Heart of India with Delhi Sightseeing

Red Fort Delhi

A modern metropolitan city with a historic past is what surmises Delhi. The capital has seen the rise and fall of many empires. Delhi is truly a cosmopolitan city which brings together people of various ethnic groups and their traditions and cultures. Its rich culture is reflected in the variety of arts, crafts, cuisines, festivals and lifestyles. Tourism in Delhi state combines the modern and the traditional aspects; from traditional bazaars to mega malls, from historical monuments to modern architectural wonders Delhi has it all. To visit this cultural potpourri, I envisaged on a trip to Delhi, the imperial city.

My first encounter in Delhi sightseeing was with the mighty Qutub Minar: It is the highest tower in India in red and buff sandstone. Numerous inscriptions in Nagari and Arabic in different places reveal the Qutub history. At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat Ul Islam Mosque, the 1st in India built on the ruins of Hindu temples. A 7m high iron pillar stands in the courtyard of the mosque.

India Gate: This landmark in India commemorates the members of the India Army who sacrificed their lives in the war. Amar Jawan Jyoti is the largest war memorials in India which is burning since 1971. It is a 5 storey tower and each is unique in its design. In the evening, the entire boulevard is lined with vehicles and people making it a leisurely spot.

Humayun’s Tomb: Is the 1st distinct example of Mughal style and the 1st garden tomb in India. The tomb is constructed in typical char bagh style.

Delhi Humayun Tomb

Lotus Temple- Known as the Baha I House of worship, it is a prominent attraction due to its lotus shape with 27 petals and 9 pools surrounding it. The massive hall offers for a peaceful prayer hall where one can sit and meditate in silence. One is required to remove their shoes before entering the hall and observe silence.

Red Fort - Is known as Lal Qila because of the extensive use of red sandstone; it is located near the river Yamuna. The major highlight is the massive 2 km long wall. Every evening, there is a display of history through the light and sound show. Every year on 15th August, the prime minister addresses to the nation from here. In 2007, it was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Discovering the mystical Delhi with Delhi tourism

I have always been fascinated reading and hearing about Delhi. So, I along with my family took a Delhi tour in November. Knowing about the extreme climatic conditions of Delhi, we went in November. We hired a cab at an affordable rate for our travel to Delhi.

Rang Mahal Fountain

We kicked off our Delhi tourism with the Red Fort in Old Delhi. On the first look itself from the entrance gate, this majestic monument captivated me. I was so excited to discover what’s in store. The Chhatta Chowk aka Meena Baazar on the entrance pavement took me to the time of Mughal era. I started imagining how this small market would be then. Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, this fort made of red sandstone has many attractive spots inside. Rang Mahal or the Palace of Colours with marble pool is strikingly beautiful. The lavishly decorated private audience hall, Diwan-e-Khas and Diwan-e-am, the public hall are magnificently constructed.

From the Red Fort, we went to Jama Masjid, which is just the opposite of this fort. It is the largest mosque in India. Jama Masjid reflects a blend of Hindu and Mughal architectural styles. Constructed with red sandstone and white marble, the mosque has three gateways, four towers and two minarets.

After Jama Masjid, we went to the very famous bustling bazaar, Chandni Chowk. I heard a lot about this well-known parathe lane called Paranthe wali Gali and so was really keen to visit. And my god! There are endless eating joints selling varieties of parathas. We savoured paneer parathe, kaju, matar, badam paratha. We also purchased sarees with zari work, jewellery, shoes and some other stuff from Chandni Chowk.

Akshardham Temple Delhi

Our Delhi India tour package took us to some other great monuments of Mughal era like Humayun's Tomb, Safdarjung Tomb, Purana Quila, Qutub Minar, the tallest brick minaret in the world and Jantar Mantar, the astronomical observatory built by Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur.

The next day we had planned to capture other tourist attractions of Delhi. We started off with Akshardham Temple. This huge temple complex located near the Nizamuddin Bridge is dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan. We spent more than 3 hours exploring the magnificence of this temple. From there on, our Delhi tour guide took us to Lotus Temple. This modern architecture in the shape of a lotus flower is a famous prayer hall of the Bahai faith. After that, we headed straight to India Gate, Parliament House and President House.

Knowing that Delhi is a shopper's delight, we went for shopping and picked up lots of things from Connought Place, Sarojini Nagar and Lajpat Nagar at affordable rates.

Our three-day Delhi tour was short but we managed to cover all the major attractions of Delhi. It was a memorable trip for all of us.