Delhi is a city that bridges two different worlds. Old Delhi, once the capital of Islamic India, is a maze of narrow lanes lined with crumbling havelis and formidable mosques. In contrast, the imperial city of New Delhi created by the British Raj is composed of spacious, tree-lined avenues and imposing government buildings. Delhi has been the seat of power for several rulers and many empires for about a millennium.
The city’s importance lies in the rich and diverse cultures. It has never been at a loss for topics. In Delhi, you will discover that the city is sprinkled with dazzling gems: captivating ancient monuments, fascinating museums and art galleries, architectural wonders, a vivacious performing-arts scene, fabulous eating places and bustling markets. Delhi has been the political hub of India. Every political activity in the country traces its roots here.
Delhi is blended with some of the best tourist places that can be visited any time of the year.
- Akshardham Temple
Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomizes 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages.
The complex was built in only five years. Heralded by the Guinness World Record as the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple, the complex was inaugurated on November 6, 2005.
- Bahai/Lotus Temple
The temple is built in the shape of a lotus flower. It is set among the lush green landscaped gardens. The structure is made up of pure white marble. Adherents of any faith are free to visit the temple and pray or meditate. Around the blooming petals there are nine pools of water, which light up, in natural light.
- Laxmi Narayan Mandir
Also known as Birla Mandir, is one of Delhi’s major temples and a major tourist attraction. This beautiful temple is located in the west of Connaught Place. The temple is dedicated to Laxmi (the goddess of prosperity) and Narayana (The preserver). The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes will be allowed to enter the temple.
- Humayun’s Tomb
It was built in 1565 A.D. nine years after the death of Humayun, by his senior widow Bega Begum. The most notable features are the garden squares (chaharbagh) with pathways water channels, centrally located well proportional mausoleum topped by double dome.
- India Gate
At the centre of New Delhi stands the 42m high, it commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during the World War I. The memorial bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.
- Jama Masjid
This great mosque of Old Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. The highly decorative mosque has three great gates, four towers and two 40m-high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble.
- Parliament House
The Parliament house is a cirular building. It also houses ministerial offices, numerous committee rooms and an excellent library as well. It consists of an open verandah with 144 columns. The domed circular central hall with oak paneled walls and the three semi circular buildings are used for the Rajya Shabha and Lok Shabha meetings.
- Qutab Minar
A soaring, 73m-high tower of victory, was built by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom. The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers from a 15m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone; the fourth and fifth storeys are of marble and sandstone. At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India. A 7m-high iron pillar stands in the courtyard of the mosque. It is said that if you can encircle it with your hands while standing with your back to it your wish will be fulfilled.
- Red Fort
The Red sandstone walls of the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila) rise 33-m above the clamour of Old Delhi as a reminder of the magnificent power and pomp of the Mughal emperors. The main gate,Lahore Gate, is one of the emotional and symbolic focal points of the modern Indian nation and attracts a major crowd on each Independence Day. Inside is a veritable treasure trove of buildings, including the Drum House, the Hall of Public Audiences, the white marble Hall of Private Audiences, the Pearl Mosque, Royal Baths and Palace of Color. An evening sound and light show re-creates events in India’s history connected with the fort.
10. Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar (Yantra – instruments, mantra – formulae) was constructed in 1724. The instruments at Jantar Mantar are fascinating for their ingenuity, but accurate observations can no longer be made from here because of the tall buildings around.
11. Connaught Place
Delhi can’t be complete without visiting Connaught Place. Located at the center of Delhi (near to New Delhi railway station), it has the large collections of all the things what a tourist can expect. Its the shopping center of entire Delhi. But there are also some cheap and reasonable areas for shopping likes palikabazaar, Janpath market etc.
12. Chandani Chowk
Well known as the address of old Delhi, famous for delicious street foods, busy shops, inexpensive traditional market of cloths, electronics, and the magic of the rustic charm of the area and taste the world’s famous non veg dishes. So if one is looking for cheap shopping and restaurant, there is no doubt that this the best place for shopping and eating out in Delhi.
13. Purana Quila
One does not have to go far to see the old fort or Purans Quila standing stoically amidst wild greenery. It is roughly rectangular in shape having a circuit of nearly two kilometers. The thick ramparts crowned by merlons have three gateways provided with bastions on either side. It was surrounded by a wide moat, connected to river Yamuna, which used to flow on the east of the fort.
14. Delhi Metro
Delhi Metro is India’s second urban mass rapid transportation system, after Kolkata Metro. Stations have escalators, elevators, and tactile tiles to guide the visually impaired from station entrances to trains. It is built and operated by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRC).
CUISINE
When you are in Old Delhi, you just can’t miss the food there. Chandni Chowk is often called the food capital of India, is famous for its street food. The variety consists of snacks, especially chaat. If you wish to enjoy it, shed your high-brow attitude to soak in the flavours and delicacies. Come on, everybody… Yes, it’s a kind of celebration in congregation. The streets are lined with halwais (sweet-sellers), namkeenwallahs (sellers of savouries) and paranthewallahs (sellers of rich, flaky breads soaked in ghee). Paranthewali Gali became famous when the parantha shops moved here. It has nearly become a tradition that almost every prime minister of India has visited the street to eat paratha at least once.
As India’s national capital and centuries old Mughal capital, Delhi influenced the food habits of its residents and is where Mughlai cuisine originated. The dearth of food habits among the city’s residents created a unique style of cooking which became popular throughout the world, with dishes such as Kebab, biryani, tandoori. The city’s classic dishes include Butter chicken, Aloo Chaat, dahi vada, kachori, chole bhature, jalebi and lassi.
A trend of dining at local dhabas is popular among the residents. High profile restaurants have gained popularity in recent years, among the popular restaurants are the Karim Hotel, the Punjab Grill and Bukhara.
Visit Delhi to experience a fusion of power, politics, invasions, and conquests and of free India. This place is not a poet’s paradise – no nightingales singing on full moon nights – but a place crowded with the dreams of pioneers.
– HINAL SHAH
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