Delhi - the commercial hub has many tourist attractions
to offer. Visit vibrant shopping complex of Connaught
Place, Delhi Haat for handicraft goodsand delicious food
bonanza. Pay a visit to Red Fort and Qutub Minar to view
the excellence of Mughal architecture.
Or just drop in at Janpath - for buying a variety of
cheap and best items. If you are looking for spiritual
peace, visit Lotus temple, which is also famous for its
marvelous architecture and heavenly beauty. Take a
stroll at Rajpath. Or pay a visit to India Gate and
Rashtrapati Bhawan for viewing monuments made during
British era.
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Information About Delhi :
Delhi, capital city of the Federal Republic of India.
It is one of India's fastest growing cities. It has
sprawled over the West Bank of the riverYamuna,
straddling the river. The city has two distinct parts,
Old Delhi & New Delhi. Old Delhi is centered on the
Red Fort built by Emperor Shah Jehanbetween 1636 &
1658.
The streets of Old Delhi are narrow & bustling. The
beauty & serenitylies inside the courts of the main
buildings. Delhi has some of the fine stmuseums in the
country. Its boutiques and shopping arcades offer
access to a wealth of traditional and contemporary
crafts, from all over the country. New Delhi was
proclaimed the capital of India by the British
architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944), & is
tree-lined & spacious.
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General
Information of Delhi :
»
Capital
- New Delhi.
»
Area
-
491 sq km.
»
Population
- 9370475.
»
Language
- Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, English isequally in
the use.
»
Touring season
-
Oct, Nov, Feb and March. However,winter is severe
and long from Nov to early March.
»
Climate
- The summer season lasts from mid-March to
the end of June, with average maximum and minimum
temperaturesof 36º C and 25º C. The monsoon season,
following the hot summer,continues until the end of
September, with an average rainfall of about 26 inches. The
winter season extends from late November to mid-February.
The coldest month is January, when both the mean maximum
temperature and the mean minimum temperature are at their
lowest--21º C and 7º C,respectively.
How to get there ?
»
Air
-
Delhi has an extensive network of international and
domestic flights. All the major airlines in the world fly
through Delhi and it iseasily accessible from any where in
the world. Domestic air links cover Delhi from all the major
cities in the country.
»
Train
- The Indian Railway with their modern and
organized network connects Delhi to major and minor
destination in India.There are three important railway
stations in Delhi to all major and minor destinations in
India, namely New Delhi Rly. Station, Old Delhi Rly.
Stationand Hazrat Nizamuddin Rly. Station. Trains run from
all the parts of the country to Delhi. For nearby places
like Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gwalior, Bhopal, Lucknow and
Kanpur, the Shatabdi Express is recommended.
»
Bus
- Delhi is well connected by road to all
major destinations in North India. The Inter State Bus
Terminus (ISBT) islocated at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale-Khan
and Anand Vihar. Delhi Transport Corporation and Road
Transport Corporations of the neighboring States provide
frequent bus services through Air Conditioned, Deluxe and
Ordinary Coaches. Buses from all the major places in Uttar
Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh
and Rajasthan are available for getting to Delhi. During
summer months, air-conditioned coaches are recommended.
Airports :
Delhi has two airports. Indira Gandhi International Airport,
is 20km away towards city in the same area. Palam is city
bound Internal Terminal Airport. Between the two shuttle
coach service is in operation. SBI is the banker of both the
terminals, for hotel's booking ITDC and serving the tourists
with information is Tourist Booth with round the clock
service,besides there are other arrangements. Indira Gandhi
links Delhi with the whole world. Flights of almost all
Airways of the World come to Delhi besides Air India. IAC,
Alliance Air, Vayudoot and such other Airlines serve from
Palam to all parts of the country. They have Airbuses,
Boeings, Dornierand other planes. From both the terminals,
Ex-Servicemen Air Link Transport Service (EATS) brings
passengers to city at cheap rate. On the way they stop on
request. Delhi Transport Corporation's buses also bring Air
passengers to New Delhi, Delhi Jn and Kashmiri Gate bus std.
Passenger bus (780) runs from outside the Airport, Taxis
(prepaid) is available.
Best
Season :
For Sightseeing, the best season to visit Delhi is between
October to March. Summers in Delhi are very hot and it is
not recommended to visit it during May, June or July.
