Touring New Delhi

Delhi is the 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 river Yamuna, straddling the river. The city has two distinct parts, Old Delhi and New Delhi. Old Delhi is centered on the Red Fort built by Emperor Shah Jahan between 1636 and 1658.

The streets of Old Delhi are narrow and bustling. The beauty and serenity lies inside the courts of the main buildings. Delhi has some of the finest museums 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 British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944), and is tree-lined and spacious.

Some famous landmarks and tourist sites

Lotus Temple: Baha'i Temple in Delhi is often compared to the Sydney Opera House. Located 12km southeast of Connaught Place, has emerged as a top attraction for the tourists. Popularly known as the Lotus Temple, Baha'i Temple is a major feature of Delhi and is well known for its appearance. There is no doubt that in years to come the temple will prove to be  a mecca for the

visitors. Baha'ism is considered to be a syncretism of the nine great religions of the world and traces its genesis to its prophet Baha'u'llah, born in Persia in the twentieth  century.
	The Red Fort: The Fort with a circumference of over 2.2 kilometers was laid out by the bank 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. The fort is a delight to  one's imagination.
Imagine the Naqqar Khana (Drum room) also called Naubat Khana (Welcome Room). Where once drums loudly heralded the arrival of the emperor and the Diwan-e-Am (Hall of Public Audience) resounded with the incantations of the people. 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 Bhurj. The fort has two main entrances Delhi Gate and Lahore Gate. The latter gets its name from the fact that it faces Lahore in Pakistan. There is a Light and Sound Show every evening. Summer timing: Hindi - 7 pm to 8 pm, English - 8 pm to 9 pm Winter timing: Hindi 6 pm to 7 pm, English- 7pm to 8 pm.

Qutab Minar: The highest stone tower in India, the Qutab 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 heralded the birth of a new dynasty - Slave Dynasty. And it laid the foundations of the Delhi Sultanate. The Minar is a five-storeyed building with a height of 72.5 meteres. The first storey of  Qutab Minar was completed in  the lifetime of Qutbuddin. His son-in-law and successor, Iltutmish, added the next three storeys.

Within the complex is the famous Iron Pillar which has stood for millennia without rusting. Entry to the Minar has been closed after the tower became infamous for the several suicides that were committed here. Qutab Minar is a successful tribute to architecture as it captures one's attention by its sheer mass appeal. Even on close encounter the attention lingers owing to the delicate and almost ethereal carvings. Address: Mehrauli Delhi-Gurgaon  Road Timings: 6 am to 6 pm.

India Gate: 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 are inscribed on the walls of the arc of the gate. Late in 1971, an eternal flame was lit here in memory of the unknown soldiers who died in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. India Gate 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 colored lights.

Connaught Place: One of Delhi's most popular shopping centers built as early as 1931, there is nothing that one cannot buy here. There are several eating houses. The state emporia buildings are located in this area, as are the head offices of major banks and airlines. The complex popularly referred to as CP is a site no tourist should miss, if for nothing else then for its architecture and the humdrum of everyday life.

Janpath: is one of the busiest roads in New Delhi. Its one of the most popular shopping areas in Delhi. Tourists stop around this spot to shop for trinkets, handicrafts, clothes, jewellery etc.

Dilli Haat: This food and Crafts Bazaar, opposite INA Market in South Delhi, is a one stop shopping place for tourists, which not only offers various arts and handicrafts of India, but also a taste of the ethnic cuisine. Visitors can also witness the different performing arts of the country. There are food stalls and shops from almost all Indian states.

Purana Quila: In 1538, the Mughal emperor Humayun laid the foundations of his city named Dinpanah or the Refuge of the Faithful. The inner citadel of this city is today called Purana Qila or the Old Fort. Excavations near the eastern wall of the fort reveal that the site had been occupied since 1000 B.C. The Purana Qila has three gates - Humayun Darwaza, Talaqi Darwaza and Bara Darwaza. The present entrance is the Bara Darwaza, an imposing red sandstone gate on the western wall. Inside the Purana Qila is the Sher Mandal, a two-storeyed octagonal pavilion in red sandstone, built by Sher Shah. Humayun used it as a library after he captured the fort.

Timings: 6 am to 6 pm
Tickets: Available at the site and Delhi Tourism offices.

Rashtrapati Bhavan: This house is the residence of the President of India and boasts of having welcomed the most powerful men in history. The Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed by Edwin Lutyens and built in 1931 to be the central point of the British power in Delhi. Originally called the Viceroys House the Rastrapati Bhavan covers an area of 4.5 acres of land. It has 340 rooms, 37 salons, 74 lobbies and loggias, 18 staircases and 37 fountains. 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: 8:30am
November-March: 10:35 am

Lodi Gardens: In these well maintained gardens are the domed tombs of Sayyed and Lodi rulers. This garden is known for its fountains, ponds, flowering trees, blossoming shrubs and artificial streams. In the middle of the garden is Bara Gumbad (Big Dome), a mosque built in 1494. The garden has Sheesh Gumbad (Glass Dome) Mohammad Shah's Tomb and Sikander Lodi's tomb. These tombs boast of excellent architecture and this style was later used in the construction of Taj Mahal. These gardens are ideal for joggers and for those who seek solitude.

PLACES AROUND NEW DELHI WORTH VISITING

AGRA The zenith of art and enshrined romance. It is a town that lives mainly in the past. Once the seat of the Mughal rulers. Their passion for building endowed it with some of the loveliest buildings in the world - the Taj Mahal a poem in white marble which took 22 years to build by 20,000 skilled artisans who inlaid the white marble edifice with precious and semi precious stones. The Agra Fort from

where one can get the most moving view of the Taj from the little octagonal tower in the Agra Fort which lies across the river Yamuna (Distance from Delhi to Agra 200 Km.)

JAIPUR

The colorful and vibrant capital of State of Rajasthan is popularly known as 'Pink City' because of the pink colored buildings in its old city. It sits on a dry lakebed in a somewhat arid landscape, surrounded by barren hills surmounted by forts and crenellated walls. The city owes its name, foundation and careful planning to the great warrior astronomer Maharaja Jai Singh II (1693-1727, with Mughal power on the wane, Jai Singh moved down from his hillside fort at nearby Amber to a new site on the plains. He laid out the city with its surrounding walls and rectangular blocks according to principles set down in the Shilpa Shastra an ancient Hindu treatise on architecture. It is one of India's most well planned cities with wide straight avenues, roads, streets and lanes in a grid system. (Distance from Delhi to Jaipur 280 Kms.)

RANTHAMBORE

Nestling at the foot of the Arawali Hills, 10 Km from the town of Sawai Madhopur, Ranthambore National Park is one of the prime examples of Project Tiger's conservation efforts. Though Sawai Madhopur is an important town with its own historicity, but it is Ranthambhore, which is known the world over. Ranthambore blends history of "Rajput valour with scenic natural beauty and is an ideal getaway for an adventurous holiday. Ranthambore is one of the best wildlife sanctuaries of India, which has successfully implemented the Tiger Conservation Project. It has large number of Tigers, Sambhar, Deer Leopard & other wildlife that you can observe from specially designed 'Hides' (Distance from Delhi to Ranthambore 470 Kms.)

SARISKA

Sariska Tiger sanctuary was brought under wild life conservation project in 1979. Other than Tigers, Leopard, Sambhar, Nilgai, Wild Dogs and Chinkara (Spotted Deer) can be seen. (Distance from Delhi to Sariska 140 Kms.)

Picturesque hill stations which you can visit: Rishikesh, Haridwar, Simla, Manali, Nainital, Mussourie.

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