DELHI TOURISM

Delhi Tourism- TEASER

Sacred Heart Cathedral Church

This is amongst the oldest churches in New Delhi and is located in the centre of the city. Was built in the year 1930 .Sacred Heart is a Roman Catholic Cathedral designed by British architect Henry Medd. The church is peaceful and touches the soul with its holiness. Sacred Heart Cathedral is beautifully designed with white pillars that support the canopy and circular arcade turrets. The interior has a towering curved roof with polished stone floors.

Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mughal Garden

The Rashtrapati Bhavan, formerly known as Viceroy's House, is the official home of the President of India, located at the Western end of Rajpath in New Delhi, India. It may refer to only the mansion (the 340-room main building) that has the president's official residence, halls, guest rooms and offices; it may also refer to the entire 130-hectare (320 acre) President Estate that additionally includes huge presidential gardens (Mughal Gardens), large open spaces, residences of bodyguards and staff, stables, other offices and utilities within its perimeter walls. In terms of area, it is one of the largest residences of a head of state in the world.Rashtrapati Bhavan has many halls which are used for state functions and other purposes. Two of them, Durbar Hall and Ashoka Hall, are the most prominent

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Consisting of four floors and 340 rooms, with a floor area of 200,000 square feet (19,000 m), it was built using 700 million bricks and 3,000,000 cu ft (85,000 m) of stone with little steel.There were grilles made from red sandstone, called jalis or jaalis.

  

The completed Governor-General's palace turned out very similar to the original sketches which Lutyens sent Herbert Baker, from Simla, on 14 June 1912. Lutyens' design is grandly classical overall, with colours and details inspired by Indian architecture. Lutyens and Baker who had been assigned to work on Viceroy's House and the Secretariats, began on friendly terms. Baker had been assigned to work on the two secretariat buildings which were in front of Viceroy's House. 

  

The original plan was to have Viceroy's House on the top of Raisina Hill, with the secretariats lower down. It was later decided to build it 400 yards back, and put both buildings on top of the plateau. While Lutyens wanted Viceroy's House to be higher, he was forced to move it back from the intended position, which resulted in a dispute with Baker. After completion, Lutyens argued with Baker, because the view of the front of the building was obscured by the high angle of the road.

The  It has 16 square rose beds encased in low hedges. There is a red sandstone pergola in the centre over the central pavement which is covered with Rose creepers, Petrea, Bougainvillea and Grape Vines. The walls are covered with creepers like Jasmine, Rhyncospermum, Tecoma Grandiflora, Bignonia Vanista, Adenoclyma, Echitice, Parana Paniculata. Along the walls are planted the China Orange trees.

Around the circular garden there are rooms for the office of the horticulturist, a green house, stores, nursery etc. Here is housed the collection of Bonsais, one of the best in the country.

All the presidents who have stayed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan have taken a keen interest in the maintenance and upkeep of the Mughal Gardens. All have contributed in their own way. The underlying themes, however, have remained unaltered.Gardens are situated at the back of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, incorporate both Mughal and English landscaping styles and feature a great variety of flowers. The Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens are open to the public in February every year.Main garden: Two channels running North to South and two running East to West divide this garden into a grid of squares.There are six lotus shaped fountains at the crossings of these channels.

Connaught Place, New Delhi

The first known Indian to hoist the tricolour flag at Connaught Place is Padma Shri Mir Mushtaq Ahmad, the first Chief Executive Councillor of Delhi. Prior to independence, when Connaught Place was considered the heart of imperial British India, he would hoist the tricolour at the bandstand in Central Park each year on 26 January. On 7 March 2014, the largest known Indian national tricolour at that time (now second largest) was hoisted at the centre of Central Park, measuring 90 by 60 feet (27 by 18 m). The pole on which it is hoisted measures 207 feet.

Connaught Place's central park has long been a venue for cultural events. In 2005–06, it was rebuilt after the construction of the Delhi Metro station below it. That station, Rajiv Chowk, is the interchange for the Yellow and Blue lines of the Metro and one of the largest and busiest stations in the network. Connaught Place hosts various cultural events in the central park area.                              