Forts & Monuments in Delhi :
» The Red Fort, Delhi -
The Red Fort, with a
circumference of over 2.2 kilometers, was laid out by the
banks of the Yamuna river in the 17th century. The Mughal
emperor Shajahan built it with the ambition of concentrating
the Mughal power in one monument. Monument is perhaps not
the right word. A mini-city is more like it.
Unfortunately for the emperor, before he could move his
capital from Agrato Shahjahanabad in Delhi, he was taken a
political prisoner by his son Aurangazeb. The fort is a
delight to one's imagination. Imagine the Naqqar Khana (Drum
room) also called Naubat Khana (Welcome Room), where once
drumsloudly heralded the arrival of the emperor and the
Diwan-e-Am (Hall of Public Audience) resounded with the
incantations of the people. Amazing,isn't it? There's more
to see - Mumtaz Mahal, Rang Mahal (Palace of Colours), Khas
Mahal (Emperor's Palace), Diwan-e Khas (Hall of Private
Audience), the Hammam (bathing area) and Shah Burj. The fort
has two mainentrances - Delhi Gate and Lahore Gate. The
latter get its name from the fact that it faces Lahore in
Pakistan. It's entrance leads to Delhi's mostcrowded bazaar,
Chandni Chowk. A must see!
There is a Light and Sound Show every evening.
-
Summer timing :
Hindi - 7 pm to 8 pm, English - 8 pm to 9pm
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Winter timing :
Hindi - 6 pm to 7 pm, English - 7 pm to 8pm
» Purana Quila, Delhi -In
1538, the Mughal emperor Humayun laid the foundations of his
citynamed Dinpanah, or the Refuge of the Faithful. The inner
citadel of this city is today called Purana Qila or the Old
Fort. An old fort, it is! One can almost smell the ancient
stories oozing from the corners of the fort. The site of the
fort was also Indraprasta, the capital of the famed warriors
of the Mahabharata, the Pandavas. Excavations near the
eastern wall of the fort reveal that the site had been
occupied since 1000 B.C. Archaeologists found painted grey
ware pottery and other remains, which date back to
theMahabharata. The Purana Qila has three gates - Humayun
Darwaza, Talaqi Darwaza and Bara Darwaza. The present
entrance is the Bara Darwaza, animposing red sandstone gate
on the western wall. Inside the Purana Qila is the Sher
Mandal, a two-storied octagonal pavilion in red sandstone,
built by Sher Shah. Humayun used it as a library after he
captured the fort. However,the Mandal is tragic, since it
was here where the emperor is said to have tripped on its
tortuous stairs and tumbled to his death in 1556.
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Timings :
6 am to 6 pm
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Tickets :
Available at the site and Delhi Tourism office.
» Qutub Minar, Delhi -
The highest stone tower in India, the Qutub Minar was built
by Qutbuddin Aibak,the viceroy of Mohammed Ghori in 1192. It
was built to celebrate Ghori's victory over the Rajputs. The
tower and the victory are very significant,because both her
alded the birth of a new dynasty - Slave Dynasty. And it
laid the foundations of the Delhi Sultanate. And the rest,
as one would put it after witnessing this monumental tower,
was history.
The Minar is a five-storey building with a height of 72.5
metres. The first storey of the Qutb Minar was completed in
the life time of Qutbudd in. Hisson-in-law and successor,
Iltumush, added the next three storeys.
Within the complex, is the famous Iron Pillar which has
stood for millennia without rusting, Quwwat-ul-Islam, the
first mosque built in India, and the Alai Darwaza, the
gateway to the complex erected by Alauddin Khilji. The entry
to the Minar has been closed, after the tower became
infamous for the several suicides that were committed here.
Qutb Minar is a successful tribute to architecture, as it
captures one'sattention by its sheer mass appeal. Even on
close encounter, the attentionlingers, owing to the delicate
and almost ethereal carvings.
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Address :
Mehrauli, Delhi-Gurgaon Road
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Timings :
6 am to 6 pm
»
Iron Pillar
-
The 7.2 metre high pillar, standing with in the Qutb Minar
complex, is a proof of India's advanced knowledge of
metallurgy 2000 years ago. For it continues tostand, even
today, rust-free. The pillar was erected sometime between
the 4th and 5th century AD as a Dhavaja-stambha (flagpole)
of a Vishnu temple.
