating area in the Jehan Numa Palace Hotel tells stories of its glorious past through portraits, photographs and design elements from the era gone by. It speaks of the rich legacy of the famous Nawab begums of Bhopal who ruled Bhopal for over a century and who gave birth to a cosmopolitan culture in Bhopal encompassing both Muslim and Maratha heritage.



Unlike other palace hotels, Jehan Numa Palace hotel is more like a luxurious home with clean and crisp design elements, well thought through spaces tucked amidst a lovely green setting. This luxurious boutique hotel has all the amenities of a luxury hotel. Service can be a bit slow at times, but I feel that is the charm of staying in a palace hotel. It is that kind of place where you can allow time to stop at your own convenience while learning about the rule of the begums of Bhopal and their life and while enjoying the delicious food and beverages served by the hotel kitchen. I see it as a perfect relaxed getaway after your business meetings or your tourism day outs.



It doesn’t matter whether you are on a business trip, short trip to Bhopal or on a long culture and heritage trip across Madhya Pradesh, Jehan Numa Palace hotel is bound to appeal to you. It’s warm interiors and lush exteriors are bound to make any one feel at home. I would love to stay here once again hopefully during a monsoon holiday to Madhya Pradesh.



The place is great. Their food is fabulous and they are very reasonably priced for palace hotels. All fantastic reasons to stay here on your next trip to Bhopal. And if you wish to stay a bit far away from the city in the middle of nature and wilderness, look up their Jehan Numa retreat property located just a few kilometers outside of Bhopal. Both properties are fantastic places to stay during a trip to Bhopal. If you have time at hand, try spreading your stay between these two properties for the best of both worlds.



How to make bookings:

Bookings can be made either through Jehan Numa website, Rare India (who handle all their booking operations) or any of the online booking platforms like booking.com, agoda.com, tripadvisor.com, makemytrip.com and goibibo.com.

Their prices usually begin from INR 6,750 per room per night. And they do offer discounts for advance bookings and for extended stays.



Tourist attractions to see in Bhopal while staying at Jehan Numa Palace:

1) Taj-ul-Masajid: one of the largest mosques in Asia

2) Upper Lake: A Ramsar site and one of the largest  man made lakes of India

3) Van Vihar National Park: A modern zoological park near the upper lake

4) Bharat Bhavan: A multi-arts complex and museum

5) Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum: A heritage museum showcasing the tribal cultures of Madhya Pradesh

6) State Museum: Home to cultural and historical artefacts from the state

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Bhopal’s Taj-ul-Masajid: One of the Largest Mosques in Asia

It is one of the top heritage destinations of Madhya Pradesh. It is believed to be the largest mosque in India and one of the largest mosques in whole of Asia. It is one of those few mosques in India to have been funded by women. I am talking about Taj-ul-Masajid (Crown of the Mosques), located in the heart of old Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.



Spanning over 250,000 sq. feet with a huge lake nearby and with stunning views of Bhopal old town, Taj-ul-Masajid mosque can seat close to 200,000 people. Built using Indo-Islam and Mughal architecture, construction for Taj-ul-Masajid began during the reign of Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar (1844-1860) under the able guidance of Nawab Shah Jahan Begum of Bhopal and her daughter Sultan Jahan Begum. The mosque could not be completed during their lifetime due to lack of funds, but was completed between 1971 and 1985 by Allama Mohammad Imran Khan Nadwi Azhari and Maulana Syed Hashmat Ali Sahab of Bhopal.



Resembling Jama Masjid of Delhi and the Badshahi Mosque of Lahore, Taj-ul-Masajid is made up of a beautiful mix of Hindu, Mughal and Syrian design elements. It’s three marble domes, two marble minarets, the gorgeous pink facade, the marble flooring, the recessed archways, the ancient motifs from Syrian mosques and its ornate petaled designs are nothing short of extraordinary.

A climb to the first floor view points are much recommended for a view of the old palaces beyond the lake and some fabulous perspectives of the mosque itself.



The mosque may look simple at first glance, but it packs in a lot of stories. It is best to go there with a knowledgeable guide to help you understand the history of Bhopal, its women rulers and the importance of this mosque in all of this. A high recommended place to visit in Bhopal, especially on a culture and heritage trip to Madhya Pradesh.



How to reach there:

The nearest airport would be Bhopal international airport, just a short drive away from the center of the city.

The nearest railway station would be Bhopal railway station, just 4 kilometers from the Taj-ul-Masajid mosque.

Bhopal is well connected by road with the rest of the country and especially with Indore, the bustling commercial city of Madhya Pradesh.



Mosque Timings and Rules:

Taj-ul-Masajid is open from 6 AM to 8 PM on all days of the week. However, on Fridays and on important prayer days, only Muslims are allowed to enter the mosque.

There is no entry fee for entering the mosque.

It is best to dress conservatively while entering the mosque, which is to cover your head, shoulder and legs.



Where to stay:

There are a lot of budget hotels near the mosque and the railway station that offer great proximity and that allow you to soak in the vibrancy of the city center. However, if you wish for slightly up-market accommodation and for scenic lakes, you will have to go closer to the Upper lake.

My personal favorite for up-market luxury accommodation is Jehan Numa Palace, an erstwhile palace of the Begums of Bhopal that has been converted into a boutique hotel. The same group also has a luxury property located amidst nature called Jehan Numa retreat. Both these properties make for fantastic stay options.



