Shahpura

Bhopal (bhoh-PAHL) is a good mix of the old and the new with old portions of Bhopal reminiscent of the Mughal influence and the new ones showcasing the planned development of a modern Indian city. Bhopal is the seat of the Madhya Pradesh government and is a beautiful mid-sized city in the heart of India. It is said that Bhopal was first called "Bhoj-pal" after Raja Bhoj, who is credited with founding the city. It was an important part of the "Bhoj" kingdom with Ujjayini (modern-day Ujjain, about 190 km from Bhopal) being the seat of the kingdom. Bhopal is also known for the world's worst industrial disaster, the poisonous methyl isocyanide (MIC) gas leak from the Union Carbide plant in December 1984. The accident caused over 3,700 officially recognised deaths, half a million injuries, many birth defects, and the survivors continue to suffer to this day. Yet the impoverished still live in slums next to the abandoned plant.