India Gate
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 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.
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Rashtrapati Bhawan
At one time, 2,000 people were required to look after the building and serve
the Viceroy's household. The lodge also has impressive garden called the
Mughal Garden, which is open to public twice in a year, usually in February
and March. |
Formely the Viceregal Lodge, the building is the highlight of Lutyen's New
Delhi and was completed in 1929 at a cost of 12,53,000 pound sterling.
Located in an area of 130 hectares, the palace has 340 rooms.
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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 eleven years,
decided to shift to Delhi and laid the foundation stone of the Red Fort in
1618. |
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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.
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Qutub Minar
Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced the
construction of the Qutab Minar in 1200 AD.
The 238 feet Qutab Minar is 47 feet at the base and tapers to nine feet at
the apex. The tower is ornamented by bands of inscriptions and by four
projecting balconies supported by elaborately decorated brackets.
The main mosque comprises of an inner and outer courtyard, of which the
inner is surrouded by an exquisite collonade, the pillars of which are made
of richly decorated shafts. Most of these shafts are from the 27 Hindu
temples which were plundered to construct the mosque.
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Purana Quila
Covering a circuit of about a mile, the walls of the fort have three gates
and are surrounded by a mat fed by the river Yamuna.
The architect has shown skill by enriching each part with moulding,
bracketed openings, marble inlay, carving and other establishments. A
variety of materials have also been used to construct the small mosque (168
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The entrance arch is of marble, the
spandrels of red sandstone studded with marble bossed, the columns and
pilasters of black and white marble.
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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. The mughals
brought with them a love for gardens, fountains and water.
Constructed with red sandstone and ornamented marks the beginning of a new
tradition of ornate style which culminated in the Taj Mahal of Agra. |
Located in the midst of a large square garden, screened by high walls, with
gateways to the south and west, the tomb is a square tower surmounted by a
magnificent marble dome. The dome stands 140 feet from the base of the
terrace and is topped with a copper pinnacle.
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Jantar Mantar
Under patronage from the emperor, he set on himself the task of correcting
the existing astronomical tables and updating the almanac with more reliable
instruments. Delhi's Jantar Mantar is the first of the five observatories
that he built with large masonary instruments. |
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At first sight, the Jantar Mantar appears like a gallery of modern art. It
is, however, an observatory. Sawai Jia Singh II of Jaipur (1699-1743), a
keen astronomer and a noble in the Mughal court, was dissatisfied by the
errors of brass and metal astronomical instruments.
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Jama Masjid
A fine example of Mughal architecture, the Jama Masjid has three gateways.
The largest and highest on the east was reserve exclusively for the emperor.
The main courtyard of the emperor. The main courtyard of the mosque is 408
square feet and paved with red stone. in the centre is a large marble tank
in which the devout wash before attending prayers. |
The main mosque is crowned by three onion shaped domes made of white marble
and inlaid with stripes of black slate. On the north and south of the
complex are two 130 feet high minarets which offer a spectacular bird's
eye-view of the city. Jama Masjid is not only architecturally beautiful, but
also a place of great religious significance as it houses a hair from the
beard of the Prophet and also a chapter of the Holy Quran written by him.
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National Museum
The National Museum on Janpath is the premier repository of antiquities.
Built in 1960, it has an extraordinary collection representing the entire
span of Indian civilization from pre-historic times. |
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Its galleries include
finds from the Indus Valley Civilization, superb sculptures in stone, and
bronzes from the Chola period, the largest collection of miniature paintings
in the world, manuscripts, a Buddhist Gallery, including relics of the
Buddha from Piprahwa, the exquisite Jewelry Gallery, the Anthropological
Gallery of tribal art; galleries devoted to decorative and applied arts,
Maritime Heritage and Pre-Columbian art, and the Central Asian Antiquities,
Gallery of Auriel Stein's finds along the ancient Silk Route (the great
murals however, are on display at the adjacent Archaeological Survey of
India).
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Raj Ghat
Raj Ghat, a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi is a simple black marble platform
that marks the spot of his cremation on 31 January 1948. It is left open to
the sky while an eternal flame burns perpetually at one end. It is located
on the banks of the river Yamuna in Delhi. |
A stone footpath flanked by lawns
leads to the walled enclosure that houses the memorial. Two museums
dedicated to Gandhi are located near by. The memorial has the epitaph He
Ram, believed to be the last words uttered by Gandhi.
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Rail Museum
The Rail Transport Museum is a must for rail buffs. Its vintage display
includes the oldest locomotive in the world-still working; the Viceregal
Dinning Car (1889) and the Prince of Wales Saloon (1876). Children can enjoy
a ride on the miniature rail track.
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Lotus Temple
Tour the Lotus Temple located atop a hill in Kalkaji, Delhi, India and
discover a peaceful world in the midst of bustling Delhi. Built of marble
blocks, the Lotus temple is an architectural marvel built in the shape of a
white lotus in half bloom. Set in the midst of acres of lush lawns, the
Lotus Temple mirrors the concept of peace and all the values that are so
integral to the Bahai sect. |
The 27 massive lotus petals lie at the confluence of nine pathways and pools
reflecting the Bahai tradition that there are but nine ways to reach God.
The doors of the Lotus Temple welcome people from all faiths, creeds,
religions and faiths in keeping with the tradition of secularism. The
massive hall located inside the Lotus Temple in Delhi offers a peaceful
prayer sanctuary where you can sit and meditate in pin drop silence. Bahaism
believes in the 'equality and universality' of all faiths and religions. |
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