Tourist info

HISTORY : Raisen District in the central part of Madhya Pradesh. Situated between 23.27º and 78.05º north latitude and east longitude. The total area of the District is 8,395 km. which cover 1.93% area of the state.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME : Raisen District takes its name from the massive Fort (built in 1543 AD) of the than Royal family Rajasayan. The fort is built at the top of a sandstone hill and at the foot hill where the town settles.

The historical places worth enough to visit are Bari - Bareli, Sanchi (Buddhist stupa), Bhimbethika (Rock cave) and Bhojpur (Temple).

BARI - BARELI : Bari is known for its famous and only of its kind, temple ' HINGLAJ DEVI MANDIR " built in 1543 AD. However, you can visit Fort (built by the than Royal family Rajasyan as an extended part of Raisen Fort, (which is connected by an underground tunnel) and the BARNA Dam, which is providing irrigation water to the locality is worth enough to see. The future expansion of the Barna Dam project is to produce hydro-electricity for the entire locality of Raisen District. You can also visit the famous SIND TEMPLE AT BARELI (24 km from Bari and 6 km from Bareli, on the National Highway 12).

SANCHI : Is known for its stupas, monasteries, temples and ashokan pillars dating form the 3rd century B.C. to 12th century A.D. The distance form Bari via Raisen is almost 91 km and form the capital city Bhopal, via Raisen is 72 km. The Sanchi has been best known for the Stupas which were originally built by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka, (the than Governor of Ujjayini), on the top of a hill. The purpose of these Stupas was mostly religious. The Stupas are built in brick made of stone. A chunar sandstone pillar fragment, shining with the proverbial Mauryan polish, lies near the Stupa I and carries the famous edict of Ashoka warning against schism in the Buddhist community. Stupa I was found empty, while relics of the two disciples of Buddha enshrined in the adjacent Stupa 3 were carried away to England. The nearby modern temple has a reliquary containing the remains of a Buddhist teacher from a Stupa outside Sanchi. Four gateways constructed in 35 BC are the best form of Buddhist expression, one can find any where in the world. These gateways covered with explicit carving which depict scenes from the life of Buddha and Jatakas, the stories relating to Buddha and his earlier births. Despite the damage and restoration work done, Sanchi is the most evocative and attractive Buddhist site in India.

BHIMBETKA : 75 km from Bari and 46 km from Bhopal, the village bhimbetka is surrounded by the northern fringe of Vindhya mountains. The range is covered by huge rocks. Recent discoveries of 600 rock shelters (the largest group in the world) belonging to Neolithic age. Here, in vivid, panoramic detail, paintings in over 500 caves depict the life of the prehistoric cave-dwellers, making Bhimbetka group an archaeological treasure, an invaluable chronicle in the history of man.The drawing and paintings in Bhimbetka can be classified into groups as : Period-I (Upper Paleolithic), Period-II (Mesolithic), Period-IV (Heliolithic), Period-IV & V (Early Historic) and Period-V & VI ( Medieval).The paintings executed mainly in red and white with the occasional use of green and yellow, with themes taken from the everyday events of a eons age, the scenes usually depict hunting, dancing, music, horse and elephant riders animals fighting, masking and household scenes. One can see animals such as bison, tigers, lions, wild boars have been abundantly depicted in some caves.

BHOJPUR : 82 km fro Bari and 46 km for Bhopal. Bhojpur is famous for it exquisite 11th century Shiva temple which was never completed. But remains one of the best example of temple architecture of 11th to 13th century. In the west of of Bhojpur lay a vast lake built by Raja Bhoj Parmar, but nothing remains except the ruins of the magnificent old dams by which waters were contained. This place is also Known as the Somnath of North India, the temple has many Shiva images engraved on its walls. It also houses an enormous Shiva lingam carved out of a single stone.

BHOPAL : Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh, combines scenic beauty, historic city and modern urban planning. It is situated on the site of an 11th century city, called Bhojpal, But the founder of the existing city was, however, founded by an Afghan soldier of fortune, Dost Mohammed (1708-1740). Bhopal today presents a multi-faceted profile : the old city was its teeming marketplace and file old mosques and palaces, still bears the aristocratic imprint of its former rulers.

Regional Museum of Natural History : The newly constructed Regional Museum of Natural History is situated southeast of New Market. You will see models of dinosaurs and colorful murals in the museum. The museum also has attractive and well-written displays on biodiversity and ecosystems and on the geological history of the earth. There are also temporary exhibitions, a discovery centre inside the museum. Every day at 4 pm a film show is also organized at the museum. Regional Museum of Natural History is open daily from 10am to 5pm, closed on Mondays.

The Museum of Man : Popularly known as the Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, the museum is an enlightened attempt to provide genuine insight into ways of life of tribals. You will see original tools, cooking utensils, baskets and musical instruments used by the tribal people. The Museum of Man is open Tuesday to Sunday, from 11am to 6.30pm (March-August) and 10am to 5.30pm (September-February).

Bharat Bhavan : Bharat Bhavan was inaugurated in 1982 as part of a national bid to promote visual and performing arts. The building has a large and elegantly displayed collection of modern Indian painting. Bharat Bhavan also has one gallery full of sculpture and another devoted exclusively to adivasi art. Plays, music and dance programmes are also organized at Bharat Bhavan frequently. Bharat Bhavan is open daily from 2pm - 8pm (February-October) and 1pm - 7pm (November-January), closes on Mondays.

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The State Archaeological Museum : The State Archaeological Museum or Rajkiya Sangrahalaya is situated near Raj Bhavan, just south of Lower Lake. The museum has a good collection of ancient sculpture, bronzes and Mughal miniatures. Other noteworthy exhibits of the museum include the second-century BC yakshis (female fertility figures), the black granite statue of standing Buddha and the fifth-century statue of Karttikeya, the Hindu god of war. The museum is open from 10am to 5pm daily, except Mondays.

Birla Mandir Museum : Birla Mandir Museum is another important museum in Bhopal. The museum has a collection of some of the finest stone sculpture in Madhya Pradesh. The museum lies in a detached house adjacent to Birla Mandir which stands high on the hill overlooking Lower Lake. The exhibition is divided into Vishnu and Shiva sections which contain some interesting representations of the god's diverse reincarnations. Also see the replicas of 3500 years old Harappan artifacts encased under the stairs. Birla Mandir Museum is open daily from 2pm to 6pm, closed on Mondays.

Taj-ul-Masjid : Taj-ul-Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India. Commenced by Shah Jahan Begum, the mosque was never completed. Taj-ul-Masjid is a huge pink mosque having two white-domed minarets and three white domes over the main building.

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