India Gate, situated in
the eastern end of Rajpath, this is basically
a war memorial designed and built by Lutyens
in 1921. This 43 metre arched gateway rises
on a base of light brown Bharatpur stone.
It commemorates some 90,000 Indian soldiers
who were killed in the first World War and
thousands of British and Indian soldiers
killed on the Northwest Frontier and Afghan
War of 1919. Under the arch is the Amar
Jawan Jyoti, a memorial added on for Indian
soldiers killed in the Indo-Pak war of 1971.
Rashtrapati Bhavan or
President House, built
as the Viceroy’s residence is now
official residence of President of India.
This is best example of the Indo-western
architecture. Sitting on top of the Raisina
Hill, the interiors of the building are
closed to the public. The Moghul Gardens,
laid out in the formal style of the Muslim
quadrangular pleasure gardens, has beautifully
laid out parks and flowerbeds intersected
by water channels and fountains. The gardens
are opened to the public in February, when
the winter flowers are in full bloom.
On both sides of Rajpath are the Secretariats,
called the North Block and the South
Block. These long office blocks
topped with Baroque domes, and overlaid
with Indian motifs like the lotus and elephants,
were built by Sir Herbert Baker. In front
of the Secretariats is the Vijay
Chowk (Victory crossing) where
the ceremonial Beating Retreat is performed
culminatingthe Republic Day celebrations.
Northeast of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is the
Parliament House or Sansad Bhavan
of India. This circular building
spread over more than 5 acres has high buff
pillars in front and a dome concealed by
an upper storey. The building is divided
into three sections, housing the library,
the Council of States, the Rajya Sabha and
the Assembly or Lok Sabha.
Bangla Sahib Gurudwara,
built of white marble and topped with a
golden dome, it is a popular Sikh pilgrim
spot. In the main hall inside is the shrine
containing the holy Granth Sahib covered
with flower petals. There is a continuous
recitation from the holy book, and a free
dining hall opens for visitors thrice a
day.
Connaught Palace Market, the
commercial centre of Connaught Place was
designed by Robert Tor Russell, chief architect
of the Government of India. This is the
most popular market of New Delhi.
Jantar Mantar, just off
Connaught Place this is one of the historic
observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh
II in 1725. Huge plastered brick sundials
surrounded by palm trees were used to make
astronomical calculations and update the
solar and lunar calendars.
Lakshmi Narayan Temple
or Birla Mandir lies west
of Connaught Place market, this beautiful
temple is mainly dedicated to Lakshmi (the
goddess of wealth) and Narayan (husband
of godess Lakshmi).The inner walls have
quotations from the holy Bhagavata Gita
and the Upanishads, some of which are also
translated to English.
National Musium, as the
name discribes itself this musium houses
valuable displays in the country. Begun
from the collection of the Exhibition of
Indian Art held in London in 1947, the museum
has a wide collection of artefacts, sculptures
and paintings spanning more than five thousand
years from the pre-historic till modern
times.
National Gallery of Modern Art,
housed in the palace of the Maharaja of
Jaipur. This art museum showcases contemporary
Indian art, beginning from 1930. Some of
the best works of the Bengal Renaissance
artists and the Bombay School are displayed
as permanent exhibits. In addition, there
are temporary exhibitions of 20th century
art from across the country.
Qutub Minar Complex on
the ruins of Lal Kot, the first city of
Delhi. At the centre of the complex stands
the Qutub Minar. The five-storeyed tower
with a 14.4 metre base that tapers up to
two and a half metres at the top is visible
for a long distance around. Built mainly
of red sandstone, the fifth storey of the
Minar was restored by Firoz Shah Tughlaq
in 1369 who used contrasting elements of
marble. The Quwwat-ul-Islam
mosque, completed in 1198,
was the first mosque to be built in India.
Using remains of 27 Hindu and Jain temples
that had been destroyed by Qutb-ud-din’s
army. Steps lead up to the courtyard with
decorative Hindu pillars and ornamental
arches marking the prayer hall. Along with
Koranic calligraphy, the carvings incorporate
the lotus motif, with the western façade
facing Mecca. In the courtyard of the Quwwat-ul-Islam
mosque stands a 7-metre high iron pillar,
from the 4th century Gupta period. Almost
completely rust-free, this 98% pure iron
pillar continues to be a puzzle for metallurgists.
Purana Quila or Old Fort, about
4 kms southeast of Connaught Place, and
very close to the Yamuna is the Purana Qila.
This fort is what remains of Humayun’s
capital Din Panah, which was rebuilt and
named Shergarh by Sher Shah Suri. It is
also believed to be the site of ancient
Indraprastha, associated with the epic Mahabharata.
Humayun made the beginnings of the gateway
and outer walls in 1534, while buildings
inside are attributed to Sher Shah. The
main entrance is through the double storeyed
Bara Darwaza. Two enclosures inside the
gate were used by Muslim refugees for shelter
during the carnage of 1947.
Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, 6
kms. from Connaught Place is the old Muslim
area of Nizamuddin, which is popular because
of the shrine of the 14th century Sufi saint
Sheikh Nizamuddin Aulia. The Hazrat Nizamuddin
Dargah was originally built in 1325, and
was renovated several times. The Dargah
is popular for its evening recitals of qawwali
(Sufi devotional songs) and special recitals
on Thursdays and during the Urs festivities.
Humayun’s Tomb,
the tomb has an octagonal shape with a 38
metre high double dome, which was perfected
in later Mughal buildings. Strikingly ornamented
with contrasting black and white marble
on red sandstone, the tomb has pointed arches
and recessed windows with carved stone lattice
screens. In the central chamber, a cenotaph
marks the graves of Humayun and Haji Begum.
