Delhi

Tourism of Delhi

FACTS & FIGURES

THE CITY OF DESTINY

How does one describe Delhi? The capital city of India? The capital of the world’s largest democracy? Actually, Delhi is India in miniature. Delhi is 32,87,263 sq km of India’s fantastic variety compressed into 1483 sq km. Over the millennia, it has wooed rulers, attracted plunderers, and tried historians with so many details. Today, even as it preserves an enviable heritage, Delhi is a true cosmopolitan city always on the move.

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Location

Situated in the northern part of the country, Delhi extends latitude 28.38°N and longitude 77.12°E. It is encircled by the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in the east and by Haryana in the other three sides. Delhi is an ideal gateway to visit the north Indian states of Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana. Delhi is connected to all the major cities in the world by regular flights.

Climate

Delhi is hot and humid in the summers, and cold in the winters. The average temperature ranges from 25°C to 46°C during summer and 2°C to 5°C during winter. The cold wave from the Himalayan region makes winters very chilly. In summers, the heat wave is immense and adequate precaution has to be taken before going out in the afternoons. The best season to visit Delhi is during the spring seasons of February to April and August to November. It wears a festive look between February and April, the blooming season.

HISTORY

To go right back into an era where mythology and history are too closely intertwined, it is believed that Delhi, then known as Indraprashtha, was the scene of action of India’s great epic, the Mahabharata. Periodic archeological excavations bring in more and more evidence to support this contention.

Thereafter, historians say there have been seven cities of Delhi. If you count the smaller settlements and forts, the number may touch fifteen. Each city has left behind so much story and material for rumination that it requires many a lifetime to know them all completely.

Recorded history exists from the 11th century when Dillika, as this little town was known, found its focal point south of where it is now. This kingdom was known as Lal Kot. The famous ruler of this line of Tomars was called Prithvi Raj Chauhan. He is said to have built many temples and a huge fort called Qila Rai Pithora.

of the rulers of this dynasty, Qutub-ud-din Aibak, built the tall Qutab Minar. The Qutab Minar has five floors. It is 72.55-m high with a base diameter of 14.40 tapering to 2.4 m at the top.

Time moved on and by the end of the 13th century, the Khilji Dynasty was looking around for the best piece of land on which to build their seat of empire. Today where Delhi’s best auditorium stands, the Siri Fort as it is called, was the site the Khiljis had chosen; it is closer to central Delhi than Aibak’s kingdom.

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq succeeded Alauddin Khilji and, as vanity demanded, built a magnificent fort at Tughlaqabad. It is perhaps the most beautiful ruin in the country. Standing very tall, its massive structure quite contrasting with the delicate ornate style is still charming. The famous traveler Ibn Batuta recorded that it used to shine bright against the sun like a fort made of gold. There were huge silos at the entry points and this fort had umpteen gates. The story goes that a saint called Nizammuddin Aulia cursed Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq that his city would never flourish.

Perhaps, destiny willed it that way too. In those days of treason, Ghiyasuddin fell prey to his son Mohammad Bin Tughlaq’s ambition. Mohammad built his own city, Adilabad, a few yards away from Tughlaqabad. He enclosed a large area within a wall, creating within it the Jahanpanah forest. Then came the foolish attempt to move the capital away from Delhi. However, he had to shift his capital back to this city within a few months.

His nephew was Ferozshah Tughlaq. The fort built by Ferozshah—Ferozshah Kotla, as it is known—has stood as an inspiring backdrop to many famous bowlers and batsmen. The rest of the structures are, however, not intact. This fifth city, like the sixth city of the Lodi Dynasty, has few of its monuments left. Once again, Delhi saw a shift of capital to Agra.

However, it did not last long. This time the famous battle of Panipat, which brought the fulcrum back to Delhi eventually, saw Sher Shah Suri as the ruler. Sher Shah laid the foundation for the Grand Trunk Road and built the Old Fort. Today the fort complex houses the zoo in addition to preserving some of the buildings inside the fort.

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 center, 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, once known as Shahjahanabad. 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 cello or assembling a computer! An experience of timelessness awaits you at Shahjahanabad.

Modern Delhi, or New Delhi as it is called, centers around 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.

Delhi remains the center of power. Once it was a city of royal power. Then it became the seat of colonial power. Later it was the seat of bureaucratic power. The seat of political power it has always been. Today it is emerging as an important center for corporate power too.

