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Bahai Temple
The Bahai temple is better known as the Lotus temple due it's lotus flower like shape. Located in south of Delhi, it was built between 1980 and 1986. It is set amongst pools and gardens, and adherents of any faith are free to visit the temple and pray or meditate, according to their own religion and faith.
Rashtrapati Bhawan (President's House)
This is the official residence of the President of the India and was again designed by Luytens. It was the official residence of the Viceroy when the British ruled India. It is spread over an area of 330 acres and has 340 rooms. The Mughal Gardens within the complex are a treat for the eyes and are open to public during certain periods of the year.
Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid is the country's largest mosque where thousands of Muslims offer prayers every day and is located in old Delhi. It took over 14 years to complete and was built in 1656. It lies opposite the Red Fort. The flight of stairs and its large courtyard are marvels of architecture. It has three gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40 meters high. Earlier, the eastern gateway was only opened for the emperor, but now it remains open only on Fridays and on Muslim festival days.
Qutub Minar
Qutub Minar is located in the southern part of the capital and was built by the Muslim King, Kutab-ud-din Aibak in 1199 AD. Minar(tower)is 72.5 meters high and tapers from 15 meter-diameter base to just 2.5 meter at the top. The tower has distinct stories, each marked by a projecting balcony. The first three stories are made of red sandstone, the fourth and fifth of marble and sandstone.
Safdarjang's Tomb
Safdarjang'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."
Purana Quila
The wall was built by
Humayun while the buildings in the fort are
attributed to Sher Shar. The notable buildings that
have survived in the fort are the Sher
Mandal and the Quila-I-kholina
Mosque. The fort is said to be constructed
on the historic site of Indraprastha
(900BC) by Humayun and Sher Shah.
Humayun's Tomb
The first mature example
of Mughal architecture in India, Humayun's Tomb was
built by the emperor's grieving widow, Haji Begum,
in 1565 AD. Constructed with red sandstone and
ornamented marks the beginning of a new tradition of
ornate style which culminated in the Taj Mahal of
Agra.
Designed by the Persian
architect, Mirza Ghyas, Humayun's
Tomb shows a marked shift from the Persian tradition
of using coloured tiles for ornamentation.
Red Fort
Red Fort is one of the most magnificent palaces
in the world. India's history is also closely linked
with this fort.The mughal emperor, Shah
Jahan, after ruling from Agra for elleven
years, decided to shift to Delhi and laid the
foundation stone of the Red Fort in 1618. For its
inauguration in 1647, the main halls of the palace
were draped in rich tapestry and covered with silk
from china and velvet from Turkey. With a
circumference of almost one and a half miles, the
fort is an irregular octagon and has two entrances,
the Lahore and Delhi Gates.
Ferozshah Kotla
The period of the Delhi Sultanate
(1191�1526) was witness to a number of dynasties:
the Slave dynasty, the Khiljis, the Tughlaqs, the
Sayyids, and the Lodhis. Delhi saw the building of a
number of important monuments and forts under their
rule. The Tughlaq rulers (AD 1321�1414) were great
patron of architecture. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq (the
founder of the Tughlaq dynasty) built the great fort
city of Tughlaqabad and his tomb adjacent to
Tughlaqabad. His son, Muhammad-bin Tughlaq, built a
small fort adjoining Tughlaqabad, known as Adilabad.
He also built the fourth city of Delhi called
Jahanpanah, of which little survives.
Chandni Chowk
One of the main markets of Delhi, Chandni
Chowk was once lined with beautiful fountains. 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.
Raj Ghat
Raj Ghat is a green peaceful place to visit
in Delhi. It's Mahatma Ghandi's final resting place
and it's inside a quiet well-looked after little
park. The shrine itself is very simple: a raised
square platform made of black marble and covered in
flowers, with a perpetual flame burning at one end
of it. When I was there, one day after Indedpendence
day (15 August) the number of flowers formed a
carpet over the shrine. Entrance to the memorial is
free, but you must take off your shoes to go near
the shrine. At the entrance there are guarded
shelves where you can leave your shoes.
Memorials to National
heroes
The Gandhi Museum, near Raj Ghat, houses many
belongings of Gandhiji and photographs depicting his
life story. The memorial at Teen Murti House is a
similar memorial to Jawaharlal Nehru. The Indira
Gandhi Memorial is at 1, Safdarjung Road where she
was assassinated.
Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar an astronomical
observatory with masonry instruments, built in 1724
by Jai Singh, the mathematician and astronomer king.
The Samrat or Yantra supreme instrument, the largest
structure shaped like a right-angled triangle, is
actually a huge sun-dial; the other five instruments
are intended to show the movements of the sun, moon,
etc.
Museums in Delhi
National Museum
The galleries of the
museum follow a historical and chronological
sequence. The Indus Valley Gallery
displays many antiquities excavated from Mohenjodaro
and Harappa, like terracotta toys, images and pots,
jewellery, seals, bronze and copper implements and
sculpture. The most outstanding object here is the
lyrical bronze Dancing Girl.
Archaeological Museum
Archaeological Museum
situated in the historic Red Fort, the museum
exhibits objects that date to the Mughal period.On
view are manuscripts and firmans' that demonstrate
the fine art of calligraphy. Also on view are
paintings, textiles and costumes. One section
concentrates on relics of the 1857 war (First War of
Independence) like maps and weapons
Rail Transport Museum
The stately Jaipur House is the location for the
National Gallery of Modern Art. On display are
paintings, sculpture and graphic art dating from the
mid 19th century to today. All the well known an
present, are exhibited here. There works by Raja
Ravi Varma.