Connaught Place is one of the largest financial, commercial and business centres in New Delhi, India. It is often abbreviated to CP and houses the headquarters of several noted Indian firms. The main commercial area of the new city, New Delhi, during the erstwhile British Raj, its environs occupy a place of pride in the city and are counted among the top heritage structures in New Delhi.

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A metro railway station built under it is named Rajiv Chowk.The area is instantly recognisable on any map of Delhi as a big circle in the middle with radial roads spreading out in all directions. Eight separate roads lead out from Connaught Places's inner circle, named Parliament Street and Radial Roads 1 through 7. Twelve different roads lead out from Connaught Circus, the outer ring.

Khan Market

                                                                                                          

Khan Market established in 1951 and named in honour of Khan Abdul Jabbar Khan (brother of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan), has been ranked as the costliest retail location in India. In 2010, it was rated as the world's 21st most expensive retail high street by real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield and is consistently ranked as one of the costliest high-end streets.
Khan Market is almost in the heart of the city, close to India Gate. It is surrounded by residential complexes — government owned and private — including Golf Links, Lodhi Estate, Shahjahan Road, Pandara Road. Its environs are home to a significant number of bureaucrats from the central government, and famous people like the satiric author Khushwant Singh. It is one of the greenest pockets of the city, very close to the famed Lodhi Gardens. Also in proximity are the India International Centre, the India Habitat Centre, offices of the World Wide Fund for Nature, and other organizations.Today it has grown to become one of the most expensive commercial real estate locations in the city. It has a wide variety of stores, including modern showrooms of most of well-known brands, like Nike, Puma, Reebok, Ogaan, Goodearth and others. Silver jewellery stores Amrapali, Safeera, Silverline, etc., delicatessens, bookstores, paints and hardware stores, electronics, kitchenware, and fabric stores mingle with some of the better restaurants.

Some of the stores and eating joints include FabIndia, Raj stores, Anokhi, Vera Moda, Zingrin, Sanjiv Mehra's Allied Stores, Cooptex, Allied Party Xpress, Aamayo, Route 04, The Kitchen, Market Cafe, Cafe Turtle, Albake, Big Chill Cafe, Cafe Zaffiro, Barista, McDonald's, Subway, Kriti Creations, and a general store, National Cloth House and Khadi Gramodyog. The cuisines available at the restaurants include American, Italian, Thai, Mexican, Continental, Malaysian, Burmese, Lebanese & Indian etc

Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, Lodi Garden

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Tomb of Sikandar Lodi is the tomb of the   second ruler of the Lodi Dynasty, Sikandar Lodi situated in New Delhi, India. The tomb is situated in Lodhi Gardens in Delhi and was built in 1517–1518 CE by his son Ibrahim Lodi. The monument is situated 100 meters away from the Bara Gumbad and the area in which it is situated was formally called village Khairpur.The Tomb of Sikandar Lodi was inspired in parts by the tomb of Muhammad Shah. It has octagonal design and the architectural style is Indo-Islamic. The tomb is the first garden tomb in Indian subcontinent and is India’s earliest surviving enclosed garden tomb.The Tomb of Sikandar Lodi is located in and is a part of the Lodhi Gardens in Delhi, India                                                       

Janpath Market

Janpath  translated People's Path, is one of the main roads in New Delhi. It starts out as Radial Road 1 in Connaught Place, adjacent to Palika Bazaar, . Originally called Queen's Way,  design of the Lutyens' Delhi, upon the inauguration of new capital of India in 1931. Janpath Market is one of the most famous markets for tourists (both Indian and foreign) in New Delhi. The market essentially is a long line of boutique stores selling products which are hard to find in the malls and multi-chain stores of the city. The long line of boutiques is a heaven for budget travellers and shoppers, buyers of handicrafts and garments, curio and numerous Indian-style fast-food places. The Janpath Market also has an abundance of walking vendors who sell trinkets, such as necklaces, chunky jewellery, jootis, handicraft items. drums, horns and postcards, particularly to foreigners, most of whom now know about the bargaining required.^[Most speak good English and are good at bartering. South of Rajpath is the National Museum, which will take half a day to wander through

