Last Updated on: 8th November 2025, 06:15 pm
Bhopal may be a bustling city of nearly 3 million people and the state capital of Madhya Pradesh, but the few foreign tourists seem to visit. But not only is Bhopal the base for UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters and Sanchi, but its Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum is among the country’s finest.
Following this guide to the top things to do in and around Bhopal, be sure to check the end of the article for details on reaching Bhopal and where to stay.
The Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum
The Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum is open from 12:00-20:00 daily except Mondays. At the time of writing, it costs Rs 400 for foreigners and just Rs 20 for Indians. Unfortunately, they also charge an additional Rs 100 for photography.
And as we’ll cover below, the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum sits just next to the State Museum Bhopal, but no combo ticket exists.
In any case, if you can only visit one attraction in Bhopal, make it this one.
Madhya Pradesh is the state with the largest number of tribal people, or Adivasis, in India. There are over 15 million of them and they make up over 20% of the state’s population. The main tribes include the Gond, Baiga, Saharia, Bhil and Korku, among others.
Inaugurated in 2013, the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum helps visitors learn more about their customs and cultures which are noticeably distinct from Hinduism.
The museum was designed by architect Revathi S. Kamath (1955-2020) who was renowned for her work with mud architecture.
What makes the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum special is that feels like a combination of an anthropology museum and a modern art museum, as you’ll find both accurate replicas and modern reinterpretations of tribal objects and mythological creatures.
As you begin your journey, one of the first exhibits focuses on traditional houses, some of which you can walk into. Many of them were made of original materials that the tribes use to this day, such as mud, grass, bamboo and dung.
In the Bhil tribe, each home has a house deity, while they also worship the Earth Goddess in the form of a red flag tied to a teak pillar.
In one of the large halls, you’ll find a replica of multistory monuments belonging to the Gond tribe.
You’ll also find a magrohan, or wedding pillar. Representing the Earth, it’s supposed to act as a witness to weddings in the Gond and Baiga traditions.
Another of the museum’s main exhibits is the Tribal Aesthetic Gallery. It focuses on the importance that tribal people have long placed on aesthetics, even when it comes to ordinary objects.
Examples include a ceremonial bangle (replicated at the museum on a massive scale), decorative figurines and other household objects.
Another highlight is the World of Ancestor Worship exhibit. Ancestor worship has long played a pivotal role in tribal cultures around the world, and India is no exception.
Adivasis generally believe that the spirits of their ancestors can play a major role in events on earth, and are thus worshipped as village deities. On display at the museum are various figurines and shrines used for this type of worship.
Interestingly, the Bhils have a tradition of making temporary houses for spirits to reside in, much like one can still see throughout Thailand. The Bhil spirit houses are made of terracotta and crafted by a potter.
Various musical instruments are on display at the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum, many of which play an important role in tribal rituals, such as percussive instruments of the Gond tribe.
Yet another of the museums’s exhibits is called Tribal Spiritual World. As is common in animistic cultures, tribal people in Madhya Pradesh have long believed that spirits can inhabit seemingly ordinary objects.
Another interesting fact about Madhya Pradesh’s Adivasis is that rather than personifying their deities like Hindus, tribal people have typically created mounds or raised pillars to denote sacred spaces.
The gallery features an artist’s interpretation of various spirits commonly revered (or feared) by tribal people in Madhya Pradesh, while you can also read about various origin myths of different tribes.
Another section of the museum is dedicated to Chhattisgarh, a state of India that used to be part of Madhya Pradesh, with a top highlight being the Courtyard of Rajwar Tribe, which stands out for its beautiful latticework.
Moving on, you’ll find an elaborate gate of a temple from the village of Bastar, as well as
a shrine to the goddess Shitala who can heal diseases like chickenpox.
The main downsides of the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum is that the museum is very dark and some of the information is extremely difficult to read. The museum also seems to attract lots of college students who come here purely for photoshoots.
Fortunately, the museum also features an outdoor section that’s not only bright, but is a section that lots of other visitors seem to miss.
The final outdoor area takes visitors through even more tribal houses. It’s unclear what the difference is between this exhibit and the initial indoor one.
Nevertheless, these colorful houses are still worth checking out. And as you travel deeper into the villages of Madhya Pradesh, you’ll likely recognize some of the designs you spotted here.
The State Museum Bhopal
The State Museums Bhopal is the best place in the city to learn about the history of Madhya Pradesh and to see its most important ancient artifacts.
For foreigners, the museum costs Rs 400 and a whopping Rs 250 for photography. Despite being situated right across from the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum, no combo ticket exists.
