MINTO HALL, BHOPAL
Nawab Sultanjahan Begum constructed the Minto
Hall of Bhopal in the year 1909, keeping in mind the requirement of a
guesthouse near the Raj Bhawan (then called the Lal kothi). The main architect
was A. C. Rovan, the main contractors were Armstrong, R. A. Dhondi and Sayyed
Ali. A fund of rupees three lakhs was spent over a period of 24 years on this
construction. However soon the Minto hall was converted to an army cantonment,
which was followed by a period of the hall being used as a convention center.
Later a Hotel Lake View was established in the vicinity of Minto Hall during
the era of Nawab Hamidullah Khan. For some time offices of the Inspector
General of Police, Defense services and Civil services were also established in
Minto Hall.
Abida Sultan, the heir apparent, discovered and refined the new
game of roller skates hockey on the floors of Minto hall. In the year 1946
Minto Hall was converted to a college called the Hamidia College, which later
moved to its own building. After independence of India the Vidhan Sabha of
Madhya Pradesh was established at Minto Hall. The Vidhan Sabha has been since
moved to a new building in the year 1996. Since then Minto hall has been lying
mainly unused, occasionally being the venue of some exhibition.
During the year 2005, the central
government decided to establish a International Convention Centre hub in view
of attracting investment to Bhopal. Bhopal has many plus points which we must
leverage -natural beauty, nearness to a major historical site like Sanchi and a
hill-station like Pachmarhi. If 'heritage value' can be combined with a 'scenic
location', a Convention Centre becomes unbeatable. Minto Hall, the old Vidhan
Sabha building on the lakeshore, was chosen for the purpose. The Indian trade
promotion organization (ITPO) visited Bhopal for an on-the-spot
assessment of Minto Hall for this Convention Centre. Linked with this
Convention Centre, we also propose to develop exhibition pavilions, so that
major Trade Fairs can take place in Bhopal. A competition was organized for the
architecture by EPCO for Government of Madhya Pradesh. The Small Scale Industry
of Madhya Pradesh has been appointed the nodal agency for the
construction of this convention center. A Five star hotel is also to be
constructed, for which two sites has been proposed to Indian trade
promotion organization (ITPO) - one in the vicinity of the Minto
Hall and another at the Hotel Ashoka Lake View. The ITPO will visit
both the locations soon and a venue would be decided upon. A fund of one crore
and thirty-four lakhs has been released by the central government for this
project as the first installment of the project.
RAISEN FORT ( रायसेन किला )
Raisen
is 23 kms from Bhopal, and is known for the Raisen fort and the Durgah of
Raisen. Raisen fort is situated on the top of a hill with a few temples,
palaces, a large water reservoir and numerous wells inside Raisen fort. The fort is about 800 years old. It is built on a hill and
occupies the entire hilltop.There is a temple and mosque in the same
complex of Raisen fort. Raisen fort had many domes inside, however, only two of
them are left which are now abode of Bats.
Raisen
is also known for the shrine of Hazrat Peer Fatehullah Shah Baba who was a well
known Muslim Saint. The people in and around Raisen have great faith in the
shrine and it is believed that the shrine can fulfill the desires of
pilgrims. The origin of Raisen fort can be dated back to 1200 A.D. Raisen
fort has been under the rules of various rulers.
History of Raisen Fort:
Raisen
fort was under the control of Hindu rulers including Rajputs till 16th century.
In 1543, the fort was captured by Sher Shah Suri and later by Nawab of Bhopal
in 1760. Raisen fort was then under the control of princely state of Bhopal
till Indian Independence (1747).
Way To Raisen Fort:
Raisen
is well connected by roads to Bhopal, Vidisha, and Itarsi. Tourists can use
Cab, Auto or Bus to travel to Raisen from Bhopal. Bhopal is connected with
Sanchi through two routes, where one of the route passes through Raisen.
ASHAPURI NEAR BHOPAL
Ashapuri is a
village in Obaidallaganj Mandal of Raisen District located at a distance of
about 35kms from Bhopal. The place is well known for its old Jain temples. One
can find the remnants of a thousand three hundred year old temple with statues
scattered on the ground. Scientists of the Archaeological Department have
found out the remains of 1300 year old ancient temples at Ashapuri village near
Bhopal.
The
debris of the temple seems to be massive in which the Bhoothnath temple was the
biggest. The archaeologists have named this excavation project as 'Bhootnath
Temple' series. "We have found ruins of temples dating back to 1300 years,
even before the Parmar Dynasty. Before the Parmar dynasty there were Pratihar
dynasty rulers in this area. After them the Parmar dynasty came. Pratihar
dynasty rulers constructed temples with steeple shaped structure. These temples
were large and beautiful," said Ashok Das, Commissioner, Madhya Pradesh
Archaeological Survey of India.
"The
21 temples you can see here were made during the Pratihar rule. The largest
temple whose cleanliness is yet to be done might have been made by the Parmar
dynasty," he added. The excavators have found over 400 remains of idols of
Hindu gods and goddesses made during the regime of the Pratihar and the Parmar
dynasty rulers. The State government has taken the responsibility to preserve
these relics of Indian history.
"It
is the responsibility of the Archaeology Department to find things of
historical importance and preserve them. That is why the State government is
doing this work," said Laxmikant Sharma, Minister of Culture of Madhya
Pradesh.
Near Ashapuri
village there is one big dam also. According to the archaeologists, the temples and dam both were built by the Parmar
and Pratihar dynasties and certain locals contended that the Mughal rulers
razed down these temples.
BHARAT BHAVAN SUMMER FESTIVAL
Bharat Bhavan summer festival is
one of the major festivals of Bhopal celebrated in Bharat Bhavan, the epicenter
of cultural events. The main highlights of this cultural festival are the
traditional music by famous classical musicians, poetry recitals by Indian
poets, performances of folk dancers and drama troupes, art exhibition by
eminent artisans etc. The festival is celebrated
with great fervor every year.
Bharat Bhavan
Summer festival has high recognition and acceptance in Bhopal and it
is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor. The Bharat Bhavan Summer
Festival is organized each and every year at Bharat Bhavan where various drama
troupes, poem concerts, classical performances, traditional music and songs,
folk dance and presentation of art paintings are displayed in the festival.
LOKARANG SAMAROH @ BHOPAL
Lokrang Samaroh, organised by Madhya Pradesh
Adivasi Lok Kala Academy is celebrated annually on 26th January, during the
auspicious day of Republic day. This five day cultural festival, based on the
rich tribal and folk tradition of India, is celebrated every year with a
definite motive. Sometimes the festival focuses on the West Indian cultural,
explaining the heritage of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and sometimes
on the North Indian cultures, explaining the heritage of Jammu Kashmir and
Himachal Pradesh. Whatever it is, Lokrang Samaroh is mainly focused on a single
geographical and Geo-cultural unit of the country.
The real motive of the
festival is to remove the Geo-political differentiation and make India a wholly
integrated country. The main highlights of the festival are classical dances,
tribal folk dances, performing arts, exhibition of art and craft etc.
MANAV SANGRAHALAYA FAIR, BHOPAL
Manav
Sangrahalaya Fair is a colorful fair held annualy in January /February at Manav
Sangrahalaya, the national tribal museum of Bhopal. Large number of tribal
artists from different parts of the country participate in this tribal fair to
showcases their talents and skills. The fair exhibits the paintings and weaving
made by the tribals of the region and the fashioning of bell metal into
exquisite works of art made by them. Folk music and dance, potters workshops
and open-air plays are also conducted as a part of the fair.
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