Delhi
the capital city of India is also
one of India's fastest growing
cities. As a city it sprawls along
the west bank of Yamuna river.
The city has can be divided into
two exclusive zones - Old Delhi
and New Delhi. Much of Old Delhi
revolves around the Red Fort which
was build Mughal Emperor Shah
Jehan way back in 1658.
Old Delhi is replete with narrow
streets and alleyways and is always
bustling with life. The real splendor
of Old Delhi can be discovered
inside the premises of the regal
Mughal era buildings which are
astonishing specimens of the Mughal
architectural style.
Delhi is home to some of the most
excellent museums in India. The
city is replete with classy boutique
stores and shopping mall that
offers the very best of India's
fascinating treasure trove of
both time-honored handicrafts
as well as modern day products.
Much of New Delhi was the conceived
and designed by the renowned British
architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944).
Delhi is a historic city and has
witnessed the rise and fall of
many powerful empires. Its a city
shrouded in mystery and its ancient
ruins are evocative of a grand
and rich virile past. Delhi's
history dates back to 5,000 year
old which in itself is stupendous.
Delhi in the days of yore used
to be the bastion of India's royality
and its numerous forts and monuments
bear testimony to Delhi's historical
evolution. Indraprastha, Lal Kot,
Quila Rai Pithora, Siri, Jahanpanah,
Tughlakabad, Ferozabad, Dinpanah,
Delhi Sher Shahi or the then Shahjahanabad.
Each of these historical places
combined together is what modern
Delhi is all about. If historical
and archaeological records are
anything to go by than there were
at least eight cities surrounding
modern day Delhi.
Delhi was the nerve center of
India's infamous war of independence
in 1857. Though the War of Independence
did nothing to drive out the British
from India, yet, post the War
of Independence Delhi became a
bone of contention for the British.
The British administration transfered
their capital from Calcutta to
Delhi and since than all the activities
with regard to India's freedom
struggle were aimed towards Delhi.
The eventual objective of the
then Azad Hind Fauz was to liberate
Delhi from the clutches of the
British imperialists and establish
self-rule or " Swaraj". The watchword
'Dilli Chalo' is still vogue particularly
among the new age political parties
who hold political rallies and
protest marches in this city.
Delhi for all its historical past
is also among the most modern
and fashionable cities of India.
Delhi has a surfeit of western
culture and more or less all-deluxe
hotels have Discos which are pulsating
with music and dance well into
the night. The amusement parks
like the Appu Ghar, Dilli Hat
and the Fun 'n' Food village are
popular hangout zones for both
the residents and visitors to
Delhi.
The capital city of India, Delhi
has much to offer to today's discerning
international traveler and some
of Delhi's most enduring tourist
landmarks are mentioned below:
Chandni Chowk:
Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi is
a bustling market area and is
known for its chaotic scenes.
In the days of yore, Chandni Chowk
used to be full of gorgeous fountains
which no longer exists today.
Chandni Chowk is just opposite
to the Red Fort. The Chandni Chowk
area is where the Digamber Jain
Temple is located. Inside the
temple premises, there is a Bird
hospital. To the extreme end of
Chandni Chowk there is the exquisite
Fatehpuri Mosque which was built
by Shah Jahan's wives. Opposite
the old police station or the
Kotwali is the There is another
mosque - Sunheri Masjid located
to the opposite of Kotwali from
where Mughal emperor Nadir Shah
ordered his troops to ransack
Delhi in which hundreds of people
were slaughtered.
Old
Delhi:
Old Delhi is synonymous with the
City of Shahjahanabad which in
the days of yore used to be the
capital of Mughal emperor Shah
Jahan. However, today there is
not much left of the old city.
Old Delhi or the walled city was
the principal bastion of many
emperors who ruled over Delhi.
Some of the most enduring landmarks
that evoke the glorious bygone
era are- Ajmeri Gate, Kashmiri
Gate, Delhi Gate, Turkman Gate
etc. Close to Feroz Shah Kotla,
there is the Ashoka Pillar, which
was brought all the way from Meerut
by Feroz Shah Tughlaq.
The Ghats:
Beside the banks of river Jamuna
there are numerous "Samadhi Sthalls"
or the final resting place of
some of India's great leaders
and statesman. Among the many
Ghats, the Raj Ghat is one of
the most important. This is where
the "Father of the Nation" Mahatma
Gandhi was cremated after his
assassination in 1948The Shanti
Van is further north of Raj Ghat
which is dedicated to late Prime
Minister of India - Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru. The cremation ground of
Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi,
Rajiv Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri
are all located within close proximity
to each other.
