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DELHI

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GENERAL INFO

Delhi is the third largest city of India. The city consists of two parts Old Delhi and New Delhi.

Old Delhi
It was the capital of India Between 17th and 19th centuries. In Old Delhi you will find many mosques, monuments and forts relating to India's Muslim history.

New Delhi
The other Delhi, the imperial city created as the capital of India by the British . In addition to its historic interest and role as the government centre, Delhi is a major travel gateway. The city of Delhi covers most of the Delhi Union Territory, which is a federal district similar to Washington DC, Canberra, or Brasilia. In 1911,the British asked Lutyens to give new meaning to city development which is reflected in the architectural designs and sophistication that buildings in Delhi like Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate, Connaught Place and various administrative buildings like the South and North blocks along the breathtaking view available from Raj Path.

Modern Delhi
has something for everyone and that is amply reflected sin the cosmopolitan culture that nurtures festivals of all faiths and religions, places of worship. You can take a stroll at your own leisurely place, or or a jog or a run and move faster than a common man. This is also reflected in the market places, the dhabas and restaurants or the gorgeous five star hotels. Theatre, drama and entertainment of all sorts including discotheques are all there. Delhi is one city from where you can branch off to any corner of the country either by a well connected system of railways or by road and air.

SIGHTSEEING 

RED FORT
Red Fort is laid out along the river Yamuna as an irregular octagon, surrounded by a wall of about 2.4 km in circumference and is built of red sandstone. The Mughal king Shah Jahan transferred the capital from Agra to Delhi and the Fort was completed in 1648. The fort has two main entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate which faces the famed Chandni Chowk market. The Fort has Diwan-e-am, and Diwan-e-Khas where the king would grant audience to the public and would grant audience to important people respectively. Besides this is the Rang Mahal, the water cooled Apartment for the royal ladies. In the basement of the fort is a market where traditional Indian goods can be purchased at nominal rates. Another attraction is Light and Sound show held in the evenings.

OLD FORT
The ruins of this fort are located on a small hill which once stood on the bank of the river Yamuna. Legend has it that the fort marked the site of Indraprastha ,the magnificent capital of the Pandavas, though the construction was carried out by Sher Shah Suri any time between 1538 to 1545 A. D. The structure houses a mosque which has a double storeyed octagonal tower. It is said that the Mughal King Humayun fell from the tower accidentally and died.

There are three Gates to this fort. Today entrance is through the Bara Darwaza. The South Gate is called the Humayun Darwaza, probably because Humayun built it or because the tomb of Humayun is visible from here. The third gate is the Talaqi Darwaza. Recent excavations in the fort has revealed painted grey pottery which date back to 1000 BC. Such and many more findings inside the fort have proved the location to be inhabited since the early civilizations. In fact there was a village inside the fort till 1913 called Indrapat which is very close to Indraprastha adding credibility to the theory of Mahabharata having taken place here.

Inside the fort Qila Kuhna Masjid which is one of the finest example of architectural style being used in those days. The Masjid was built by Sher Shah in 1541 and it seems that there was an attempt to build the whole structure in Marble. But the scarcity of marble forced the use of Redsand stone. This mixture was accidental forced or intended we do not know, nevertheless the combination adds a different look to the structure. The inner west wall of the Masjid has five arched openings and which are richly ornamented in white and black marbles.

At the foot of the hill is the lake where the Delhi Tourism has arrangements for boating and also organizes a Sound and Light Show.

JANTAR MANTAR
Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observatory with masonary instruments, built in 1724 by Jai Singh, the mathematician and astronomer king. The Samrat and Yantra supreme instrument, the largest structure shaped like a right-angled triangle, is actually a huge sun-dial; the other five instruments are intented to show he movements of the sun, moon etc.

CHANDNI CHOWK
One of the main markets of Delhi, Chandni Chowk was once lined with beautiful fountains. It was the eyes and the ears of the Mughal's commercial instincts and is today one of the country's best known wholesale markets for textiles , electronic goods and watches. The entire arc was designed by Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan's favourite daughter and was the inhabited by the well to do famlies of the time.

But today the place is very crowded and congested. Chandni Chowk is located opposite the Red Fort. The Area has got the Digamber Jain Temple which houses the Birds hospital. On one end of Chandni Chowk is the Fatehpuri Mosque which was erected by the wives of Shah Jahan. Opposite the old police station or the Kotwali is the Sunheri Masjid from where Nadir Shah ordered his troops to plunder and massacre Delhi.

LODHI TOMB
About 3Km to the west of Humayun's tomb and adjoining the India International Centre are the Lodhi Gardens. In these well kept gardens are the tombs of Sayyid and Lodi rulers. Mohammed Shah's tomb(1450) was a prototype for the later Mughal-style tomb of Humayun, a design that would eventually develop into the Taj Mahal. Other tombs include those of his predecessor, Mubarak Shah(1433), Ibrahim Lodi(1526) and Sikander lodi(1517). The Bara Gumbad Masjid is a fine example of its type of plaster decoration.

SAFDARJANG TOMB
Representing the last phase of the Mughal style of architecture, Safdarjung's Tomb stands in the centre of an extensive garden. Built in 1753 by Nawab Shauja-ud-Daula to house the remains of his father, who was a minister in the Mughal Court, the tomb is referred to as the "Last flicker in the lamp of Mughal Architecture".The tomb stands on a high terrace surrounded by an extensive walled garden. It makes a pleasant retreat from the urban bustle. It's short walk from Lodi Garden.

