Bhojtal Lake in Madhya-Pradesh, also known as the “Upper Lake” is large man-made water body that is close to the city of Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh.
According to the local folklore, Paramara Raja Bhoj built Bhojtal during his tenure as a king of Malwa (1005–1055).
Paramara Raja Bhoj also established the city of Bhopal to secure the eastern frontier of his kingdom.
There is a legend why they built the lake. Once king Bhoj suffered from skin disease and all doctors.
Then, one day a saint told the king to build a tank to combine 365 tributaries and then have a bath in it to wipe out the skin disease.
Bhoj called upon his engineers to build up a huge tank. They spotted a place near river Betwa, which was 32 km away from Bhopal.
It was found that it has only 359 tributaries. A Gond Commander Kalia fulfilled this shortage. He then gave the address of an invisible river.
After merging the tributaries of this river the number 365 was completed.
Paramara Raja Bhoj built the Bhojtal Lake in Madhya-Pradesh by constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans River.
Bhojtal Lake- Historical
An eleven gate dam called the Bhadbhada dam was constructed at Bhadbhada in 1965 at the southeast corner of the Lake, and now controls the outflow to the River Kaliasote.
The lake was known as the Upper Lake or Bada Talab (“Big Pond”) until March 2011 it was renamed Bhojtaal in honor of the Great King Raja Bhoj who built it.
A huge statue of Raja Bhoj, standing with sword, was also installed on a pillar on one corner of the lake to cement the name of Bhopal as the city of lakes .
The people of Bhopal are religiously and culturally attached to the lakes.
The lakes meet their needs of water supply and they wash clothes in them (very harmful for the lake ecosystem), cultivate water chestnut in Bhojtal and lotus in Chhota Talaab.
The idols of gods and goddesses are also immersed in the lake during religious festivals, though the local administration is advising devotees not to do so.
The Takia island in Upper lake has a tomb of the Shah Ali Shah Rahamatullah Alla.
The Tomb has religious and archaeological significance.
Bhojtal attracts tourists due to its scenic beauty.
Bhojtal Lake -Various Clubs for Recreational activities.
The National Sailing School was established at the Boat Club. This club offers various water sports such as kayaking, canoeing, rafting, water skiing, parasailing etc.
A number of operators provide facilities for exciting trips by sail, paddle and motor boats.
Van Vihar National Park, situated on the south-eastern side of the lake, attracts tourists.
The road passing through it has on one side the animals in their natural habitats, and on the other hand is the scenic beauty of the lake.
The other major attraction close to the lake is the Bhopal Zoo on the bank of the lake.
The zoo is in quite a natural way. This makes the lake a complete entertainment location for all visitors.
Also known as Upper Lake lies on the western side of the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal.
- It is a major source of drinking water for the residents of the city.
- Lake is serving around 40% of the residents with nearly 30 million imperial gallons (140,000 m ) of water per day.
- Bada talaab, along with the nearby Chhota Talaab, meaning small lake in Hindi, constitute Bhoj Wetland, which is now a Ramsar site.
- Largest artificial lake in Asia.