Rang7 Guides
Rang7 members have created & contributed 308 Destinations, 77 Festivals, 47 Monuments, 39 National Parks and 58 Other Guides. Go ahead and Explore now!
Delhi
[ Edit ] Overview
Delhi, the capital of India and a Union Territory, has a history dating back at least 2,500 years. In addition to its importance as a business and political center, Delhi is an important destination for toursits with its numerous historical and cultural treasures. Delhi has been the centre of many ruling dynasties belonging to different religions and the evidence is the differnt architectural styles of various monuments scattered around the city. Included amongst these treasures are the Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb which are all in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In addition, the city is littered with over 200+ protected sites like Jama Masjid (Asia's largest masjid), Jantar Mantar, India Gate, Akshardham etc which reflects the Delhi's deep and colorful history and are popular tourist sites worth visiting.
Delhi situated on the banks of the River Yamuna, is officialy called national capital Teritorry of Delhi which includes the satellite towns of Noida, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Gurgaon. In terms of area, Delhi in the largest city in India and in terms of population, Delhi comes second to Mumbai.
Delhi being a cosmopoliitan city has a mixed culture with all festivals celebrated with equal pomp. The mixed culture is reflected in its cuisines as well, where you get all types of Indian cuisines, including international ones. But the local food delicaies like Chaat and Dahi-Papri remain unique to Delhi.
[ Edit ] History
Hindu mythology suggests Delhi is the site where the city of Indraprastha described in the Mahabharata was located. Seven different rulers or empires have ruled over the city since the 12th century. The Chauhans made it the hindu centre of north India in the 12th century followed by Qutab-ud-din Aibak, who brought in over 6 centuries of Muslim rule. The Delhi Sultanate came in next followed by the mighty Mughal empire. The British followed and made Delhi and important commercial centre.
After Independence Delhi continued to be the political capital of India. Most of the residents of Delhi todayare Hindu Punjabis who lived in the city of Lahore in Pakistan and came here during the partition. The city is divided into 2 parts: Old Delhi and New Delhi. Old Delhi was the capital of Muslim India in the 12th to 19th century. New Delhi on the other hand was created as an imperial city by the British.
Quick Facts
[ Edit ] State
Delhi, India
[ Edit ] Location
North India
[ Edit ] Best Time To Visit
For tourists, the best time to visit Delhi are from February to April and again from September to November. when the weather ranges between 20°C to 30°C. From April to October, temperatures over 40°C is common. Monsoon hits the city in July and August. In winter, temperatures can drop to near 0°C and the city is often blanketed with thick fog leading to frequent flight delay / cancellations.
[ Edit ] Tourist Offices
The Government of India Tourist Office, 88 Janpath , Connaught Place, New Delhi 110 001; (Open Monday to Friday 9 am to 6 pm and Saturday 9 am to 2 pm.)
[ Edit ] STD Code
011
Sightseeing
[ Edit ] Akshardham Temple
Akshardham is a Hindu temple complex on the banks of the Yamuna River in New Delhi built by 2005 under the leadership of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of Bochasanvasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha or BAPS. Housed in over 100 acres of land, this monument made in pink stone and white marble has two-hundred-and-thirty carved pillars, countless figurines of saints and a magnificent base of carved elephants.The main building in the centre of the complex stands over 140 ft high and features architectural styles from different parts of India. more
[ Edit ] Humayun’s Tomb
Humayun the 2nd Mughal emperor faced an untimely death in the mid 16th century, caused by an accident. 9 years after his death his Persian wife, Bega Begum also known as Haji Begum, built this tomb. This was the first garden tomb or ‘char baag’(based on the concept of Islamic paradise gardens) built in India. The architecture of the Taj Mahal is said to have been inspired from the Humayun’s Tomb. Humayun's Tomb is included on the World Heritage List (UNESCO). more
[ Edit ] India Gate
Built in 1921 by Edwin Lutyens, India Gate is one of the famous landmarks of Delhi. It was built as a memorial to honor the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in world war I. Located on Rajpath, India Gate is160 ft high with an imposing arch of 138 feet. Many locals are seen relaxing or strolling in the area in the evenings. more
[ Edit ] Jama Masjid
Completed in 1656, Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India and was built during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. Built on a natural mound there are a flight of sandstone steps leading to the grand arched entrances. There are two high minarets that measure a staggering 130 feet which offer a panoramic view of the city. It has great religious importance as a relic of prophet along with a chapter of Quran written by him is placed here. more
[ Edit ] Jantar Mantar - Delhi
more[ Edit ] Laxmi Narayan Temple
Built in 1938, this Orissa style temple is located west of Connaught Place. Built by industrial BD Birla the temple was among the first temples in India without any caste restrictions.
[ Edit ] Purana Qila
South east of India gate and north of Humayuns tomb is Purana Qila. This is the site Indraprastha, the original city of Delhi. Spread over a mile, the fort has three huge gates surrounded by waterways fed by the river Yamuna. Sher Shah built this fort during his short reign between 1538-1545.