The most fascinating aspect of this city is its cosmopolitan nature. You can find the whole of India in its little colonies and structures. Contemporary times will be far more difficult to record for tomorrow’s history.

PEOPLE

dimension and dynamism to the city.

ECONOMY

With a per capita income of 11,650, Delhi is India’s most prosperous state. People here are enterprising with great business acumen. The state boasts of best infrastructural facilities available in the country. Major industries are manufacture of Razor Blades, Sports Goods, Radio & TV Parts, Plastic & PVC Goods, Textiles, Chemicals, Fertilizers, Soft Drinks, Hand & Machine tools, Leather Goods, Galvanizing & Electroplating, Printing, and Ware Housing.

CULTURE

Art

Cruising through the different art exhibitions and galleries of Delhi, one transcends to a different world altogether. Delhi can boast of having one of the most prestigious art galleries—The National Gallery of Modern Art, an institution by itself. In 1976, The Lalit Kala Academy, with the help of Delhi Development Authority, set up studios known as Garhi, the artists’ haven. Inspired by the city of art in Paris, where artists, are provided with studios and lodgings, Garhi was built on these lines. Only qualified professional artists can work here. Their work is evaluated and those with talent and great promise are taken in. The artists are given a free rein to explore and discover their creativity. Though situated in the center of South Delhi, it is cut off from the hustle and bustle of busy city life providing an opportunity to the artists to pursue their interest in a tranquil atmosphere.

At Anandgram in Qutab–Mehrauli is the Sanskriti Kendra, a serene sprawling sanctuary for artists, craftsperson, as well as visitors. Set amidst eight acres of land dotted with two thousand trees, the Sanskriti Kendra was the brainchild of Mr. O. P. Jain, a distinguished art collector. It was conceptualized as a place where creative minds could pursue and interact with others on an area of study of their choice with an aim that from such an interaction would emerge a new sensibility that in turn would enrich and strengthen the bond of our shared culture. Here craftspersons live in mud huts reminiscent of their village homes while, scholars are provided complete studio, workshop, library, and residential facilities. The Kendra has an art gallery for exhibition of work of artists, an auditorium, and an open-air amphitheatre.

Other important art galleries in Delhi include AIFACS Gallery, Art Heritage, Art Today, Azad Bhawan Gallery, Center for Contemporary Art, Delhi Art Gallery, Dhoomimal Art Center, National Gallery of Modern Art, Triveni Kala Sangam, Wadhera Art Gallery, Sahitya Kala Parishad, and many more.

Craft

A city that boasts of a minimum of seven incarnations will have more to talk about than just old monuments in different stages of ruination. Not surprisingly, Delhi has a rich legacy of crafts patronized by the emperors of yore.

Shahjahanabad, Old Delhi as it is called today, is the richest of the legacies. Not only because it is the closest to us chronologically, but also because the Mughals were great patrons of arts and crafts. Go to Matia Mahal’s Pahadi Bhojla and you will find umpteen shops of jewelers who fashion beautiful bangles and necklaces out of bone. Their predecessors were ivory craftsmen. However, with the ban on ivory, they were compelled to change their raw material and switch over to bones of buffaloes and camels instead.

Creating magic with golden thread embroidery or euphoria with semi-precious stones, there are the zardozis in the neighborhood. Zardozi is the art of embroidery with gold thread. These craftsmen work intricate designs on silk, velvet, and even tissue materials. Insignias, pulpit covers, embroidery on the robes of bishops and even the Pope are all created here.

The famed meenakari work, where paint is embossed on silver or gold to give it the look of a precious stone, was once a thriving business of Shahjahanabad. Turbulence of Delhi, ever since Nadir Shah and later the colonial rule, pushed the artisans away to peaceful climes. This group moved partly to Rajasthan, while those who make bangles from lac moved to Hyderabad in the Deccan.

Lacquer work bangles are one of the old art forms still living in Shahjahanabad. Bright shades of yellow, red, and blue are perked up with tiny pieces of mirrors and gold-colored borders with beads to add that extra touch.

Common to many parts of Delhi are the potters. Not only do they fashion pots for the hot summer, which, in spite of refrigerators, are still greatly in demand, they also fashion beautiful clay and papier-mâché dolls. These clay dolls, some as toys and some as decorations and some even as clay idols during festivities, have a diminishing demand from the rural-urban migrators.

Then there are more. Making of incense sticks, of attars (perfumes), brass molding, and so on. Shahjahan’s gift to the country did not stop with Taj Mahal….

