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Red
Fort
Red Fort is laid outalong 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
transfered 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.
Qutub Minar
This magnificent structure in the
southern part of the captal was built by
a Muslim King , Qutub-ud-din Aibak in
1199 A.D. A part of it which he could
not finish was completed by another
Muslim King Iltutmish. Minar is 72.5 m
high and has as its base a mosque. In
front of the imposing structer is an
Iron Pillar believed to have been built
in the 5th century A.D. which has not
caught rust ever since it was built.
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.
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
,themagnificent 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
accidently and died. At the foot of the
hill is the lake where the Delhi Tourism
has arrangements for boating and also
organises a Sound and Light Show.
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.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
Humayun's 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.
Jantar Mantar
Within the Connaught Place are is the
Jantar Mantar observatory built by the
Rajput King of Jaipur, Sawai Jai Singh
in 1724. It was believed to have been
built with masonary instruments for
observing the movements of the stars and
the planets.
Safdarjung Tomb
The garden tomb was built in 1753-54
soon after Safdarjung died. It is a red
and a brown sandstone with double
storeyed towers in the corners and is
one of the last example of Mughal
architecture.
Birla Mandir
Close to Connaught Place, it was built
by the industrialist Raja Baldev Birla
in 1938. 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.
Rashtrapati Bhavan
A stone throw away from Parliament House
is the Rashtrapati Bhavan which is the
official residence of the President of
the country. Designed by the Lutyens ,
it was the official residence of the
Viceroy when the British ruled India.
With 340 rooms and an area of about 350
acres . The pillars and the porticos are
an architect's marvel. Although special
permission has to be obtained to visit
the complex, the Mughal Gardens within
the complex are atreat for the eyes and
are open to the public during certain
periods of year.
National Zoological Park
The Delhi Zoo, close to Purana Qila ,
near ITO , was established in 1959 and
is spread over an area of 214 acres. It
is regarded as one of the finest zoo in
Asia and efforts have been made to
provide an almost natural habitat to the
animals and birds. There are more than
2,000 animals and birds species from
places like Africa, America, Australia
and even Asia. There is a lot of
greenery around the zoo and it is an
ideal picnic spot especially in winters.
Lodi's Tomb
The tombs are in the midst of the famed
Lodi's Gardens and is believed to have
been built by rulers of two Dynasties,
the Sayyaids and the Lodhi's . History
has it that the tombs are remainants of
another city that was sought to be built
in Delhi.
Dilli Haat
The Dilli Haat, located opposite the INA
Market , is a project jointly set up by
the New Delhi Municipal Council and
Delhi Tourism. All kind of goods made by
artisans are displayed at regular
intervals during the year. There are
also permanent shops reflecting the kind
of goods made in various states of the
country. Those interested in folk art
could find this spot a real entertainer.
Memorials Of National Leaders
On the banks of the river Yamuna are the
National Shrines . Raj Ghat (Mahatma
Gandhi) , Shanti Vana (Jawaharlal
Nehru), Vijay Ghat(Lal Bhadur Shastri),
Shakti Sthal (Indira Gandhi), Vir Bhumi
(Rajiv Gandhi).
Chandni Chowk
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. |
