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New Delhi, the capital of India is one of the major
gateways to India. New Delhi is the major travel hub of India. New Delhi is
one of the most historic capitals in the world and two of its monuments- the
Qutab Minar and Humayun's Tomb - have been declared World Heritage Sites. It
offers a multitude of interesting places and attractions to the visitor, so
much so that it becomes difficult to decide from where to begin exploring
the city. In Old Delhi, attractions like mosques, forts, and other monuments
that depict India's Muslim history. The important places in Old Delhi
includes the majestic Red Fort, the historical Chandni Chowk, besides Raj
Ghat and Shanti Vana, the last two being modern structures constructed after
India's Independence in 1947. New Delhi, on the other hand, is a modern city
designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. Delhi houses many government
buildings and embassies, apart from places of historical interest. Notable
attractions in New Delhi include the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the one-time
imperial residence of the British viceroys; the India Gate, a memorial
raised in honour of the Indian soldiers martyred during the Afghan war; the
Laxminarayan Temple, built by the Birlas, one of India's leading industrial
families; the Humayun's Tomb, said to be the forerunner of the Taj Mahal at
Agra; the Purana Quila, built by Humayun, with later-day modifications by
Sher Shah Suri; Tughlaqabad, Delhi's most colossal and awesome fort; Qutab
Minar, built by Qutb-ud-din Aybak of the Slave Dynasty; and the lotus-shaped
Bahá'í House of Worship.
Refer Map of Delhi
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HOW
TO REACH
By Air - New Delhi has both domestic and international airport. It is the
capital and the major airport of India.
Indira Gandhi International Airport is connected to all the major
international destinations. Palam Airport is well connected to
all the major cities of India. There are regular flights by Indian Airlines,
Jet Airways, Sahara Airlines, Air Deccan, SpiceJet, King Fishers etc.
Rail - New Delhi is well connected to major and minor cities of India. There
are three important Railway Stations in Delhi namely New Delhi Railway
Station, Old Delhi Railway Station and Hazarat Nizamuddin Railway Station.
Bus : Delhi is well connected by road to all major destinations by a good
network of National Highways. The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) are
located at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale-Khan and Anand Vihar. Delhi Transport
Corporations of the neighboring states provide frequent bus services through
Air Conditioned, Deluxe and Ordinary Coaches. From Delhi you can get luxury
coaches to every part of India.
WHEN TO GO
New Delhi can be visited round the year.
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WHAT TO SEE |
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Rashtrapati Bhawan - Modern Delhi, or New Delhi
as it is called, centers around the Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is
architecturally a very impressive building standing at a height,
flowing down as it were to India Gate. This stretch called the Rajpath
is where the Republic Day parade is held. The imposing plan of this
area conceived by Lutyens does not fade in its charm with the numerous
summers or winters that go past.
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India Gate - India Gate is a memorial raised in
honour of the Indian soldiers martyred during the Afghan war. The
green, velvety lawns at India Gate, particularly, are a popular
evening and holiday rendezvous for young and old alike. It is the most
popular spot in Delhi. Every tourist lands here to see marvelous India
Gate, It is now just like a symbol of New Delhi and India.
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Laxminarayan Temple - Also called the Birla
Mandir, the Laxminarayan Temple was built by the Birla family in 1938.
It is a temple with a large garden and fountains behind it. The temple
attracts thousands of devotees on Janmashtami day, the birthday of
Lord Krishna.
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Appu Ghar - A kiddie amusement park for anyone
of any age. This theme park includes haunted houses and some roller
coaster. Appu Ghar, translated into English, means the elephant's
house.
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Humayun's Tomb - Humayun's Tomb was built ninji
Begum. Designed by a Persian architect named Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, and
completed in 1565, the edifice was a trendsetter of the time. It is
said that all later Mughal monuments, including the Taj Mahal.
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Qutab Minar - The Qutab Minar is located at a
small village called Mehrauli in South Delhi. It was built by
Qutb-ud-din Aybak of the Slave Dynasty, who took possession of Delhi
in 1206. It is a fluted red sandstone tower, which tapers up to a
height of 72.5 metres and is covered with intricate carvings and
verses from the Qur'an. Qutb-ud-din Aybak began constructing this
victory tower as a sign of Muslim domination of Delhi and as a minaret
for the Muslim priest, the muezzin, to call the faithful to prayer.