For a city that receives few foreign tourists, this probably isn’t the best way to go about attracting more. The State Museum Bhopal, at least, does provide visitors with a nice little booklet.
The museum is open from 10:30-17:30 every day except Mondays.
Inaugurated in its current building in 2005, the museum houses some of the most beautiful sculptures discovered throughout the region. Given its central location, Madhya Pradesh has long been influenced by various regions of India, and its traditional art reflects that.
The sculptures here largely belong to the Hindu and Jain traditions, and you’ll find vivid depictions of both major and minor deities and divinities.
Aside from sculptures, the museums also features an exhibit on Madhya Pradesh’s far ancient past. Just outside of Bhopal are the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters, one of the most important Paleolithic and Mesolithic sites in all of India.
But the museum also contains numerous other examples – seemingly all replicas – of other prehistoric rock paintings found throughout the state.
While the sculptures are the State Museum Bhopal’s top highlight, also be sure to check out the Miniature Painting Gallery which features various scenes from the Indian epics.
Other galleries, meanwhile, include the Gallery of Bronzes, the Weapons Gallery, the Textile Gallery, and more.
The Birla Museum
For most visitors, visiting both the State Museum Bhopal and the Birla Museum might be overkill, as the subject matter is largely the same.
The State Museum is larger and conveniently located across from the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum. But the Birla Museum, though located in a different part of town, only costs Rs 50 (for foreigners) + Rs 50 for photography. So it’s a good alternative for those on a budget.
Hours posted online vary, but the Birla Museum is likely open from around 9:00-17:00 except Mondays.
Here you’ll find another excellent collection of sculptures from around Madhya Pradesh.
From my experience, a lot of smaller museums in India feature many badly damaged sculptures, but the Birla Museum is an exception, with most pieces being in great shape.
Also on display are some traditional leather puppets which have long been used to dramatize scenes from the Ramayana.
Though not related to Madhya Pradesh, you’ll also find some replicas of sculptures from the Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan civilization.
Also be sure to check out some additional sculptures in the garden outside.
Around Upper Lake
In the heart of Bhopal lies a large lake known as the Upper Lake, and along its shores, you’ll find various important attractions. Just to the north, for example, is the Taj-Ul-Masjid, the largest mosque in all of India.
It’s also currently the ninth-largest mosque in the world, with a capacity for up to 175,000 worshippers.
Connected with the Deoband school of Sunni Islam, construction began in the 1870s or ’80s, and it was finally completed in 1958.
Heavily inspired by Mughal mosques like Delhi’s Jama Masjid and Lahore’s Badshahi Mosque, it features three main domes and two 18-story minarets.
The massive Upper Lake isn’t visible from the mosque, but one side of it offers views of a smaller lake known as Motia Talab.
Across the water, you can catch a view of the 19th-century Taj Mahal Palace (not to be confused with Agra’s Taj Mahal). It’s currently being converted into a luxury hotel and doesn’t seem accessible to the public.
Within the lake is a statue of Raja Bhoj, the ruler of Malwa, an ancient kingdom that included parts of modern Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. He was king from 1010 to 1055, and it was Bhoj that established Bhopal, originally known as Bhojpal.
He’s generally remembered as a great warrior king, but he was also a scholar knowledgable in subjects like politics, poetry, astrology and medicine.
Further south, you can also check out views of the Upper Lake from a different angle. And if you’re interested, you’ll also find various points from which you can embark on a guided boat tour. While I’m not sure of the cost, you’ll surely need to haggle.
Bhojeshwar Temple
While central Bhopal is home to India’s largest mosque, the city’s outskirts are home to the country’s largest Shiva linga. Located about 32 km southeast of Bhopal in the village of Bhojpur, Bhojeshwar Temple is one of the region’s most fascinating ancient temples.
Situated atop a hill alongside the Betwa River, the temple was established in the 11th century by the same Raja Bhoj, the founder of Bhopal, mentioned above. But for some unknown reason, it was never complete.
Photography is generally strictly prohibited at large Indian temples. But Bhojeshwar Temple is an exception, and visitors can freely photograph the entire complex, including the inner shrine and its massive Shiva linga.
You’ll fine multiple smaller shrines within the main courtyard, while the facade features carvings of the goddesses Ganga and Yamuna.
According to local legend, the temple (or at least a prior temple at this spot) was established during the Mahabharata period by the Pandava brothers.