Rajpath:
Rajpath is surrounded by attractive
ponds and beautifully landscaped
lawns. This beautiful place is
the venue of the annual Republic
Day Parade. There are two secretariat
buildings and the regal Rashtrapati
Bhawan on the Raisina hills located
nearby Rajpath. In the past there
used to be the Boat Club, alongside
Rajpath which was the venue of
numerous political rallies and
protests.
India Gate:
India Gate is located at the extreme
end of Rajpath. It is a colossal
42 meters high arched structure
made out of stone. The names of
85,000 soldiers of the Indian
Army are engraved here, particularly
those soldiers who sacrificed
their lives during the First World
War and the 1919 Afghan war. Beneath
the colossal arch there is a commemorative
plaque of an unknown soldier.
India Gate is located in of the
most picturesque locales of Delhi
and is replete beautifully landscaped
lawns and trees.
Sansad
Bhawan:
The Sansad Bhawan is also referred
to as the Parliament House. It
is India's highest legislative
body and a prestigious one too.
This is where all aspiring as
well as existing legislatures
want to land up. politicians decide
the fate of the Indian Democracy
here. Visitors are not allowed
inside the house but when the
house is in session, visitors
may take permission to go inside
and watch the proceedings of the
house. The parliament consists
of three halls- Lok Sabha, Rajya
Sabha and the central hall. For
the foreign visitors permits are
given only after they obtain an
introductory letter from the respective
embassy.
Dolls Museum:
The Dolls is a one-of-its-kind
Museum in Delhi located within
close proximity to the ITO crossing
on Bahadur Shah Jafar Marg . The
museum has a rich repository of
dolls which have been assembled
from various parts of India and
abroad. The objective of this
unique museum is to showcase the
culture, tradition and heritage
of a particular region from which
the dolls hail. The Museum is
located in the same building which
also houses the Children Book
Trust of India. Indeed the young
ones are in for a treat at this
fabulous Museum.
National
Science Centre:
National Science center is located
near Pragati Maidan. This center
is famous for the models which
can be operated by the visitor
himself. Children are particularly
fascinated by the mysteries of
science. Open through out the
week except on Mondays.
Humayun's Tomb:
The majestic Humayan's tomb was
built by Humayun's wife Haji Begum
way back in the mid 16th century.
The tomb is built of the finest
variety of red sand stone and
this tomb is considered by many
archaeologists to be the precursor
of the fabulous Taj Mahal. The
tomb structure is one of the finest
specimen of Mughal style of architecture.
In fact, for the information of
the visitors, Humayun's wife too
is buried alongside in an exquisite
red and white sandstone tomb.
Old Fort:
If archaeological findings are
anything to go by, the Pandavas
set up their capital, Indraprastha
at the site of the Old Fort. This
imposing fort is now in ruins
and in the days of yore used to
be the bastion of many renowned
emperors. The celebrated emperor
Prithviraj Chauhan is said to
ruled his vast empire from this
fort until he was crushed by Abdali
in the famous battle of Panipat.
Today, inside the fort, every
evening a spectacular sound &
light show is held by the Delhi
Tourism.
Safdarjung
Tomb:
The Safdarjang tomb is within
close proximity to the Safdarjang
airport. This tomb was built by
the then Nawab of Avadh in memory
of his father. The tomb is one
of the finest specimen of the
architectural grandeur of the
Mughal era.
Jantar
Mantar:
Jantar Mantar is within walking
distance from Connaught Place
and is an unusual collection of
colored structures. For all purposes,
the Jantar Mantar is an observatory
built by Maharaja Jai Singh. This
observatory in Delhi is smaller
in size in comparison to Jantar
Mantar at Jaipur. This amazing
observatory has the ability to
calculate many complex astronomical
movements with a high degree of
accuracy.
Red Fort:
The Red Fort is one of Delhi's
most imposing landmarks. This
impregnable fort is all of 3 Kms
in its outer limits. The height
of the parapets vary in size from
18 to 30 meters. In the initial
days, the river Yamuna used to
flow besides the fort. Today,
though the Yamuna flows more than
a kilometer and the moats too
have dried out up since then.
The Red Fort comes alive every
evening with the spectacular sound
& light show conducted by Delhi
Tourism.
The Lahore gate serves as the
main entry point to the fort.
The Indian Tricolour flutters
atop the fort. Every year, on
the 15th of August, the honorable
Prime Minister of India addresses
the nation from the ramparts of
the fort. There is a colorful
Bazzar which in the days of yore
used to be called as "Meena Bazar"
and during the Mughal era this
market was open to women only
on Thursdays.