Dance

If it’s dance and music you are interested in, then you can choose which kind you prefer watching and concentrate your energies in that direction. If it’s the classical dance form you want to view, go to the Kamani Auditorium or Siri Fort. Triveni Kala Sangam has an auditorium too. Then there’s India International Center on Lodhi Road that offers very good programs. In the cooler months, many dance and music festivals are organized and every corner of the city is alive with various interpretations of movement and sound.

However, if it’s optimistic gyration that you prefer, then put on your dancing shoes and be prepared to rock the night at one of Delhi’s many exclusive dance clubs. These clubs are located within Delhi’s five-star hotels such as Maurya Sheraton (Ghunghroos), Le Meridien (C.J.’s), The Hilton (Annabelle’s), Hyatt Regency (Oasis), Taj Palace (My Kind of Place), and Park Hotel (Someplace Else). Houseguests and members can enter scot-free and the rest of Delhi (couples only) has to pay for some fun. Each place is distinct from the other in its décor, music, lights, and crowd. Ghunghroos, most popular with the younger generation, is perpetually packed in spite of the limited floor space. Annabelle’s and My Kind of Place have comparatively better seating arrangements and an older crowd. Oasis boasts of the best décor. Most of the places have laser lights, which is interesting for watchers as it penetrates the dancers to form myriad shapes and figures on the facing wall. Some places even have a couple of TVs and of course, all discotheques have bars for the ones who need a little spirit to raise their spirits.

For those Delhiites who are willing to go beyond their limits for fun, The 32nd Milestone (32 km from Delhi on the highway to Jaipur) has the answer—Fireball. The place has a futuristic look with the décor resembling the interiors of a spaceship. The dance floor is so large that you can actually move your legs along with your body unlike in the compact discos of Delhi.

Music

Music connoisseurs have a variety of sounds to choose from. The auditoria where these concerts are held are the same as the dance programs. Whether Indian classical, Hindustani or Carnatic, or the lighter ghazals, there is no dearth of choice. When a particularly well-known singer comes to town, it is usually well covered by the press. The papers also reserve a column in their daily editions to display a list of programs for the day. These programs include not only the visual arts but also lectures on a wide variety of topics by scholars or luminaries in that particular field. To see the craftsmen of the city and the country make their wares, you must go to the crafts museum in Pragati Maidan and Dilli Haat. They try to display this form of indigenous talent and let the craftsmen benefit from their skill at the same time.

What’s more, all these places have a café or canteen in the vicinity. So, if you feel like mind-satisfied-is-not-stomach satisfied it can be set right.

Overall, Delhi offers a profusion of cultural activities from light entertainment to scholarly programs.

SITES TO VISIT

The Forts of Delhi

The best way to know about the glorious heritage of Delhi is to know its monuments, to travel through time back into centuries of history filled with the rise and fall of dynasties that ruled the land. These monuments stretch from Wazirabad in the north to the Qutab and beyond in the south of Delhi. Between these two points, lies scattered the history of this ancient city.

Indraprashtha

According to the Mahabharata, Indraprashtha was the most flourishing city, capital of the Pandavas, with gigantic forts and magnificent palaces. Excavations at the Purana Qila, identified as the site of Indraprashtha, have yielded proofs of the site having remained under continuous occupation up to 1000 bc. The Mauryas, Sungas, Kushans, Guptas, Rajputs, and Mughals held it under their sway. However, of its fabled epic glory no evidence has yet been unearthed. With the decline of Buddhism, Delhi fell into oblivion and for centuries remained an inconsequential adjunct of great contemporary cities like Mathura and Kannauj.

We hear of Delhi again, after a gap of countless centuries, when the Tomar Rajputs came to power, first settled at Indraprashtha before moving to the rocky terrain beyond Tughlaqabad. It is also said that a king called Delu founded Delhi but history is silent about him. Tomar history is verifiable. The water tank called Surajkund, ruins of fortifications, and a bund can still be visited at the stone-strewn site, mysterious as the Stonehenge. The dates are uncertain, but the architectural evidence is incontrovertible. When the Tomars shifted to Mehrauli in the eleventh century and Anang Pal II built a formidable fort to ward off the growing fear of invasions, Delhi got Lal Kot, the first fort strengthened with magnificent ramparts and numerous gates.

