The Oldest man made lake in Bhopal

A Friends Wedding in Bhopal on Valentines day

Not sure if this was an auspicious occasion to see a lake but chance had it that we had nothing better to do till 8pm when the wedding was scheduled. So our group descened on Upper Lake to trespass on the privacy of a few couples who had come to celebrate the occasion. It was only later that we realized the historical significance of this Lake which supplies water to the better half of the city. Also known as Bada Talaab (Large Lake to coincide with a Smaller Lake nearby) the BhojTal was founded by the famed Raja Bhoj a Thousand years back and hence carries the significance of being the Oldest manmade lake in history.

Once upon a time the King suffered from a skin disease which the local Doctors were unable to cure. A Saint gave a remedy to this – he told the King to build a water tank to combine 365 tributaries and then have a dip in it. The King called upon his staff to locate such a water source and commence the work. They spotted a place near river Betwa, around 32 km away from the city but it was found to have only 359 tributaries. A local Gond Commander helped to identify an invisible river close-by which had the balance count of tributaries and thus the Water body with the relevant count of tributaries was made available to the King for his dip. The king was cured and the lake made its mark in history  

Other than the Water supply, the Lake has many distinctions. It has a huge supply of Fish and the Lake is often leased out to a cooperative of local Fishermen, though I am not sure if it also has an angling club nor could I see anyone fishing close-by. So also it boasts of a Sailing club. And it also has Boating facility wherein for a token fee you can have a long cruise and also visit a small island in the middle of the lake for a stroll.  

Likewise the Lake has become a home to huge flock of ducks (or Swans?). The ducks are fond of Popcorn and for five rupees you can purchase a handful of corn from the local vendors and feed it to them. A duck eating corn out of your hands can be a memorable picture to carry back home.

And now the Steam Engine – “The Hill Stallion” as it was known during its heydays was installed by the Bhopal Municipal Corporation on the Lake shores as a Tourist attraction. It was built by Tata Engineering Locomotive in 1963. The engine which served the Railways for 34 years used to run in North-Eastern Railways in Assam. The gleaming black Engine looks like a Knight in shining armor standing at attention on the Shores of the lake.
  

And finally a replica of the India’s 1^st stealth frigate, the INS Shivalik has been put on display here in a large glass casing.

There are a handful of small eateries close-by which serve you varied items starting from Ice-creams to local Chats 

It is said that the Lake also played a role in saving the lives of the citizens during the Union Carbide Gas Tragedy; the moisture laden lake absorbed a major portion of the affluent gas in the atmosphere and prevented its spread towards the heart of the city so the Citizens of Bhopal do owe it a Debt.