RASHTRAPATI BHAWAN
Formerly known as the Vicergal Lodge, Rashtrapati Bhawan is the highlight of Jutyen's New Delhi and was completed in 1929 at a cost of 12,53,000 Located in an area of 130 hectares, the palace has 340 rooms. At one time, 2,000 people were required to look after the building and serve the Viceroy's household. It has an impressive garden called the MUGHAL GARDENS, which is open to public twice in a year, usually in February and March.

DILLI HAAT
A delightful amalgam of crafts, foods and cultures. Dilli Haat is the first ever permanent fair for crafts, regional foods and cultural activities in India spread over a six acre and situated in the heart of the city. Dilli Haat is an upgraded variance of 'traditional-haat'. The craftsmen from all over India and the cultural activities provide a panoramic view of the richness traditions and culture as well as regional cuisine.

INDIA GATE
Straight down the road from Rashtrapati Bhavan is India Gate which is primarily a memorial to unknown soldier. Designed by Lutyens , the 42 meter high structure is a war memorial in honour of soldiers who died during the second World War. The structure has an eternal flame (Amar Jawan Jyoti) to honour the memory of the unknown soldiers.

ISKCON TEMPLE
Completed in 1998, this is a complex of temples. Built on a hilly place this temple is dedicated to the Lord Krishna and was built by the Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna cult followers. This complex is elegantly build and is one of the largest temple complexes in India . Currently the main attraction of the temple are the Robort who enact and preach the Gita.

LOTUS TEMPLE
Lotus Temple or Bahai Temple is a very recent architectural marval of the Bahai faith and is visible from several spots in south delhi. Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi. It is Lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name.

Visited by over four million people, annually, it is crystallization of aspirations of Baha'i followers in over 200 countries. This temple signifies the purity and the universality of the lord and the equality of all religion.

The temple is designed to make people conscious about the beauty of life. For, life's beauty can be preserved, rising as the lotus out of swampy slime, clean and perfect - a manifestation of god.

It is one of the architectural land marks of modern DELHI. It is made up of marble, cement dolomite, and sand.
TIMINGS: Summer- 9:00 a.m - 7:00 p.m. Winter- 9:30 a.m - 5:30 p.m. Monday closed

NATIONAL MUSEUM
The National Museum of India was established on August 15, 1949, in the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi. Subsequently, a new building was constructed suited to the purpose, and the by now sizeable collection was tranferred to the new address, where the works of art were thrown open to the public on December 18, 1960. Today, the Museum houses more than 2, 00, 000 wonderful works of art, Indian and international, spanning more than five thousand years of our cultural heritage. Apart from collections of pre-history, archaeology, jewellery, paintings, decorative arts, manuscripts, Central Asian antiquities, anthropology, pre-Columbian and Western art, arms, armour, numismatics and epigraphy, the Museum also houses a well-equipped Conservation Laboratory that not only provides restoration to all the artefacts but also training facilities to students and deserving professionals.

QUTUB MINAR
The origins of Qutub Minar are shoruded in controversy. Some believe that it was built as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the Muslim rule in India. Others say it served as a minaret to the adjoining mosque and was used by the muezzins to call the faithful to prayer. However, no one disputes that the tower is not only one of the finest monuments in India, but also in the world.

Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced the construction of the Qutub Minar in A.D. 1193, but could only complete its basement. His successor, Iltutmush, added three more stories, and in 1368, Firoz Shah Tuglak constructed the fifth and the last storey. The development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tuglak are quate evident in the minar. The relief work and even the materials used for construction differ. The 238 feet high Qutub Minar is 47 feet at the base and tapers to 9 feet at the apex. The tower is ornamented by bands of inscriptions and by four projecting balconies supported by elaborately decorated brackets. Even in its ruin, the QUWWAT-UL-ISLAM (Light of Islam) MOSQUE in the Qutub complex is one of the most magnificent in the world.

The main mosque comprises an inner and outer courtyard, of which the inner one is surrounded by an exquisite collonade, the pillars of which the inner one is surrounded by an exquisite collonade, the pillars of which are made of richly decorated shafts. Most of these shafts are from the 27 Hidus temples which were plundered to construct the mosque. Close to the mosque is one of Delhi's most curious structures the Iron Pillar. Dating back to 4th century A.D., the pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II(375-413). How the pillar moved to its present location remains a mystery. The pillar also highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.

HUMANYUN TOMB
This tomb, which as built by emperor Humanyun's wife, took eight years to complete. The emperor's wife Begai Begum was buried in the tomb and the structure is first of its kind built in the center of a well - planned garden. The combination of white marble and red sand stone was a great influence on later Mughal architecture. It is generally regarded as a prototype of the famed Taj Mahal of Agra.

The Mughals brought with them their love for gardens, fountains and water. The first mature example of Mughal architecture in India. HUMAYUN'S TOMB, was built in AD 1565. Designed by Presian architect, Mirza Ghyas, Humayun's Tomb shows a marked shifts from the persian tradition of using coloured tiles for ornamentation. Located in the midst of a large square garden, screened by high walls, with gateways to the south and west, the tomb is a square tower surrounded by a magnificent marble dome. The dome stands 140 feet high from the base of the terrace and is topped with a copper pinnacle.

BIRLA MANDIR
Due west of Connaught Place, this garish modern temple was erected by the industrialist B.D. Birla in 1938. It is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity and good fortune, and is commonly known as Birla Mandir or Lakshmi Narayan Temple.

The temple is an important prayer site and contains idols of several deities . Interestingly Mahatama Gandhi who inaugurated the temple was also a regular visitor to it and would often pray there.