The Chauhan Rajputs defeated the Tomar and occupied Lal Kot. It was Prithvi Raj III who enlarged the Lal Kot area by extending it on the eastern, western and the southern sides and named it after himself—Qila Rai Pithora, the second fort of Delhi. With rampart walls, 10 feet in width at places, this fort had numerous gates, some of which can still be identified as giant gaps in the long stretching walls. Hauz Rani and Budayuni Gates were two most prominent gates. At Budayuni Gate, the guilty were tortured and beheaded in full public view. The gate was under constant watch for fear of Mongol invasions. Ranjit Gate on the northern ramparts was the grandest but weakest gate. The Turks had entered Lal Kot through this gate and had it immediately restrengthened to prevent a recurrence of invasion. Qila Rai Pithora continued to be used as the stronghold of the Turkish Slave dynasty Sultans who had replaced the Rajput rulers in 1193. Ruins of Rajput and Mamluk palaces can be seen behind Balban’s tomb near the Qutab Minar.

In 1303, the Mongols under Taraghai plundered Delhi and almost captured it when, quite inexplicably, they rushed back. Back from his Deccan campaigns, Alauddin Khilji decided to build a defense fortress at Siri with strong battlement ramparts and impregnable bastions. It was Delhi’s third fort. It was never attacked by enemies but destroyed by succeeding rulers who plundered it for the free building material for their forts. Timur, who sacked Delhi in 1398, found Siri a magnificent fortress. Only some portions of the Siri walls can be seen today, all else has been destroyed and stones removed.

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.

Ferozshah kotla

Ferozshah, Muhammad Tughlaq’s successor, built his new city northward on the banks of Yamuna. Kotla was the inner citadel of Ferozabad, built like Windsor. It had great palaces and a magnificent mosque that inspired Timur’s envy. Destroyed by the Mughals, Kotla palaces were reduced to mere ruins, exposing to view the subterranean passages and covered cloisters. One can still see the pyramidal structure topped by the Ashokan Pillar brought from Topra (near Ambala), ruins of the mosque, and a three-tiered baoli. Ferozabad stretched between Wazirabad and the Qutab with countless serais and schools and mosques in between. Timur’s invasion of Delhi in 1398 reduced the city to a city of ruins. He took away with him elephants loaded with treasures and costly building material, artists, masons and skilled workers as prisoners. No wonder that the Saiyyads and Lodis who succeeded the Tughlaqs only inherited a depleted empire and empty treasures. No new forts or palaces were built, only tombs. The Saiyyads and Lodis used Kotla as their citadel. In fact, the Lodis had moved the capital to Agra, and Delhi once again fell into neglect.

The Mongols who had set their eyes on Delhi since the founding of the Turkish rule in 1193, and had, in fact, invaded it on 12 occasions between 1245 and 1329 finally descended on the city in 1526 led as an invincible force by Zahir-ud-din Babur who vanquished the Lodis to establish the Mughal Empire. Babur chose Agra as his capital but his successor decided in favor of Delhi. His city Dinpanah was built on the site of Indraprashtha where then existed a village of that name to revive its claim to antiquity. Dinpanah was the sixth fort of Delhi. Within five years, massive gateways and lofty ramparts were completed but unfortunately, Humayun lost his kingdom to the Afghan chieftain Shershah, who destroyed much of Humayun’s buildings in the fort. He called his city Shergarh. Two gateways of his city, Lal Darwaza and Khooni Darwaza, can still be seen in their original grandeur. Within the fort, Shershah built a grand mosque and an octagonal tower called Sher Mandal. When Humayun regained his kingdom with Persian help, he hardly built any new structures. Humayun fell down from the roof of Sher Mandal. As the muezzin called for the prayer, Humayun kneeled down to pray when his foot got entangled in the dress and he tumbled down the steps, fatally injured to die within three days. This was the end of a lovable Mughal emperor. Akbar went back to Agra. Jahangir and Shahjahan also made architectural contributions to Agra fort.

In 1639, 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 Shahjahan. 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. Passing under the grand Gothic arch and the octagonal open space of the market place—the Chatta Chowk, and the Naubat Khana—a double-storied structure where court musicians played five times a day, we see Diwan-i-Aam. Here is the fabulously crafted baldachino—the marble canopy decorated with the most exquisite pietra dura work. Diwan-i-Aam witnessed scenes of unexcelled splendor when it used to be decorated with golden curtains, gorgeous carpets, and gold and silver railings below dazzling chandeliers. Ministers, Rajas, and ambassadors stood in mute awe of the Emperor in court.