National Gallery of Modern Art
The stately Jaipur House
is the location for the National Gallery of Modern
Art. On display are paintings, sculpture and graphic
art dating from the mid 19th century to today. All
the well known an present, are exhibited here. There
works by Raja Ravi Varma. The school is represented
by Abanindranath Tagore, especially his Advent of
the Rainy Season, Twilight and Landscape: Nandalal
Bose, Ramkumar Kinkar, Rabindranash Tagore, Binod
Behari Mukherjee among others.
Gandhi Memorial Museum
There are original copies of his
correspondence as well as photostats of his letters
and the journals he published. These are further
supplemented by microfilms and a number of
photographs which depict the various aspects of his
invaluable contribution to modern India.his personal
museum displays the relics of Mahatma Gandhi.
Other places of interest in
Delhi
Jama Masjid
The splendid mosque built by Muhammad Ali Shah
in the typical Mughal style with two minarets and
three domes, lies to the west of the Hussainabad
Imambara and is entirely free from pseudo Italian
art then in vogue in Lucknow. Mohammad Ali Shah
started the construction of this splendid mosque in
1840 but his wife Begum Malika Jahan finally
completed it after his death.
The Bahai Temple
Completed in 1986, the Bahai temple is set
amidst pools and gardens, and adherents of any faith
are free to visit the temple and pray or meditate
silently according to their own religion. The
structure is in lotus shape so it often called the
lotus temple. The view of the temple is very
spectacular just before dusk when the temple is
flood lit.
Nizam-Ud-Din Shrine
The tomb of the famous
sufi saint Nizam-ud-din Auliya is
built on the way from Humayun's tomb. Inside the
premises of the shrine is a tank which is surrounded
by many other tombs. It is said that there was a
controversy between the rulers of Tughlakabad and
the saint over building this tank. The saint had
said that the city of Tughlakabad will never
flourish and so did it happen. The shrine also has
the tomb of Amir Khusru and the grave of Jahanara,
the daughter of Shah Jahan.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
This temple was built over a six-year period
(1933 - 1939) and was inaurgated by Mahatma Gandhi
on the condition that people of all castes
especially untouchables would be allowed in. It was
built in the 20th century by the Birla family of
industrialists known for its many other temples in
India.
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.
Chattarpur Mandir
A complex of temples called Chattarpur mandir is
located beyond the Qutab Minar in Mehrauli.
Dedicated to Goddess Durga. Build in South Indian
style the temple complex is spread over a large area
with beautiful lawns and gardens. Though devotees
visit these temples through the year, during the
navratras devotees come from near and far. During
the festivals there are special bus services to
these temples.
Bangla Sahib Gurudwara
A magnificent and spacious bungalow in
Delhi owned by Raja Jai Singh Amber (Jaipur)
who commanded great respect and honour in the court
of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb now enjoys the status of
a holy shrine called Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. The
eighth Guru Sri Harkishan had stayed here for a few
months as guest of Raja Jai Singh. Since then it has
become a place of pilgrimage for both, Hindus and
Sikhs.
Sisgunj Gurudwarar
Near the Police Station,
Chandini Chowk the beautiful golden domes of the
Gurudwara Sisgunj immediately strike your eye. It
commemorates the site of the ninth guru of
the Sikhs, Guru Teg Bahadur's martyrdom.
The Guru was beheaded by Aurangzeb 1675. The
gurudwara has been extended from time to time and it
tough to tell apart the original structure anymore.
Neemrana
It is situated 122 km from New Delhi, on a rocky outcrop just above an unspoilt village. This is the site of a majestic fort built in 1464 by Prithviraj Chauhan III. The Neemrana Fort, as it is known, has now been converted into a heritage resort.
Kesroli
A three-hour drive from New Delhi, will take you to Kesroli in Rajasthan. It is the site of a seven-turreted fort built in the 16th century. It is believed to have been built by the Yaduvanshi Rajputs, the fort commands splendid views of the surroundings from its ramparts.
Surajkund
Surajkund is situated 11 km from the Qutab Minar, in Delhi, on the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. It is the site of a perennial lake surrounded by rock-cut steps. The remains of the Sun temple, built in 1000 AD by a Tomar chieftain, named Surajpal, can also be seen. It is also the venue of the famous annual Surajkund Crafts Mela, where craftsmen from all over the country assemble during the first fortnight of February to participate.
Badhkal Lake
This panoramic lake is situated in the Faridabad district of Haryana, around 30 kms from Delhi. It is a natural pool surrounded by vast lawns and lush greenery. The lake is a popular picnic spot and also offers boating facilities to tourists.
How to reach
Air
All the major National and International Air Lines have their flights operating from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Rail
The Indian Railway with their modern and organized network connects Delhi to all major and minor destinations in India. There are three important Railway Stations in Delhi namely New Delhi Rly. Station, Old Delhi Rly. Station and Hazarat Nizamuddin Rly. Station.
Bus
Delhi is well connected by road to all major destinations in North India. The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) are located at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale-Khan and Anand Vihar.
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