It was erected in memory of King Chandragupta Vikramamditya
who ruled from 375 to 413 AD. The Sanskrit inscriptions on
the pillar record these facts.Unbelievable, considering
today, even the spoons in our kitchens cannot guarantee this
kind of an immortality after centuries of scientific
progress! Another thing one has to do after laying one's
sight on this pillar is, to go and give it a bear hug.
Besides the metallurgic excellence,it is believed that
hugging the pillar will make all of one's wishes cometrue.
So… go, see and hug!
Address : Qutb Minar Complex, Mehrauli,
Delhi-Gurgoan Road Timings: 6 am to 6 pm
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India Gate, Delhi
-
This solemn monument was built in memory of the 90,000
Indian soldiers who died in World War I. It was built in
1931, designed by Lutyens, and was originally called the All
India War Memorial. The names of the soldiers areinscribed
on the walls of the arc of the gate. Later in 1971, an
eternal flame was lit here in memory of the unknown soldiers
who died in the 1971Indo-Pakistan war. India Gate stands at
the end of Rajpath, and is a popular picnic site especially
during hot summer evenings. At night, the Gate is brightly
lit and the fountains near the Gate are lit with coloured
lights.The sight is delightful.
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Rashtrapati Bhavan
- The house that houses the President of
India and the house that boasts of having welcomed the most
powerful men in history.The Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed
by Edwin Lutyens and built in 1931, tobe the central point
of the British power in Delhi. Originally called the
Viceroy's House, the Rashtrapati Bhavan covers an area of
4.5 acres of land. It has 340 rooms, 37 salons, 74 lobbies
and loggias, 18 staircases and 37fountains.
The most magnificent room in the Rashtrapati Bhavan is the
Durbar Hall, which lies directly beneath the main dome. All
important Indian State and Official ceremonies are held
here. To the west, is the famous and beautifully landscaped
Mughal Gardens, designed after the terraced gardens the
Mughals built in Kashmir. The garden is famous as the
'Butterfly Garden'for the numerous butterflies that visit
the varied flowers. The garden is open to the public in
February.
Change
of Guard Ceremony :
April-October : 8:30 am
November-March : 10:35 am
»
Teen Murti Bhavan
-
TheTeen Murti Bhavan housed the first Prime Minister of
India, Jawaharlal Nehru. It was designed by Robert Tor
Russel, the architect of Connaught Place, and the Eastern
and Western Courts on Janpath. The Bhavan was originally the
residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in
India. However, after independence the house was taken over
as the residence of Jawaharlal Nehru. And on his death, the
house was converted into a national memorial comprising a
library and a museum. The library is one of the finest ones
for information on modern Indian history. The house gets its
name after the Teen Murti (three statues) Memorial, which
stands on its extensive grounds. The memorial was built in
memory of the Indian soldiers who perished in World War I.
The Bhavan is closed to public on Mondays and on all public
holidays.
»
Rajghat
- 4 km away from Janpath to the N-East of
Feroz Shah near Delhi Gate at Ring Rd on the bank of Jamuna
situated Rajghat. Jawaharlal Nehru Rd also ends opp. Rajghat.
On 31st Jan. 1948, Mahatma Gandhi's last rites was performed
here. The memorial stone of Gandhi is square in shape made
of black stone. His last ward- 'HeyRam' is inscribed on it.
Ordinary people, VIPs, foreign tourists all come here at
Rajghat to pay their homage to him. On every Friday (the day
of his death) a prayer is being held. Except Monday, a
regular feature ofprojecting Gandhi philosophy in picture,
sculpture and photos from 10-00 to17-00 is being performed
at Rajghat. Besides, there is Gandhi Memorial Museum
projecting his life and the philosophy of Sarvodaya Movement
in film from 9-30 to 17-30 except Thursday and on Sunday at
16-00 in Hindi and 17-00 in English. Another Gandhi memorial
is Gandhi Balidansthal or assassinated spot at Tis January
Marg of the city. On 30 Jan. 1948 on his way to prayerat
Biral Bhawan , he was assassinated by bullets. Hence, this
memorial.
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Santiban
- To the north of Rajghat is Santiban. 1st
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's last rites was performed
here on 27 May, 1964. A tombstone has been erected on his
funeral place. Next to it, the tomb of Sanjay Gandhi who was
died in a plane crashin 1980.
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Vijay Ghat
- This is the tomb of 2nd Prime Minister Lal
Bahadur Shastri. After the Indo-Pak wasof 1965. Shastriji
went to Taskhand in Russia on peace mission. In 1966 his
last rites was performed here. |
Delhi
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