Behind the Diwan-i-Aam are the Zenana quarters with such grand palaces as the Rang Mahal and Mumtaz Mahal. The marble lotus, a fountain in the center of Rang Mahal, carved out of a single slab, is a piece of sheer beauty. In its sculptured grandeur, the lotus is matched only by the trellis wall under the scales of justice in the Khwab Gah. The pavilion in white marble—Diwan-i-Khas—has lost much of its splendor. Here, under the original silver ceiling, stood the world famous Peacock Throne studded with the costliest gems of the Mughal Empire, costing nearly 12,637,500 sterlings as per a contemporary account. On the ceiling slab is inscribed the line, ‘if there is a paradise on the face of the earth, it is here, it is here, it is here’. Nadir Shah, Ahmad Shah Abdali, Ghulam Qadir, the Marathas, and finally the British looted and plundered the Mughal treasures and destroyed many structures of immense beauty. Still the Shah Burjan octagonal tower at the corner, and the two marble pavilions, Sawan and Bhadon, named after the Indian months of rain, have withstood forces of destruction. The gardens—Mahtab Bagh and Hayat Baksh—have vanished. A later-day pavilion in red sandstone stands at the center of a dried up pool. It was built by Bahadur Shah II. Moti Masjid, the mosque built by Aurangzeb, is a gem of architecture despite the sickly marble of the new domes—original copper casing having been removed long back.

The Fort still retains some of its lost glory. It is the only fort with some well-preserved royal structures to give an idea of the glory of the Mughal Empire. The Red Fort was the last fort built in Delhi and it witnessed the vicissitudes of fortune, the splendor and the fall of the Mughals, British rule, and finally the dawn of Indian Independence.

Lesser Known Monuments of Delhi

the minister of Sikandar Lodi, in the 16th century.

The Khirki Masjid is located in Khirki village in South Delhi and was built by Khan-i-Jahan Junan Shah, the prime minister of Ferozshah, in the early 15th century. This building is a link between Lodi style of architecture and the ornate Mughal architecture that was to follow.

Located near Hauz Khas village, the Hauz Khas Pond was probably built by Alauddin Khilji in ad 1295. Delhi Tourism holds various entertainment programs here and Alauddin’s tank now serves as an excellent backdrop to cultural events.

Other Places

If your image of India is made up mostly of the documentaries they show on the BBC and Discovery Channel on the cable network then the museum is the place for you. Here you will understand exactly what these programs mean when they happily announce that the average Indian’s idea of the good life is to clamber upon an elephant, ride up to the nearest palace, and spend the rest of the days cracking spices. The National Museum will let you in on these secrets. The museum houses one of the largest collections of Vedic and pre-Vedic relics, exotic paintings, old manuscripts, and mural paintings from Buddhist shrines in Central Asia.

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.

Perhaps the most poignant, the most nostalgic feelings that still bring a tear to many an eye are stirred when one visits 1 Safdarjung Road. Once the permanent residence of the prime ministers of India, it now houses the Indira Gandhi Museum. Here, amongst other memorabilia, lies her saffron bullet-ridden sari, the scorch marks clearly visible even through the glass case. It was here at this table that she had her last breakfast, walked out through this door, along the flagstoned path shaded and flanked by greenery, towards the wooden gate where she was mowed down by a hail of bullets from her own security guards. Visitors stand clustered at the gate shocked into silence, reliving the treachery and the tragedy.

The cool, sylvan environs of the Lodi Gardens, where Lodi kings ambled with their consorts, today witness a new brand of VIP activity along with a daily convergence of people from several walks of life. The gardens are a popular retreat for a wide cross-section of Delhiites who enjoy jogging, quiet walks, picnics, naps under the shade of the boughs of some spreading tree or bush, basking in the winter sun, or simply soaking in the singularly soothing balm-like atmosphere.

Peace and quiet also pervade Chanakyapuri—the diplomatic headquarters where arterial pieces from other parts of the world have been transplanted. Here can be found the American Embassy, the British High Commission, and the embassies and missions of most countries big and small that have diplomatic ties with India. Their national flags flying proud and high, most of the countries represented have introduced striking architectural designs and highly individualistic interior designs. While the names of roads in other parts of Delhi are sometimes cosmopolitan—Josef Tito Marg, Africa Avenue, Max Mueller Road—at Chanakyapuri the roads have a predominance of names which exude a pure Indian essence—Shantipath, Nyaya Marg, Kautilya Marg, Niti Marg….

