Delhi is no fairytale city but a
city where dreams come to reality. Its strategic location was one of the
prime reasons why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power.
Delhi is truly a symbol of the old and the new, a blend of ancient
well preserved monuments and temples along with jam-packed burger
joints and upmarket shopping malls.
The
city is lushed with a plethora of temples, forts, mosques as well as parks,
gardens and beautiful colonial mansions. Delhi may seem daunting to a first
time visitor but as a national capital and the gateway to the North, it is a
must visit city on any travelers itinerary. Impressive museums and
interesting nightlife, Delhi has a lot to offer for everyone.
| » Major Attractions of Delhi |
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Qutub Minar : Soaring high above the
Quwwatual Islam mosque is the tower Sultan Qutbuddin Aibak built in AD 1196
to celebrate the invincibility of Islam. Although modelled as a classical
minaror tower from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayers, the Qutb
Minar was a symbolic rather than a functional structure.
It would be an extraordinary muezzin who would expect to be heard from a
height of 72.5 meters - assuming, in the first place, that he managed to
trudge up the 379 steps five times, each day. Qutab Minar points up to
heaven on the southern side of the city.
It was built
in the 12th century, and it still towers high above its surroundings.
When the cab driver drops you off at the gate, you are directly
approached by several persons trying to sell you anything from postcards to
a nice embrace with an enormous snake. As you escape them, and after paying
the entrance fee, you enter the area that houses the Qutab Minar. Not only
that, it is also to several buildings, although most of them are in ruins
now. You can see the first mosque of India, right at the feet of the Qutab
Minar. It was built using building material from Hindu temples.
Although many parts of the mosque are missing or in bad shape, you can still
see marvellously sculpted ceilings, columns, and capitals. In the central
square, there is an iron pillar, unfortunately closed by a low fence.
Unfortunately because, as was the tradition, anyone who could encircle the
iron pillar with his arms, while standing with his back to it, would have
his wishes fulfilled.
Red Fort : Red Fort is one of the most magnificent
palaces in the world. India's history is also closely linked with this fort.
It was frorth here ht the British deposed the last Mughal ruler, Bhadur Shah
Zafar, marking the end of the three century long Mughal rule. It was also
fromits ramparts that the first prime. Minister of India, pandit Jawharlal
Nehru, announced to the nation that India was free form colonial rule. The
Diwani-I-Am is the Red Fort's hall of public audience.
Built
of sandstone covered with shell plaster polished to look like ivory, the 80
x 40 feet hall is sub-divided by columns. The Mughal emperors would
hold court here and meet dignitaries and foreign emissaries. The most
imposing feature of the Diwqani-I-Am is the alcove in the back wall where
the emperor sat in state on a richly carved and inlaid marble platform. In
the recess behind the platform are fine examples of Italian pietra-dura
work.
Residence of the senior queens, the Rang Mahal (hall of
colours ) has a central hall surrounded by six apartments. The apartments
are assured privacy by intricately carved screens which do not hinder the
free flow of fresh air and light. The stream of paradise flows through the
main hall, and is marked in the centre by a huge lotus shaped marble basin
with an ivory fountain.
India
Gate : Built as a memorial to commemorate the 70,000 India soldiers
killed in World War I, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and
completed in 1931. Located on Rajpath, the road which leads to the
magnificent Rashtrapati Bhawan, the gate is 160 feet high with an arch of
138 feet.
Built from sandstone, the arch also houses the Eternal
Flame, a gesture in memory of the Indian soldiers who laid their lives in
the 1971 war with Pakistan.
| » How to Get there |
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Air : Delhi is well connected by air with
many airlines flying into and out of Delhi. There are two airports, the
Safdarjang airport and the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Indira
Gandhi International Airport is located some 23-kms away from the city
center
Rail : Delhi is very well connected by
rail to all parts of India. Delhi currently has five railway stations. The
main office for making train reservations is located between the New Delhi
Station and Connaught Place on Chelmsford Road.
Road
: Delhi is Linked with Bus Services of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC)
and state roadways of the neighbouring states to all important cities and
destinations in North India. The Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) located at
Kashmiri Gate is fully equipped with a bank counter, tourist information
center, post office and snack bars
Delhi
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