[ Edit ] Qutub Minar
Built in the 13th century as a symbol of victory over the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi, the tower was initially built under the leadership of Qutb-ud-din Aibak and then completed by Feroz Shah Tughlaq in 1368. Located 15km south of New Delhi it is an excellent example of Indo Islamic style of architecture. The tower is 72 m high and has 5 storey’s, each of which is marked by projecting balconies. The complex also has other attractions like the famous Iron pillar, Alai Darwaza, Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque and Alai Minar. The Qutub Minar is included on the World Heritage List (UNESCO). more
[ Edit ] Rashtrapati Bhawan
Rashtrapati Bhawan built in 1923 was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens as the British Viceroy’s residence. Now it is home to the President of India. Located opposite India gate, the Rashtrapati Bhawan is one of the largest palaces of the world. Situated at the crest of Raisini Hill, the beige and red sandstone building of Rashtrapati Bhawan has 340 rooms, a circular durbar hall where all important state cermonies and functions are held and is surrounded by beautiful Mughal gardens. There is a massive copper dome on top the building that can be spotted from atleast one km.
[ Edit ] Red Fort
The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, laid the foundation of Red fort in 1618 when he decided to shift his capital from Agra to Delhi. The Red Fort was designed as the base for the Mughal empire. It had lavish palaces, was structured for defense purposes and functioned as the court of the Mughal empire. It was a city on its own with its own bazaars, gardens and mansions. Later when the Mughal empire lost its power in Delhi, the Red fort was robbed and looted. The Red Fort is included on the World Heritage List (UNESCO).
The Red fort is the only large scale Mughal city planned and built from scratch that survives as a living city today. more
[ Edit ] Safdarjang’s Tomb
Located in Aurobindo Marg, this mid 18th century tomb was built by the son of Safdarjang. This is the last tomb built by the Mughal empire before the empire collapsed. more
Planning a Trip
Getting There
[ Edit ] Air
Indira Gandhi International Airport is well knit with all the important cities of the world while Palam Domestic Airport connects to all the major Indian cities.
[ Edit ] Rail
There are three major rail heads: New Delhi, Old New Delhi, and Nizamuddin Stations which connect to most metros in India.
[ Edit ] Road
Delhi is well connected by road to neighbouring states and much of India.
Driving distance to Delhi from:
- Agra / Taj Mahal: kms: 203 kms
- Amritsar: 447 kms
- Bharatpur: 205 kms
- Chandigarh: 260 kms
- Fatehpur Sikri: 200 kms
- Jaipur: 258 kms
- Kurukshetra: 162 kms
- Govardhan: 165 kms
- Mathura: 157 kms
- Mumbai: 1,407 kms
- Neemrana: 122 kms
- Vrindavan: 153 kms
[ Edit ] Getting Around
The Delhi Metro (subway) system is now the best way to get around Delhi. It is safe reliable, convenient and airconditioned. Currently (as of 2008), there are three criss crossing lines of service:
- Line 1 (Red Line): Dilshad Garden - Kashmere Gate - Rithala
- Line 2 (Yellow Line): Vishwa Vidyalaya (Delhi University) - Kashmere Gate - Connaught Place - Central Secretariat
- Line 3 (Blue Line): Indraprastha - Connaught Place-Dwarka
South Delhi, and suburbs such as Gurgaon and Noida will become part of the Delhi Metro by 2010 in advance of the Commonwealth Games. Please refer to the following site for more details on the Delhi Metro (http://www.delhimetrorail.com/commuters/station_information.html)
In addition to the Metro, Taxis available for hire for a full day or half a day. These days many private taxi companies have also become available. Public buses are generally not very comfortable or safe.
[ Edit ] Other Information
Delhi gets quite unsafe in the evening and nights with the rising crime in the city especially against women. It is advisable to not walk on the streets in the nights.
[ Edit ] Shopping
Delhi is a shopper's paradise and it is possible to buy handicraft and art from much of India.
Chandani Chowk: for carpets, souveniers and costume jewellery.
Janpath: for wood carvings, brass work, paintings, clothes, shawls, costume jewellery, bed spreads, cushion covers etc. You need to bargain well to get a good deal.
Connaught Place: Also known as "CP", Connaught Place has many western style stores, restaurants, and book stores.
Sarojini Nagar: Great bargains on clothes, curtains, cushions etc. The market is closed on Mondays.
Dilli Haat: for handicrafts, shawls and handloom items. They is an entrance charge to enter the dilli haat complex.
Darya Ganj: for 2nd hand books. Open only on Sundays.
[ Edit ] Food
Delhi offers a lot of choices when it comes to food. The are several options of Indian, Mughlai and Chinese food outlets. The last few years have seen a steady increase in restaurants serving other cuisines like Thai, Italian, Japanese, Lebanese etc.
[ARCHIVES ]
- Sort By:
- Most Recent
- Most Rated
Hidden jewels in Delhi - away from the traditional tourist circuit
There is much to experience in Delhi, beyond the obvious. My suggestions, if you want something out of the ordinary, are as follows: 1) an INTACH Heritage Walk for insights from locals / experts who are passionate about Delhi (contact for schedule at: intachdelhi@rediffmail.com or call at 011-24641304), 2) Mehrauli Archaeological Park (so much more to see than just Qutub Minar here), 3) Qawallis at Nizamuddins Tomb (Sufi singing & dancing - performed only on Thursday evenings), and 4) Hauz Kauz - a peaceful village with monuments in a beautiful setting and Art Galleries.
- On: 01 Jun 2009
|
|
Rating |