But another legend, also related to the Mahabharata, states that Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, had previously left her first son Karna along the riverbank in this area. According to the epic, Karna was the illegitimate child of Kunti and the sun god Surya.
The Kunti-Bhoja Kingdom where Kunti was from, however, was considerably further north than present-day Madhya Pradesh.
Stepping inside the temple, you’ll come face to face with the massive Shia linga. Symbolically, the linga represents consciousness ascending upward.
Furthermore, lingas (also called lingams) are often placed in bases called yonis which symbolize the feminine aspect of nature.
As such, the two combined represent the dualistic nature of the universe, which in itself reminds the aspirant of the need to transcend duality in order to achieve spiritual bliss.
This linga is 2.3 m high and 5.4 m in circumference, while it rises to a height of 6.7 m on its yonipitha platform.
Many years ago, the yonipitha was once broken in half when a piece of the ceiling fell down on it, but both the ceiling and platform have since been repaired.
Back near the entrance, be sure to look out for some carvings in the bedrock which are believed to be some of the original architectural plans for Bhojeshwar Temple.
GETTING THERE: Getting to Bhojeshwar Temple from central Bhopal can be a bit tricky. It’s said to be possible by bus, but you’d have to get off on the main road roughly 10 km from Bhojpur and then take an auto rickshaw from there. But details on where this bus departs from are scarce.
A better idea would be to take a taxi – either an auto rickshaw or an Uber – directly from Bhopal. If you take an Uber, it’s likely that your driver will try to negotiate with you on a roundtrip fair.
Better yet, you can stop at Bhojeshwar Temple on your way back from the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters. That’s the way I did it, but I was quite lucky to have gotten such a patient and honest Uber driver to Bhimbetka.
Though I was originally considering taking a bus back to Bhopal from the rock shelters, I negotiated with my driver to wait for me and then take me to Bhojeshwar Temple, and finally Bhopal for Rs 1000 (on top of the Rs 700 I initially paid to get to Bhimbetka).
Additional Info
Though located right in the heart of the country, Bhopal can be a bit challenging to reach from other major cities in India. I took a train from Aurangabad and the journey lasted about 14 hours. You can also take a direct train from Delhi, with the fastest train taking about 7 hours.
Coming from within Madhya Pradesh, you can reach Bhopal from Indore in about 4-5 hours.
Despite the hassle, Bhopal is indeed worth visiting to see the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters and Sanchi Stupa. And of course, you can also check out the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum and other attractions in the city center.
If you’re doing a long trip through India, it’s best to create an account on the official Indian Railways (IRCTC) website. But that’s much easier said than done!
If you’re just doing a shorter trip, it’s best to book train tickets through 12GoAsia. You’ll pay a significantly higher fee, but it’s a much smoother experience.
The above link is an affiliate link, but I did use 12GoAsia a few times before I got my IRCTC account set up and I had no issues.
Note that when traveling even a little bit off the tourist trail in India, you can’t just stay at any hotel you like. Only certain hotels will accept foreigners, and sites like Booking will not specify this!
Despite Bhopal being a state capital with nearly 3 million inhabitants, it hardly gets any foreign visitors, and you’ll have to double-check with your hotel that you’ll be allowed. (Or check is to see if people with foreign names and flags have left reviews.)
Furthermore, non-touristy cities tend to be more expensive than touristy ones. With all that considered, I ended up staying at the Super Collection O MP Nagar, which does indeed accept foreigners.
For the equivalent of about $18 per night, I had a private room with my own bathroom and decent Wifi. The staff were quite friendly, even if only one of them spoke English. Unfortunately, the hotel often reeked of cigarette smoke and cleanliness could’ve been better.
Super Collection O MP Nagar is in a rather strange area surrounded by lots of auto parts shops. With that said, there were several other hotels nearby and a plethora of restaurants to choose from.
Just across the street is the restaurant Naveen’s Bapu Ki Kutia, which serves one of the most delicious thalis I’ve ever had in India!
If budget is not such a concern, it would probably be most convenient to stay somewhere near Upper Lake. Lago Villa seems like a good option that accepts foreigners.
Many of the attractions featured above are spread quite far apart. Fortunately, Uber works great in Bhopal. From my experience, I even had a much easier time hailing Ubers in Bhopal than I did in cities like Delhi or Jaipur.
I did, however, encounter a scam attempt upon arrival at the Birla Museum. The driver told me that the museum was closed, and that I should let him take me to the Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum outside of the app. I told him I wanted to get out and check, and sure enough, the Birla Museum was open.
In general, however, scams are less prevalent in Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh as a whole than they are in states further north.