India
Gate: A memorial inscribed with the names of the valiant
Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in World War I.
The green, velvety lawns at India Gate, particularly, are
a popular evening and holiday rendezvous for young and old
alike. A must visit place in New Delhi.
Rashtrapati
Bhawan: Modern New Delhi, or New Delhi as it is called,
centers around the Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is architecturally
a very impressive building standing at a height, flowing down
as it were to India Gate. This stretch called the Rajpath
is where the Republic Day parade is held. The imposing plan
of this area conceived by Lutyens does not fade in its charm
with the numerous summers or winters that go past. For lovers
of flowers and beauty, the annual spring opening of the glorious,
meticulously tended Mughal Gardens at the stately Rashtrapati
Bhawan is a bonanza topped by an amazing assembly of roses
in perfect bloom-perhaps the best in the whole of India. Mughal
Gardens is indeed a place to see.
Red
Fort: In Old Delhi, you may visit the ramparts of the
Red Fort. The decision for constructing the fort was taken
in 1639, when Shahjahan decided to shift his capital to New
Delhi from Agra. Within eight years, Shahjahanabad was completed
with the Red Fort-Qila-i-Mubarak (fortunate citadel)-New Delhi's
seventh fort, ready in all its magnificence to receive the
Emperor. The Red Fort still retains some of its lost glory.
The Red Fort was the last fort built in New Delhi and it witnessed
the vicissitudes of fortune, the splendour and the fall of
the Mughals, British rule, and finally the dawn of Indian
Independence. A place must see by all tourists visiting Delhi.
Raj
Ghat: Raj Ghat On the bank of the legendary Yamuna, which
flows past New Delhi, there is Raj Ghat-the last resting place
of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. It has become
an essential point of call for all visiting dignitaries. Besides
Raj Ghat the other near by places must see in New Delhi are
the two museums dedicated to Gandhi.
Qutab
Minar: The Qutab Minar is located at a small village called
Mehrauli in South New Delhi. Qutub-ud-din Aibek of the Slave
Dynasty, who took possession of New Delhi in 1206, built it.
It is a fluted red sandstone tower, which tapers up to a height
of 72.5 metres and is covered with intricate carvings and
verses from the holy Qur'an. The landmark of New Delhi is
a place to see.
Laxminarayan
Temple: Also called the Birla Mandir, the Laxminarayan
Temple was built by the Birla family in 1938. It is a temple
with a large garden and fountains behind it. The temple attracts
thousands of devotees on Janmashtami day, the birthday of
Lord Krishna. The temple is a place to visit by most of the
tourist coming to New Delhi.
Humayun's
Tomb: Humayun's wife Haji Begum built his Tomb nine years
after his death. Designed by a Persian architect named Mirak
Mirza Ghiyas, and completed in 1565, the edifice was a trendsetter
of the time by remains a must visit place in New Delhi till
date.
Chandni
Chowk: The living legacy of New Delhi is Shahjahanabad.
Created by the builder of Taj Mahal, this city, with the Red
Fort as the focal point and Jama Masjid as the praying centre,
has a fascinating market planned to shine under the light
of the moon, called Chandni Chowk. Shahjahan planned Chandni
Chowk so that his daughter could shop for all that she wanted.
It was divided by canals filled with water, which glistened
like silver in moonlight. The canals are now closed, but Chandni
Chowk remains Asia's largest wholesale market. A must visit
place in New Delhi
Shanti
Vana: Lying close to the Raj Ghat, the Shanti Vana (literally,
the forest of peace) is the place where India's first Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was cremated. The area is now a
beautiful park adorned by trees planted by visiting dignitaries
and heads of state.
Bahai
Temple/Lotus Temple: The Bahai Temple, situated in South
New Delhi, is shaped like a lotus. It is an eye-catching edifice
worth exploring. Built by the Baha'i community, it offers
the visitor a serenity that pervades the temple and its artistic
design.
Purana
Quila: The Purana Quila is a good example of medieval
military architecture. Built by Humayun, with later-day modifications
by Sher Shah Suri, the Purana Quila is a monument of bold
design, which is strong, straightforward and every inch a
fortress. It is different from the well planned, carefully
decorated, and palatial forts of the later Mughal rulers.
Purana Quila is also different from the later forts of the
Mughals, as it does not have a complex of palaces, administrative
and recreational buildings, as is generally found in the forts
built later on. The main purpose of this now-dilapidated fort
was its utility, with less emphasis on decoration. The Qal'a-I-Kunha
Masjid and the Sher Mandal are two important monuments inside
the fort. |