Besides the main mausoleum other tombs include
the Nila Gumbad (Blue Dome) with blue tiles,
the tomb of Isa Khan, a courtier of Sher
Shah Suri.
Safdarjung's Tomb, the
double-storey mausoleum in red and buff
sandstone has marble relief work on the
outer walls. A cenotaph marks the place
where Safdarjung and his wife lie buried.
To the south of Safdarjung’s tomb
is the battlefield where Timur’s fearsome
army defeated Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq in 1398.
Tughlaqabad, only the
battlements and some scattered buildings
remain of this 14th century citadel. At
the southern entrance off the main road
stand the high walls of the fort. A long
underground passage, ruins of some halls
and a tower stand inside. A few traces of
the palace and grid-laid streets are visible.
Lotus Temple or Temple
of the Bahai faith, a beautiful
white marble flowering lotus shaped temple
complex is a major tourist attraction in
Delhi. The petals rise from nine pools interspersed
with walkways leading into the temple. These
nine petals symbolises the unifying spiritual
paths postulated by the Bahai's. Inside
is a large central prayer hall with each
petal alcove displaying extracts from Bahai
scriptures. The temple was built between
1980 and 1981 and is the latest of seven
Bahai temples all over the world. The temple
is surrounded by well laid out lawns with
fountains that come alive at sunset. This
is the best time to view the temple, when
the entire complex is lit up.
Besides these major museums and expositions,
Delhi has some other smaller but very popular
museums like Rail Transport Museum
at Chanakyapuri, with its steam locomotives
and historical carriages, recounts 144 years
of rail history in India. The Field
Museum of the Archaeological Survey of India
in Purana Qila displays coins,
pottery, seals and sculptures recovered
from the site. The Dolls Museum
on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg has a unique
collection of more than 6,000 dolls from
all over the world. Tibet House
on Lodi Road offers Tibetan literature,
besides a display of thangkas (scrolls),
old currency, prayer wheels and costumes.
Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad), further
northwards along the western bank of the
Yamuna, you arrive at the 17th century city
of Shahjahanabad, known as Old Delhi. The
walls of the city spread over 7 miles, enclosing
the Lal Qila (Red Fort),
the Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque)
and Chandni Chowk etc.
Once the power centre of the Mughal empire
with wide streets, waterways and lively
bazaars, old Delhi has now degenerated into
an overcrowded cluster of shops and dilapidated
houses. Standing on the banks of the River
Yamuna, the huge red sandstone
Red Fort was built between
1639 and 1648 by Mughal emperor
Shah Jahan. The main attractions
inside the fort are Diwan-I-Am or
Hall of Public Audience. The Mumtaz
Mahal, south of the main zenana,
was also used by the royal princesses. Now
it houses a museum which exhibits textiles,
weapons, carpets, elaborately carved chess
sets, metalwork and other items used in
the royal court. The Khas Mahal
was the emperor’s personal palace,
with separate enclosures for praying, sleeping
and sitting. At the Mussaman Burj
or octagonal tower overlooking the Khas
Mahal emperor Shah Jahan would appear every
day before crowds gathered on the banks
of the River Yamuna. A balcony added to
this tower in 1809, was used by King George
V and Queen Mary, who sat before the citizens
of Delhi during the Delhi Durbar. The Diwan-I-Khas,
or Hall of Private Audience, was used by
the emperor to confer with his nobles. Aurangzeb
built the small Moti Masjid or Pearl
Mosque at the northern end of the
fort in 1662. Made of white marble with
elaborate decorations, the mosque has fallen
into a state of disrepair. Every evening,
a Sound and Light show
is put up by the Delhi Tourism department
at the Red Fort. The palaces and other monuments
within the fort are lit up and a dramatic
recount of history is presented through
commentary and music.
Jama Masjid, is the largest
mosque in India, accommodating up to 25,000
worshippers at one time. Designed by Shah
Jahan, this grand red sandstone and white
marble mosque was said to have been built
by 5,000 artisans from 1644 to 1656. The
broad red sandstone steps lead up to gates
to the east, north and south. Visitors should
remove shoes and cover their heads, arms
and legs before entering. Inside, the main
prayer hall is covered with three marble
domes, fronted by arches. A niche in the
western wall shelters the mihrab reserved
for the prayer leader.
Chandni Chowk, was once
a glittering market street with a waterway
running down its centre and noblemen and
ladies passing down the streets to savour
its wealth. Today, though it remains a bustling
trading area, much of its gloss has gone.
Nevertheless, wandering into the alleys
and bylanes off main Chandni Chowk, you
will come across shops and markets of all
kinds, selling jewellery, bridal wear, books,
spices, sweetmeats, dry fruits, electronic
goods, and many more things.
Ghats in Delhi, alongside
of River Yamuna there are several ghats
or landings, which were originally used
for bathing and washing clothes. This waterfront
has now been developed into a line of memorials
for prominent post-independence national
leaders who were cremated here. Raj
Ghat is the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi,
assassinated just after independence in
1948. Alongside Raj Ghat are Shanti
Vana, the memorial of Jawaharlal
Nehru, Shakti Sthala for
Indira Gandhi, Vijay Ghat
for Lal Bahadur Shastri and the memorials
of Sanjay Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. Opposite
Raj Ghat is the Gandhi Memorial Museum displaying
photographs, writings and articles associated
with Mahatma Gandhi. Every Sunday, there
is a special screening of a film on his
life.
