Bhopal is the capital of Madhya Pradesh and is famous for its mesmerizing fusion of picturesque beauty, old historic charm and contemporary urban planning. Bhopal is known as the “city of lakes”, and possesses many man-made as well as natural lakes. Bhopal is rightly famous for its lakes as it has two most eye-catching lakes – Upper Lake and Lower Lake. The lakes of Bhopal are also known as the Bhoj Wetlands.
Upper Lake: Raja Bhoj created the Upper Lake of Bhopal in 11th century while the construction of an earthen dam across the Kolans River. The upper lake is the oldest man-made water bodies in the country. Upper Lake is locally called as Bada Talaab. This lake provides almost half of the drinking water that is supplied to the Bhopal city. The Bada Talaab is unique in nature that supports some 500 fishermen families and also provides water for agriculture to almost 87 villages in the catchment area.
Upper Lake is also a good source of entertainment for the locals and the tourists, as there is a Boat club which provides recreational activities such as kayaking, canoeing, parasailing, and water skiing. Not only this one can even enjoy the best nature walks as adjacent to this lake is the popular Van Vihar National Park of Bhopal. This makes it a scenic and attractive place.
Lower Lake: Lower Lake of Bhopal is a beautiful remnant of the great Mugal Empire. The history of this lake is about two hundred years old. This was built by Chote Khan, A minister in the kingdom of Nabab Hayat Mohd. Khan in 1794. Before construction of this lake, there were many wells, which were used to draw water for agricultural and other purposes. But after the construction of the tank all wells merged in this lake. Locally known as the Chhota Talaab it is situated towards the east end of Upper Lake and is fully surrounded by built-up areas.
Compared to the Upper Lake it has a small catchment area of 9.60 sq km. the lower lake is separated from the Upper Lake by an over-bridge. Bordered by the magnificent Kamala garden, the Lower Lake presents aesthetic appearance. Exciting trips by sail, paddle and motorboats over the Lower Lake is fascinating attractions for adventure lovers. The beauty and charm of this wonderful pond is greatly affected by the human settlements from all sides. . The smaller lake is spread over an area 7.99 square kilometer. A Century and half ago the tank was maximum 11.7 meters and minimum 6.16 meters deep.
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