At the center of the city is India Gate, a memorial raised in honor of the Indian soldiers who were 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. Ice-cream carts, balloon wallahs, popcorn and peanut vendors, carts selling cold water and cold drinks, panwallahs, men and women selling sweet-scented jasmine gajras (garlands) to decorate a bride, wife, daughter or girlfriend’s hair, do brisk business at the fringe of the lawns.

For lovers of flowers ad beauty, the annual spring opening of the glorious, meticulously tended Mughal Gardens at the stately Rashtrapati Bhawan is a bonanza topped by an amazing assembly of roses in perfect bloom—perhaps the best in the whole of India. Flower shows organized on a regular basis provide an extra edge of inducement to malis (gardeners), plant nursery owners, and the lucky ones who possess a green thumb.

Down on earth, there is the sight of Vigyan Bhawan that has hosted some of the most important international events and summits. There is the sense of history, intermingled with pride as you go past Parliament House, the curiosity as you glance at North and South Blocks—the decision-making, bureaucratic heart of India.

Birla Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu situated in the central Delhi, and Lotus Temple, a beautiful white marble building and a place of worship for Bahai’s, are two temples worth visiting for those in search of spiritual rejuvenation.

The Jantar Mantar, one of the many astronomical observatories constructed by Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur, is situated in the center of the city near Connaught Place.

Through dark times of tragedy, throughout golden, heady periods of glory, since time immemorial, the eddying Yamuna has flowed past Delhi. Displaying different moods—sometimes a muted cadence or a gentle murmur, at others a gentle lapping of water, and in the monsoons, the fury of its swollen, wind blows on the bank—the Yamuna has remained indestructible.

FAIRS AND FESTIVALS

Different communities who have settled in Delhi celebrate their own festivals with great gusto and add color and variety to the cultural fabric of the megapolis. One cannot imagine Delhi without Durga Puja in Chittaranjan Park or Muharram, Id-ul-Zuha and Id-Ul-Fitr in Old Delhi.

As the capital of India, Delhi is centerstage for many national celebrations, the two most prominent ones being Republic Day on January 26, and Independence Day on August 15. Preparations for these two occasions begin months in advance, especially for Republic Day, which is celebrated with great pomp and pageantry. All along the Rajpath, a grand procession marches by comprising soldiers from the three armed forces as well as the paramilitary forces, bands, schoolchildren, folk dancers, ceremonial elephants, tanks and the latest in Indian military warfare. Air Force planes flying in formation and exhibiting daredevil stunts add to the excitement. The presence of the President and the Prime Minister, foreign dignitaries and eminent personalities lend grandeur to the occasion. For those unable to be at the spot, the live telecast on television is a must-see. Two days later is the moving ceremony Beating Retreat held at Vijay Chowk. The bands from the different armed forces and the police contingents begin to play martial tunes just as the sun begins to set—the haunting music stirs up many emotions. Independence Day is celebrated in commemoration of the day India threw off the colonial yoke. The highlights of this occasion are the Prime Minister’s address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort, flag hoisting in educational institutions, public sector enterprises, army cantonments, and private homes. Republic Day and Independence Day are definitely a time to take pride in being Indian.

Delhi also boasts of festivals unique to it—Phoolwalon-ki-Sair (procession of flower-sellers) is one such celebration. In August, flower vendors from different religions gather at Mehrauli with flowers woven into beautiful sheets called pankhas or fans which are offered at the shrine of Hazrat Bakhtiyar Kaki, a famous Muslim saint and at a nearby temple. This is a centuries old tradition practiced in the hope of bountiful harvest of flowers in the coming season and is aimed at promoting communal harmony. The Urs of Hazrat Nizammuddin Aulia is another festival special to Delhi. His tomb in Nizammuddin is crowded with devotees from all over India and special poems composed in his honor are sung. The streets in the area are transformed into one giant fair with stalls selling special foods, religious artifacts, holy books, and clothes.

PLACES NEARBY

India’s most visited cities for the simple reason that it houses one of the wonders of the world—the magnificent Taj Mahal. Built by Emperor Shahjahan in honor of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal took over 21 years to complete and is one of the most perfect pieces of architecture in the world with incredible symmetry and craftsmanship in every inch. One can spend hours just gazing at the perfection of the Taj Mahal. There are many other sights to see in and around the city—the Agra Fort, Itmad-Ud-Daulah’s tomb, the Jama Masjid, the old city bazaars, and Akbar’s tomb at Sikandra.

