Delhi- the commercial hub has many tourist attractions
to offer. Visit vibrant shopping complex of Connaught
Place, Delhi Haat for handicraft goods and delicious
food bonanza. Pay a visit to Red Fort and Qutub
Minar to view the excellence of Mughal architecture.
Or just drop in at Janpath- for buying a variety
of cheap and best items. If you are looking for
spiritual peace, visit Lotus temple, which is
also famous for its marvelous architecture and
heavenly beauty. Take a stroll at Rajpath. Or
pay a visit to India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhawan
for viewing monuments made during British era.
India
Gate
India Gate, a majestic structure, 42 metres
high, is set at the end of Rajpath, perhaps
the most beautiful area of New Delhi with
plush green lawns in the backdrop. It is
a popular picnic spot during the winters
and equally popular as a relaxation area
during the summer evenings.Designed and
built by Lutyens, it was originally called
All India War Memorial in memory of the
90,000 Indian soldiers who died in the campaigns
of World War I, the North-West Frontier
operations
of the same time and the 1919 Afghan Fiasco.On
the walls of the structure are inscribed the names
of all the soldiers. An eternal flame called Amar
Jawan Jyoti that runs on gas was lit in 1971 to
honour the martyrs. During the night, it is intensely
floodlit and the fountains nearby are lit up with
coloured lights.Close by is the canopy which once
became controversial and under whose red sandstone
roof was the marble statue of King George V which
has been shifted from there. The canopy was also
designed and built by Lutyens.
Qutub
Minar
Qutub Minar, after the Red Fort is the most
sought after spot by tourists who come to
Delhi.It is 72.5 metres high and one has
to climb 379 steps to get to the top.The
diameter of the base is 14.3 metres while
the top floor measures 2.7 metres in diameter.After
an accident some years ago in which many
schoolchildren died, no one is permitted
to go inside the minar.The minar was said
to have been built to celebrate the victory
of Mohammed Ghori, the invader from Afghanistan,
over the Rajputs in 1192 and it was partly
completed by his viceroy, Qutabuddin Aibak
( 1192 -98), the first sultan of the Slave
dynasty.After his death, the rest was completed
by Iltutmish, another Muslim King.
It stands just outside the central courtyard of
Quwwatul Masjid and it was meant to function as
a minar so that the muezzin could call the faithful
to prayer and also as a symbol of the military
might of the Turko-Afghan slave dynasty.Lightning
knocked off the uppermost floor in 1368, it was
left to Firozshah Tughlak to restore and also
add two floors, which introduced white marble
in the otherwise red and buff sandstone exterior.
In the early 19th century, an earthquake destroyed
the crowning cupola which was replaced by an English
engineer, Major Smith. But it looked so out of
place that the then Governor-General, Lord Hardinge
, ordered its removal. Today it stands on the
lawns close to the minar.
Bahai’s
Temple
Bahai’s
Temple Is a very recent architectural marvel
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. It
is made 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.
Red
Fort
Red Fort or lal qila as it is more popularly
known is a masterpiece of architecture and
one of the most haunting spots for tourists
from both India and abroad.Before the mutiny
of 1857, the fort presented an altogether
different picture from what it presents
today because only about one-fourth of the
imposing structure is accessible to visitors
with the rest of the area being under the
control of the Indian Army, which continues
the occupation begun after the uprising
of 1857 was suppressed.In 1858, a large
number of palaces in the fort were demolished,
many of the taikhanas ( basement rooms)
sealed and massive barracks constructed
for the soldiers.
Before
1857, the fort was a mini-city with palaces, offices,
workshops and halls of audience where about 3,000
people lived, yet today more than 10,000 visitors
come to savour the magnificence of the building
everyday.There are 15 distinct structures within
the fort with the first being the Lahore Gate
and the last one the Moti Masjid.The Lahore Gate
of the palace is veiled by the barbican added
by Aurangzeb, a Mughal emperor.The gate is from
where the Prime Minister addresses the nation
and unfruls the National Flag on August 15, Independence
Day.
Rashtrapati
Bhavan
Rashtrapati
Bhavan, the official residence of the President
of India, nestled on the magnificent Raisina
Hill, was built as the residence of the
Viceroy during the British rule.The first
occupant of the palatial building with 340
rooms was Lord Irwin. Designed again by
Lutyens, it has a large court and a garden
which is open to the public for a short
while in February when the flowers are in
full bloom.
The garden is terraced and resembles the
Mughal Gardens in Srinagar, Kashmir. Lying
under the main dome is the elegant Durbar
Hall which is the venue for all the official
functions of the President.The columns at
the front entrance have bells carved into
them and Lutyens designed them with the
idea that since the bells could not make
sounds, the British rule would never come
to an end. If they could make sounds, then
that would mean the end of the Empire which
he did not want.
The
Durbar hall served as a museum for several years
until the building which now houses the National
Museum was constructed.Every saturday between
10.35 a.m. to 11.10 a.m. in winter and 8.30 a.m.
to 9.15 a.m. in summer the President's Bodyguard
changes guard and this can be seen from outside
the gate. One wishing to visit the building can
do so by contacting the deputy Military Secretary
to The President. The only points one can visit
are the Durbar Hall, Ashok Hall, the Dining Room
and the Mughal Gardens.
Akshardham
Mandir
November
2005
by the President
of India, Abdul
Kalam, and the leader of the
organisation responsible for the creation
of Akshardham, Pramukh Swami, this complex
has already attracted tens of thousands of
visitors from all over the globe.
The
main building at the centre of the complex
houses an 11ft high, gilded image
of Swaminarayan,
a 17th century reformer whose followers
believe to be an incarnation
of God.
The building itself is built of Rajasthani
pink sandstone and Italian Carrara
marble. At 141 ft high, its impressive
presence is felt from afar, and its carved
details of flora,
fauna,
dancers,
musicians
and Gods
covering its surfaces from top to bottom,
leave most visitors in awe. Akshardham
Delhi is the biggest hand carved structure
in the world, today.