However, only the first storey was completed by Qutb-ud-din. The other
storeys were built by his successor Iltutmish. The two circular
storeys in white marble were built by Ferozshah Tughlaq in 1368,
replacing the original fourth storey.
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The projected balconies in the tower are supported by
exquisite stalactite designs. The tapering tower has pointed and
circular flutings on the first storey and star-shaped on the second
and third storeys. The bands of calligraphic inscriptions are amazing
in perfection with the exquisite stalactite designs seen on the
exterior of this tower.The Qutab Minar, apart from being a marvel in itself,
is also significant for what it represents in the history of Indian
culture. In many ways, the Qutab Minar, the first monument of Muslim
rule in India, heralded the beginning of a new style of art and
architecture that came to be known as the Indo-Islamic style.
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Red Fort - When one approaches old Delhi with a
somewhat Westernised perception the emotional response can range from
wonderment to bewilderment, from utter disgust to ecstasy.
Undoubtedly, Old Delhi gives an insight into the multi-layered
identity that so aptly characterizes India. The lanes are narrow,
filled to bursting with people, throbbing with life. In the midst of
this sea of people, suddenly you come face to face with the ramparts
of the Red Fort. The decision for constructing the fort was taken in
1639, when Shahjahan decided to shift his capital to Delhi. Within
eight years, Shahjahanabad was completed with the Red Fort-Qila-i-Mubarak
(fortunate citadel)-Delhi's seventh fort, ready in all its
magnificence to receive the Emperor. Though much has changed now
because of large-scale demolitions during the British occupation of
the fort, its important structures have survived, the glory faded with
age but still impressive.
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Chandni Chowk - The living legacy of Delhi is
Shahjahanabad. Created by the builder of Taj Mahal, this city, with
the Red Fort as the focal point and Jama Masjid as the praying centre,
has a fascinating market planned to shine under the light of the moon,
called Chandni Chowk. Shahjahan planned Chandni Chowk so that his
daughter could shop for all that she wanted. It was divided by canals
filled with water, which glistened like silver in moonlight. The
canals are now closed, but Chandni Chowk remains Asia's largest
wholesale market. Crafts once patronized by the Mughals continue to
flourish in the small lanes of the city. Tradition and modernity meet
at unexpected places in Shahjahanabad. If you see a man pulling a
rickshaw or feeding pigeons, you will see just as many talking over
the cellphone or assembling a computer! An experience of timelessness
awaits you at Shahjahanabad.
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Raj Ghat - On the bank of the legendary Yamuna,
which flows past Delhi, there is Raj Ghat-the last resting place of
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. It has become an essential
point of call for all visiting dignitaries. Two museums dedicated to
Gandhi are situated nearby.
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Shanti Vana - Lying close to the Raj Ghat, the
Shanti Vana (literally, the forest of peace) is the place where
India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was cremated. The area
is now a beautiful park adorned by trees planted by visiting
dignitaries and heads of state.
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Bahá'í House of Worship (Lotus Temple) - The
Bahá'í House of Worship, situated in South Delhi, is shaped like a
lotus. It is an eye-catching edifice worth exploring. Built by the
Bahá'í community, it offers the visitor a serenity that pervades the
temple and its artistic design. Lotus Temple - the Bahá'í House of
Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a
year.
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Purana Quila - The Purana Quila is a good
example of medieval military architecture. Built by Humayun, with
later-day modifications by Sher Shah Suri, the Purana Quila is a
monument of bold design, which is strong, straightforward and every
inch a fortress. It is different from the well-planned, carefully
decorated, and palatial forts of the later Mughal rulers. Purana Quila
is also different from the later forts of the Mughals, as it does not
have a complex of palaces, administrative and recreational buildings,
as is generally found in the forts built later on. The main purpose of
this now-dilapidated fort was its utility, with less emphasis on
decoration.
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The Qal'a-I-Kunha Masjid and the Sher Mandal are two
important monuments inside the fort. it was made by Aqeel in 1853 BC.
