Sundarta wah pratibha hai
Jise riyaz ki zarurat nahi
Bhopal aisi hi pratibha se sampann aur siddh.
Yah shahar kavitayeN likhne ke liye paida hua
Aap ise Panchmarhi ka laadla beta kah sakte hain
Pahaad yahaN ke aadim naagrik
jheeloN ne aakar unki grahasthiyaN basaai hain.
Yah shahar jitna pahadoN par charha hua
Utna hi jheeloN mein tair raha
Yah uNchaai aur gahraai dono ke prati aasthawaan
Is shahar mein paani ki khadaane hain
Jinme tair raha hai machhliyoN ka akshay khaniz bhandaar.
Is shahar men jitni meenaareN hain,
Utne hi mandir bhi,
Lekin baageechoN ki taadaat un dono se jyada.
Raat bhar chalte mushayroN aur qawwaliyoN ke jalsoN meiN
Chaand ki tarah jaagte is shahar ki nawaabi yadeiN
gumbadoN ke ukhadte palastaroN meiN se aaj bhi jhaNkti haiN.
Is shahar ka sabse khoobsurat waqt
Sham ko jheeloN ke kinaare utarta hai
Aur yah shahar apni kamar ke patte dheele kar
Pahaad se peeth tika
Apne paaNv paani meiN bahaa deta hai
Aur jheel meN deeye tairne lagte haiN.
Iska puranapan hafte je vaaroN meiN simta
Saal ke maheenoN ki tarah baarah nambaroN tak
Iska nayaapan vistaarit.
Rasaynik traasadi ka paster hai ye shahar
Isne apne gahre shok meiN brush bhigoy
Aur rang failaay
Isne jeevan ki nirantarta ko sabse badi kalaa maana.
Yah aadha aandolanoN aur harhtaaloN meiN beetata hua
Aur aadha muaawajo ke chakkar main uljha hua
YahaN raajpathoN aur pagdandiyoN ke apne-apne aranya haiN
Yah shahar laal chattaanoN ki aseem khadaan hai
Beshkeemti khanizoN si laal chattanoN ki
Khudaai shuru ho chuki hai
Is shahar ki jadoN par hamle ki
Yah shuruaat hai.
Kisi bhi shahar ka durbhaagya hai mahanagar hona
Yah ab usi kagaar par hai
pahadiyaN simat rahi haiN, dheere dheere
jheeleN paani meiN apne vidhwa hone ka
pratibimb dekh darti hain
yah shahar aisi chintaaoN waali kavitaayeiN
roz likh raha hai,
parh raha hai
aur
faad raha hai…. – Hemant Devlekar