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New
Delhi catches you just loving it! Is it because it is the
capital that it has such charm? Or it is just the aura of
the Central Government and Rashtrapati Bhawan, which is infectious.
Here's the secret: New Delhi or Delhi was just made that way!
Over the millennia it has wood rulers, attracted plunderers
and tired historians with so many details. Historians say
there have been seven cities of Delhi. If you count the smaller
settlements and forts, the number may touch fifteen. Each
city has left behind so much story and material for rumination
that it requires many a lifetime to know them all completely.
New Delhi was the center of power during the Mahabharata age,
in the time of Muslim rule, and during British rule. Today,
New Delhi is a burgeoning metropolitan that creates more opportunities
than any other city in India and attracts hundreds of thousands
of people make it their home.
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| Attractions
in Delhi |
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India Gate |
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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.
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| Red
Fort |
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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.
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| Rashtrapati
Bhawan |
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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.
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| Raj
Ghat |
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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.
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| Qutab
Minar |
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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.
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| Laxminarayan
Temple |
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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.
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| Humayun's
Tomb |
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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.
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| Shanti
Vana |
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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.
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| Bahai
Temple/Lotus Temple |
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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.
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| Purana
Quila |
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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.
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| Attractions
From Delhi |
| Neemrana |
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Situated
122 km from New Delhi, on a rocky outcrop just above an unspoilt
village, lays Neemrana, the site of a majestic fort built
in 1464 by Prithviraj Chauhan III. The Neemrana Fort, now
heritage resort.
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| Kesroli
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A
three-hour drive from New Delhi, Kesroli in Rajasthan is the
site of a seven-turreted fort built in the 16th century. The
splendid views of the surroundings from the fort's ramparts
make it a place to visit.
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| Mud
Fort |
| Barely
80 km from the din and bustle of New Delhi stands the Mud Fort
of Kuchesar, which was built in the mid-18th century by the
Jat rulers. The fort has bravely withstood the onslaught of
the Marathas, Sikhs, Rohillas, and Rajputs, as well as the French
and East India Company. The fort was built with seven turrets
so as to withstand the cannons of the British. |
| Sultanpur
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Located
46 km from New Delhi, just beyond Gurgaon, Sultanpur is a
small bird sanctuary. The jheel (shallow lake) with reeds
and other waterside plants growing around it becomes a hub
of activity in November-December every year when northern
migratory birds arrive here. The jheel is home to the only
indigenous Indian crane, sarus. It is a place worth visiting
from Delhi.
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| Tilyar
Lake |
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Situated
70 km from New Delhi in Rohtak district, the Tilayar Lake
is a favorite getaway for tourists. The lake offers facilities
for boating, accommodation, restaurants, bar, children's park
and a mini zoo.
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| Surajkund
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Situated
11 km from the Qutab Minar on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road,
Surajkund is the site of a perennial lake surrounded by rock-cut
steps. The Sun temple built by a Tomar chieftain named Surajpal
stood here during AD 1000, the remains of which can still
be seen. It was around this temple and pool that a tourist
resort came up in Surajkund. It is a must visit place during
the annual Surajkund Crafts Mela held during the first fortnight
of February when craftsmen from all over the country assemble.
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| Badhkal
Lake |
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Situated
in the Faridabad district of Haryana, the panoramic Badhkal
Lake is a natural pool surrounded by vast lawns and lush greenery.
Just over 30 km from New Delhi, the lake is a popular picnic
spot. It also offers boating facilities to tourists.
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