Thirty-seven km from Agra is the town of Fatehpur Sikri, supposedly built on the site where the saint Salim Chisti foretold the birth of Emperor Akbar’s son. >From 1571 to 1585, it was the imperial capital, but was abandoned soon after due to inadequate water supply. However, even today, pilgrims visit the mosque and tomb built to honor Salim Chisti to seek divine intervention to resolve their problems or fulfill particular desires. The royal apartments are worth a visit as they represent an aesthetic fusion of Mughal and Hindu architecture and contain many unique structures—the five-storied Panch Mahal, the Pachisi court where Emperor Akbar used to play chess with slave girls as the pieces.

If you are in the mood for a shorter trip, then visit Mathura, 145 km away from Delhi on the banks of the Yamuna. Since ancient times, Mathura has been a pilgrimage site for Buddhists, Hindus, and Jain. It has many places associated with Lord Krishna and its museum has one of the best collections of inscriptions and sculptures. A few kilometers from Mathura is the temple town of Brindavan—spend a weekend getting to know the spiritual side of India in these two places.

Haryana encloses Delhi on three sides and its many tourist complexes are ideal for quick getaways as most of them are quite close. Damdama, just 64 km from Delhi, makes for a nice break from the rigors of city life. Drive past lush fields and quaint villages to arrive at the lakefront Saras Tourist Complex where you can relax and rest to your hearts content. If you can get away for a little longer, escape to the Morni Hills and let the cool air and scenic beauty revive your spirit.

If you are an avid wildlife fan, there are many interesting wildlife sanctuaries where you can escape for a few days without going too far from Delhi. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, just 46 km away on National Highway 8, is a birdwatcher’s paradise with a sizable population of resident and migratory birds. Once a dry belt with a shallow water body that attracted birds during the monsoon, Sultanpur was transformed by the ornithologist Peter Jackson who got the area landscaped and suitable vegetation planted. The best time to visit is after the monsoons when the rains have bequeathed a verdant green cover and the lake is full of fish, frogs, and crustaceans. You can spend endless hours watching the antics of the birds—see the spoonbills wading in the water, the ducks foraging at the water’s edge and if you are feeling more adventurous and would like to venture further afield, Bharatpur and Sariska are ideal holiday destinations. The Sariska National Park covers an area of 498 square km and is just a four-hour drive from Delhi. Although a great variety of wild animals are present in the sanctuary, the main attraction here is the magnificent tiger. There are many machans or viewing platforms, where one can wait quietly after sunset, for the beast to make an appearance. Bharatpur is interesting both for the Bird Marsh Sanctuary it houses as well as its many ancient monuments. The Keoladeo Ghana National Park, once a great marsh famous for duck shoots held by the raja of Bharatpur, is one of India’s famous bird sanctuaries—it is the site where the Siberian cranes come every winter.

If you want to escape to the hills, especially during the enervating Delhi summer, you do not have to look too far. Mussoorie, 325 km from Delhi and at an altitude of 6,000–7,000 feet, is the favourite haunt of people from Delhi. It’s not unusual to find half of Delhi on the Mall on some weekends. Mussoorie, with its cool clime, has a lot to offer—it is, in fact, known as the ‘Queen of Hill Stations’. On a clear day, the view of the surrounding mountains and the plains below with the river Yamuna meandering along is simply stupendous. Twenty-five kilometers away from Mussoorie is another enchanting destination, Dhanaulti, at an altitude of 2,400 m, which offers some of the best views of the Himalayas and plenty of trekking opportunities.

Pushkar where there is a temple to Brahma (believed to be the only one of its kind). The fair held in Pushkar in November draws visitors from all over the world. Jodhpur, the gateway to the great Thar Desert, is easily accessible by rail, air, and road. The Mehrangarh Fort, the Umaid Bhawan Palace, Giridkot, and Sardar Market—all these highlight the best of Rajasthani art, craft, and culture.

The Delhi Tourism Development Corporation (DTDC) runs regular tour services to some of these holiday destinations. State transport, DTC, and other bus services are available from the Interstate Bus Terminus. There are regular express and ordinary train services to most places above. Indian Airlines and private airlines fly to the major towns and cities, and it is possible to drive down from the airport to the chosen holiday destination.

SHOPPING

Delhi has a great variety of products on offer for a prospective buyer. A favorite haunt of shoppers in Delhi is Chandni Chowk. It started out as a walk for the royal families and had the river Yamuna flowing beside it. The reflection of the moon in these waters gave it its ethereal name—‘Moonbeam Square’.

