Travel
India, the land offering diverse travel opportunities, ranging from
travelling through the
Himalayas to the
Kanyakumari. Taj Mahal,
Khajuraho and
Kerala Backwaters are some favourite rendezvous
for travelling in India.
Delhi is no fairytale city but a city
where dreams come to reality. Its strategic location was one of the prime
reasons why successive dynasties chose it as their seat of power.
Delhi
is truly a symbol of the old and the new, a blend of ancient well preserved
monuments and temples along with jam-packed burger joints and
upmarket shopping malls.
The city is lushed with a plethora of
temples, forts, mosques as well as parks, gardens and beautiful colonial
mansions. Delhi may seem daunting to a first time visitor but as a
national capital and the gateway to the North, it is a must visit city on
any travelers itinerary. Impressive museums and interesting nightlife, Delhi
has a lot to offer for everyone.
History of DelhiOne
of the most fascinating aspects of Delhi is the "visibility" of
its historic past. Were it not for the demands of urbanization, large
portions of the city could well be earmarked as archaeological parks. This
is because the rulers of successive dynasties between the 13th and the 17th
centuries established seven cities in different parts of Delhi. A
chronological review of these cities fortunately also serves as a suitable
itinerary for tourists and highlights the important monuments amongst the
1300 officially listed.
Delhi's
history goes much further back in time than the 13th century. In 1955,
excavations at the Purana Qila revealed that the site was inhabited 3000
years ago. Ware pottery known as Painted Gray Ware and dated to 1000 BC
confirmed this as being yet another site associated with the epic
Mahabharata. The excavations also cut through houses and streets of the
Sultanate, Rajput, post-Gupta, Gupta, Saka-Kushan and Sunga periods,
reaching down to the Mauryan era (300 BC), thus revealing almost continuous
habitaion. The association of Emperor Ashoka (273-36 BC) with Delhi has come
to light with the discovery of a Minor Rock Edict in the locality known as
Srinivaspuri.
 Major
Attractions of Delhi |
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Red
Fort : Red Fort is one of the most magnificent palaces in the world.
India's history is also closely linked with this fort. It was frorth here ht
the British deposed the last Mughal ruler, Bhadur Shah Zafar, marking the
end of the three century long Mughal rule. It was also fromits ramparts that
the first prime. Minister of India, pandit Jawharlal Nehru, announced to the
nation that India was free form colonial rule.
The Diwani-I-Am is
the Red Fort's hall of public audience. Built of sandstone covered with
shell plaster polished to look like ivory, the 80 x 40 feet hall is
sub-divided by columns. The Mughal emperors would hold court here and meet
dignitaries and foreign emissaries. The most imposing feature of the
Diwqani-I-Am is the alcove in the back wall where the emperor sat in state
on a richly carved and inlaid marble platform. In the recess behind the
platform are fine examples of Italian pietra-dura work.
Residence
of the senior queens, the Rang Mahal (hall of colours ) has a central hall
surrounded by six apartments. The apartments are assured privacy by
intricately carved screens which do not hinder the free flow of fresh air
and light. The stream of paradise flows through the main hall, and is marked
in the centre by a huge lotus shaped marble basin with an ivory fountain.
Qutub Minar : Soaring high above the Quwwatual
Islam mosque is the tower Sultan Qutbuddin Aibak built in AD 1196 to
celebrate the invincibility of Islam. Although modelled as a classical
minaror tower from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayers, the Qutb
Minar was a symbolic rather than a functional structure. It would be an
extraordinary muezzin who would expect to be heard from a height of 72.5
meters - assuming, in the first place, that he managed to trudge up the 379
steps five times, each day.
Qutab Minar points up to heaven on the
southern side of the city. It was built in the 12th century, and it still
towers high above its surroundings. When the cab driver drops you off at the
gate, you are directly approached by several persons trying to sell you
anything from postcards to a nice embrace with an enormous snake. As you
escape them, and after paying the entrance fee, you enter the area that
houses the Qutab Minar.
Not only that, it is also to several
buildings, although most of them are in ruins now. You can see the first
mosque of India, right at the feet of the Qutab Minar. It was built using
building material from Hindu temples. Although many parts of the mosque are
missing or in bad shape, you can still see marvellously sculpted ceilings,
columns, and capitals. In the central square, there is an iron pillar,
unfortunately closed by a low fence. Unfortunately because, as was the
tradition, anyone who could encircle the iron pillar with his arms, while
standing with his back to it, would have his wishes fulfilled.
India
Gate : Built as a memorial to commemorate the 70,000 India soldiers
killed in World War I, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and
completed in 1931. Located on Rajpath, the road which leads to the
magnificent Rashtrapati Bhawan, the gate is 160 feet high with an arch of
138 feet.
Built from sandstone, the arch also houses the Eternal
Flame, a gesture in memory of the Indian soldiers who laid their lives in
the 1971 war with Pakistan.
| How
to Get there |
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Air : Delhi is well connected by air with
many airlines flying into and out of Delhi. There are two airports, the
Safdarjang airport and the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The Indira
Gandhi International Airport is located some 23-kms away from the city
center
Rail : Delhi is very well connected by
rail to all parts of India. Delhi currently has five railway stations. The
main office for making train reservations is located between the New Delhi
Station and Connaught Place on Chelmsford Road.
Road
: Delhi is Linked with Bus Services of Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC)
and state roadways of the neighbouring states to all important cities and
destinations in North India. The Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) located at
Kashmiri Gate is fully equipped with a bank counter, tourist information
center, post office and snack bars
Destinations