Where to eat:

Old Bhopal is the place to be if you wish to indulge in some local street food and to taste authentic Bhopali cuisine. Itawar chowk are Chatori Gali are two places to visit for all food lovers.

For something exquisite, choose either some of the fancier restaurants in Bhopal or the hotel where you are staying.



Other attractions in Bhopal:

1) Jehan Numa Palace: A boutique luxury hotel that was once the palace of the begums of Bhopal

2) Upper Lake: A Ramsar site and one of the largest man made lakes of India

3) Van Vihar National Park: A modern zoological park near the Upper lake

4) Bharat Bhavan: A multi-arts complex and museum

5) Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum: A heritage museum showcasing the tribal cultures of Madhya Pradesh

6) State Museum: Home to cultural and historical artefacts from the state



Other nearby attractions in Madhya Pradesh:

1) Sanchi Stupa: A UNESCO World Heritage site and the pioneer of torana architecture

2) Bhojeshwar Temple: A 11th century temple home to the largest Shiva Lingam in the world

3) Bhimbetka Rock Shelters: A UNESCO World heritage site and one of the places that teach us the evolution in man’s cognitive capacity from 100,000 years back

4) Udayagiri Caves: A 4th to 5th century cave temple gem that is home to some of the oldest surviving Hindu temples and iconography in India

5) Chanderi: An ancient kingdom that gave us the traditional Chanderi saree

6) Orchha: A medieval Bundelkhand kingdom where nature, culture and heritage all live in a pristine environment

7) Khajuraho: A UNESCO World Heritage site and a 10th century temple gem

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Narmada River Bridge, Madhya Pradesh, India!!

The Narmada River Bridge is a great sight for all those who take a road trip from Bhopal to Nagpur via the Itarsi route.


This holy river and also the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh is quite a wide river at this location. The road and the railway bridge run parallel to each other.

 
It is quite an experience to watch the trains cross the railway bridge while you stand on the road bridge. While I was standing on the road bridge, I saw about 4 goods train, 1 passenger train and 2 rail engines all in a span of ten minutes.


It was extremely heartening to see the Narmada river have decent water flow especially in times when the rest of the state and most of the country are having extreme hot weather and subsequently dry rivers.

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Bheem Betika – Of Prehistoric Structures, Caves, Drawings and Paintings

Bheem Betika is a world heritage site situated about an hour’s drive from Bhopal towards the south on the Hoshangabad highway.

 
This world heritage site is known for its pre-historic structures, caves and especially paintings. Bheem Betika was first mentioned in Indian archaeological records in 1888 as a Buddhist site. The earliest paintings on its cave walls is believed to be of the Mesolithic era.

 
A beautiful winding road through the country side and hills brings one to these famous structures. There is hardly any tourist infrastructure available here, but one can find partially educated locals who double up as tourist guides.


At first sight, these rocky structures can captivate one’s imagination. They seem to bellow out of nowhere amidst dense forests. It gets more interesting as one takes a walk through them.

 
The entire place is swarming with caves and most of these caves have these prehistoric paintings. There are superimposition of paintings in the caves, which shows that the same canvas was used by different people at different times.


The drawings and paintings can be classified under seven different periods:

Period 1 - (Upper Palaeolithic): These are linear representations, in green and dark red, of huge figures of animals such as bisons, tigers, and rhinoceroses.

Period II - (Mesolithic): Comparatively small in size the stylised figures in this group show linear decorations on the body.

In addition to animals there are human figures and hunting scenes, giving a clear picture of the weapons they used: barbed spears, pointed sticks, bows and arrows. The depiction of communal dances, birds, musical instruments, mother and child pregnant women, men carrying dead animal drinking and burials appear in rhythmic movement.

Period III - (Chalaeolithic) These drawings reveal that during this period the cave dwellers of this area had come in contact with the agricultural communities of the Malwa plains and started and exchange of their requirements with each other.

Period IV & V - (Early historic): The figures of this group have a schematic and decorative style and are painted mainly in red white and yellow. The association is of riders, depiction of religious symbols, Tunic-like dresses and the existence of scripts of different periods. The religious beliefs are represented by figures of Yakshas , tree gods and magical sky chariots.

Period VI & VIl - (Medieval) : These paintings are geometric linear and more schematic, but they show degenerations and crudeness in their artistic style. The colours used by the cave dwellers were prepared by combining manganese haematite soft red stone and wooden coal.


If one needs a break from pre-historic paintings, then they can find solace in bats and beehives that can be found in plenty in these caves. Even better, is a great view of Bhopal from the tortoise rock. One can see the entire Bhopal horizon from that point.


In sum, a great place to explore and have a fabulous time! Do remember to carry some sun block, a pair of sunglasses and lots of water and food.

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Bhopal – The city of Lakes!!

Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh in the heart of India is aptly titled “The city of Lakes”. The city, in itself is a green paradise and the lakes only add to its charm.


The main part of the city of Bhopal is situated around these lakes. These lakes also form the backbone of the city’s water system.


These lakes are not only beautiful, but have been maintained very well by the Bhopal city council. I was extremely happy to see a lot of billboards and banners educating people about keeping the lakes clean and that water is extremely precious and its surrounding greenery is what allows them to breathe comfortably.


If you happen to be in Bhopal, do remember to go on a drive through its winding roads that overlook the lake. The drive is simply breathtaking. And, equally inspiring is a late night walk by the lake banks to get a brilliantly lit view of the Bhopal city.

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