The shopping arcade shows the
way to the Naubat Khana or the
"House of Drums" where musicians
of the Mughal court used to play
drums and welcome the Europeans
as well as Emperors and Princes.
The Indian War Memorial Museum
located on top of the fort is
a must visit site for visitors
and is replete with arms and armories
used by Mughals during their conquests
in India.
The Dewan-i-Am or the place of
public audience which was originally
done up in marble and priceless
stone all of which were removed
during 1857 War of Independence.
The Dewan-i-Khas or the place
for royal audience was the place
where the emperor used to hold
his assembly with his ministers.
The fort is also conspicuous by
its royal baths, which is out
of bounds to the public. The elegant
Moti Masjid made of the finest
variety of white marble was exclusively
meant for Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
Qutab Minar:
Qutub Minar was built way back
in 1199 by Mughal emperor Qutbuddin.
Qutub Minar is popularly referred
to as the "Tower of Victory".
At the base it is all of 14.32
meters. Its height is 2.75 meters
which easily makes it the highest
stone tower in India. This magnificent
minaret is one of the finest specimens
of Mughal architectural grandeur
and one of Delhi's most enduring
monument. Though construction
of the minaret commenced during
the reign of Qutubuddin, he himself
could not complete the minaret
and passed away prematurely. Later
on, Qutubuddin's son-in-law Iltutmish
completed it. Iltutmish also built
his own tomb during his lifetime
very near to Qutubuddin's tomb.
The interiors of Iltutmish's tomb
is renowned for its outstanding
calligraphy even though the tomb
is in utter ruins.
Jama
Masjid:
Jama Masjid is a splendid piece
of Islamic architectural marvel
and was built by Shah Jahan. Jama
Masjid is one of India's largest
mosques and a key place of Muslim
congregation in Delhi. The mosque
was built way back in 1658 and
is conspicuous by its three gateways,
four angular towers and two 40
meters high minarets. Visitors
are allowed inside the premises
provided they leave their shoes
outside and are properly attired.
One can also go to the top of
minarets. From here you can have
a birds eye view of Delhi.
The Bahai Temple:
The Bahai Temple was built way
back in 1986 and it is one of
the most sacred temples of the
people belonging to the Bahai
faith. The temple is replete with
sparkling pools and beautifully
landscaped gardens. All visitors,
irrespective of their faith are
allowed entry inside this magnificent
temple, which is innovatively
designed in the shape of a lotus.
This is the reason why the temple
is also known as the Lotus Temple.
The best time to visit the temple
is after dusk when the entire
temple is bathed under flood lit
lights thereby creating a stunning
scene.
Nizam-Ud-Din
Shrine:
The Nizam-Ud-Din shrine is the
tomb of the renowned Sufi saint
Nizam-ud-din Auliya. It is located
within close proximity to Humayun's
tomb. Inside the shrine's premises
there is a tank around which many
other tombs are clustered. There
is one school of thought which
suggests that there was a major
hiccup between the emperor of
Tughlakabad and the saint Nizam-Ud-Din
with regard to the construction
of the tank. The saint had predicted
that Tughlakabad city would by
no means prosper and it was exactly
what happened. . The premises
also has the mausoleum of Amir
Khusru and the daughter of Shah
Jahan. The best time to visit
the shrine is after sunset, especially
on Thursdays when Qawali music
recitals take place and the shrine
attains a spiritual halo.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple Tours in Delhi India:
The magnificent Lakshmi Narayan
Temple was built by G. D. Birla
way back in 1938. This stunning
temple is ideally located on the
western part of Connaught Place
which happens to be the hub of
Delhi. The temple is devoted to
the Hindu Goddess of prosperity
- Lakshmi. The temple is conspicuous
by its immaculately landscaped
gardens.
ISKCON Temple:
The Hare Krishna cult which has
become so famous in the West particularly
in countries like USA, UK, Canada,
Australia etc. has also made its
presence felt at Delhi. This stupendous
temple was built in the year 1998.
The temple has been built on a
hilly neighborhood of Delhi and
is dedicated to Lord Krishna.
The ISKCON temple in Delhi is
the largest and one of the finest
temple complexes of India.
Bangla Sahib Gurudwara:
The Bangla Sahib Gurudwara is
a majestic bungalow in Delhi owned
by Raja Jai Singh Amber (Jaipur)
who was held in very high esteem
in the court of Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb. Today it houses the
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. Legend
has it that the 8th Sikh Guru
Sri Harkishan was guest here for
a few months. Ever since that
visit it has become a place of
pilgrimage for not only Sikhs
but also Hindus. Pilgrims from
far and near come here to pray.