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Tughlaqabad - When Ghazi Malik founded the
Tughlaq Dynasty in 1321, he built the strongest fort in Delhi at
Tughlaqabad, completed with great speed within four years of his rule.
It is said that Ghazi Malik, when only a slave to Mubarak Khilji, had
suggested this rocky prominence as an ideal site for a fort. The
Khilji Sultan laughed and suggested that the slave build a fort there
when he became a Sultan. Ghazi Malik as Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq did just
that-Tughlaqabad is Delhi's most colossal and awesome fort, even in
its ruined state. Within its sky-touching walls, double-storied
bastions, and gigantic towers were housed grand palaces, splendid
mosques, and audience halls.
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Modern Delhi - The modern city is full of life,
lot of shopping malls and large number of markets, over crowded, huge
traffic, lovely parks and gardens, restaurants, bars, pubs,
discotheque, sports clubs, gold course and much much more.
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WHERE TO EAT
There are so many options for dining and enjoying with friends, from age-old
eateries in the by lanes of the Walled City to glitzy, specialty restaurants
in five-star hotels, Delhi is a movable feast.. You can a good restaurant in
almost every area. There are so many restaurants and bars, pubs of Indian
and international chains. It offers a choice of Indian and
international cuisines in different ambiences to suit varied budgets.
The best of Mughlai cuisine can be enjoyed at Kariam, (both in Jama Masjid
and Nizamuddin) where recipes, dating from the times o the Mughals have been
the closely guarded secret of generations of chefs. Delhi ka Aangan (Hyatt
Regency), Darbar (Ashoka Hotel), and Corbetts (Claridges) are among the many
options available in the expensive range, while Gulati Restaurant (Pandara
Market), Angeethi (Asiad Village) and Degchi (Regal Building) are among
those catering to more modest budgets. The finest Frontier cuisine is
available at the Bukhara (Maurya Sheraton), Frontier (Ashoka Hotel) and
Baluchi (The Hilton). At the other end of the scale there are the many
popular roadside eateries around Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin where kababs,
rotis and biryani are the order of the day.
Every five-star hotel in the city has a Chinese restaurant, while most
markets in South Delhi have a medium-budget Chinese restaurant. The
popularity of this cuisine can be gauged by the innumerable Chinese food
outlets of the " meals-on-wheels" and kiosk variety.
The growing sophistication of the Delhite's palate is discernable in the
increasing number of specialty restaurants - EI Arab (Regal Building), Dum
Pukht or the process of slow cooking developed in Awadh (Maurya Sheraton),
Kashmiri food at Chor Bizarre (Hotel Broadway), Thai food at Baan Tahi (The
Oberoi) and Sukothai ( Hauz Khas village), Japanese food at Tokyo (Ashoka
Hotel) and Osaka (Haus Khas village), Tibetan food at eateries near Chanakya
Theatre, and Mexican food at Rodeo (Connaught Place). Another indication is
the frequency and popularity of food festivals organized by hotels. South
Indian food is another favorite, the vegetarian variety of which is best
enjoyed at Sagar (Defence colony), Sagar Ratna (Lodhi Hotel) and Dasaprakash
(Hotel Ambassador). Coconut Grove (Ashok Yatri Niwas) offers excellent
non-vegetarian cuisine from south India.
The best of continental cuisine can be eaten at five-star hotels, for
instance La Rochelle (The Oberoi), the Orient Express (Taj Palace) and
Captains Cabins (Taj Man Singh), though numerous multi-cuisine restaurants
also offer continental food. Keeping pace with the changing face of the city
are the growing number of fast food outlets, which serve all manner of
cuisines.
A delightful outlet offering a range of Indian cuisines are the food stalls
at Dilli Haat. Here, the cuisine of different states in made available at
very moderate rates. Set in the midst of a spacious crafts bazaar these
cafes are a very pleasant place to enjoy food.
For the more intrepid, eateries such as those at Pranthe wali gali, or chaat
at Bengali Market and sunder Nagar, bhelpuri at Greater Kailash and
sweetmeats fom Annapoorna and Ghantewala can be part of the gastronomical
tour of Delhi.
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