The by lanes of Chandni Chowk have been named after the specialty items that are available here. For instance, if you need a break go to Parantha Wali Gali for a delicious lunch of the most crisp and light-stuffed paranthas. The eateries here have been in operation for over 100 years! Mughal cuisine in Chandni Chowk is at its most genuine. Karim’s is one of the most famous manifestations. It serves some of the delicacies of 16th–17th-century kitchens. For an overcrowded shopping arena, the hygiene when preparing the food is a pleasant surprise.

Stroll through the lanes and by lanes of Chandni Chowk and you will find everything under the sun—wholesale items ranging from hair dryers to spare parts of a BMW. There are whole streets devoted to just one kind of item. Unlike in the West, where these would be wholesale markets and only retailers could buy from them, anyone can buy at these shops. The most interesting street in this area is Dariba Kalan where all jewelers have their shops—one of the oldest markets in Delhi dating from the Mughal period. There used to be a lake around the Red Fort and women in purdah (behind veils) would take boats to the mosques. This market sprang up on the lakeside to entice them. As proof of this, the name of the neighboring area, Darya Ganj, includes the Urdu word for lake (darya) and a nearby street is called Ballimaran (meaning, the street of the boat rowers).

Move to the south and you come across Hauz Khas Village. This is one of the many villages subsumed by the growth of Delhi and still maintains much of the village ambience. In the early 1980s, it began its transformation to a chic shopping area when socialite and garment exporter, Bina Ramani, opened her boutique here. Soon, other exclusive stores moved in. The most popular stop is Dastkar that markets goods made by women in villages all across India. Dastkar designers work with groups in the different states taking the traditional decorative arts and applying them in new ways on items that city dwellers snap up. This is a great place for buying gifts.

An excellent restaurant complex in Hauz Khas is Village Bistro that was begun in collaboration with Delhi Tourism to offer an evening of entertainment in the spectacular setting of the 24th-century madrassa (religious school). Starting from about 6 pm, you can see a variety of dances from all across India. Follow this up with dinner at one of the Bistro’s restaurants and a drink at their rooftop bar overlooking the archeological monuments.

The Santushti Shopping Complex, on the edge of Chanakyapuri diplomatic Enclave, opposite the Samrat Hotel, provides an entirely different experience in shopping. A brainchild of the Air Force Officers’ Wives’ Welfare Association, it is the haunt of Delhi’s beau monde—beautifully landscaped.

Of course, if it’s trinkets and such stuff that interests you, then go to Janpath. Along the pavements, you will find an unending line of shops selling all kinds of trinkets and curios and export-surplus clothes at bargain rates that you can bargain even further! Another place for export-surplus garments is Sarojini Nagar. For clothes, the whole world goes to Lajpat Nagar and Shankar Market. But a trip around Connaught Circus has its own quaint appeal. While you are there, Palika Bazaar, the underground shopping complex, is a place where you can, again, find almost everything under the sun—from antiques to the latest electronic contraptions—but bargaining is essential. Before venturing out take note of the fact that you need to know the day of closure for different markets; otherwise you will drive across town only to find the market closed! Best days to avoid are Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays.

balloon, try some of the snacks from the numerous vendors, or an ice cream, or just lie back and gaze at the stars!

For handicrafts, one can visit Dilli Haat and state emporia situated on Baba Kharak Singh Marg near Connaught Place. Bookshops are available all over the city, but for a good bargain visit Darya Ganj and Nai Sarak in Old Delhi. Most of the multinational brands are available in Delhi through their franchises or at shopping complexes.

HOW TO REACH

By Air

Delhi is conveniently connected to all the major cities of the world with almost all the major airlines operating out of here. Delhi has two airports catering to domestic and international flights, located 4½ km apart in Palam. The international airport (known as Indira Gandhi International Airport) is situated 20 km from the city center. Taxis and coaches are available. The booking offices are mostly situated at Connaught Place and around.

By Rail

Delhi is connected to almost all the cities in the country by super-fast and express trains. The city has three major railway stations at New Delhi, Old Delhi, and Nizamuddin. Luxury trains like the Palace-on-Wheels, Fairy Queen, and Royal Orient Express can be taken from Delhi Cantonment railway station. Rajdhani Express trains connect Delhi from the state capitals. Shatabdi Express trains connect Delhi to the neighboring cities.

By Road

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