..The Janpath market stretches around 1.5-km from the Outer Circle of Connaught Place to Windsor Place. Janpath Market is one of the most famous markets for tourists (both Indian and foreign) in New Delhi. The market essentially is a long line of boutique stores selling products which cannot be found in today's malls and showrooms of the city. It is also one of the oldest markets of New Delhi with establishment of some boutiques dating back to 1950. It is most popular for the exquisite Pashmina Shawl from Kashmir. Most markets in Delhi are known to carry duplicates however one can find the original quality here. Among other exquisite items are the Kashmiri wool shawls and scarves, Indian Kurtis and Churidars brass ornaments and artefacts, carpets and other gift items. The Indian Tourist Office is on the corner of Janpath and Connaught Lane, and good maps can be purchased there. Between Fire Lane and the Imperial Hotel, the Tibetan Market can be found which has a wide range of Himalayan arts and crafts

Jantar Mantar, New Delhi

Jantar Mantar is located in the modern city of New Delhi. It consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments. The site is one of five built by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, from 1723 onwards, as he was given by Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah the task of revising the calendar and astronomical tables. There is a plaque fixed on one of the structures in the Jantar Mantar observatory in New Delhi that was placed there in 1910 mistakenly dating the construction of the complex to the year 1710. Later research, though, suggests 1724 as the actual year of construction.

There are three instruments within the observatory of Jantar Mantar in New Delhi: the Samrat Yantra, the Jayaprakash, and the Misra Yantra.
Samrat Yantra: The Samrat Yantra, or Supreme Instrument, is a giant triangle that is basically an equal hour sundial. It is 70 feet high, 114 feet long at the base, and 10 feet thick. It has a 128-foot-long (39 m) hypotenuse that is parallel to the Earth's axis and points toward the North Pole.
Jayaprakash Yantra: The Jayaprakash consists of hollowed out hemispheres with markings on their concave surfaces. Crosswires were stretched between points on their rim. From inside the Ram, an observer could align the position of a star with various markings or a window's edge.
Misra Yantra: The Misra Yantra was designed as a tool to determine the shortest and longest days of the year. It could also be used to indicate the exact moment of noon in various cities and locations regardless of their distance from Delhi. 

Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place

Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, New Delhi, is an ancient Hindu temple and is claimed to be one of the five temples of Mahabharata days in Delhi. The temple, which has a self manifest idol of Hanuman, has an unusual feature fixed in the spire  in the form of a crescent moon  instead of the Hindu symbol of Aum or Sun that is commonly seen in most Hindu temples. This became particularly important during the Mughal period corroborating this extraordinary depiction
The idol in the temple, devotionally worshipped as “Sri Hanuman Ji Maharaj” (Great Lord Hanuman), is that of Bala Hanuman namely, Hanuman as a child.The temple is situated on the Baba Kharak Singh Road (old Irwin Road) about 250 m (820.2 ft) southwest of Connaught place in Central Delhi, which is the commercial hub of Delhi. Tuesday and Saturday are special days of worship when devotees congregate at the temple in large numbers. Hanuman Jayanti (birthday celebrations of lord Hanuman) is held every year with great fanfare on the full moon (Purnima) day in the month of Chaitra (March – April) as per established lunar Hindu Panchangam or Hindu calendar.Colourful processions with festoons and with devotees wearing Hanuman masks and tails and carrying large idols of Hanuman fill the streets. Commercial establishments within the temple complex sell religious offerings and bangles made of lac and plastic. It is also a popular place for women for Mehndi (temporary henna tattoos).

This temple is well connected by road as well as Delhi Metro. Shivaji stadium is the nearest bus stand and also has Airport Express Metro Line nearby and Rajeev Chowk is the nearest metro station

Hauz Khas Village

Hauz Khas Village is very different place in Delhi with lot of green area around the place, some heritage places, colorful birds around Royal Tank, a different sort of market full of art galleries, cafes & Restaurants etc. Spot-billed ducks in Royal Tank of Hauz Khas Village. There is a beautiful lake near Deer Park of Green Park, Delhi and lot of colorful birds can be seen around the lake. The Spot-billed Duck is also known as the Spotbill, is a dabbling duck which breeds in tropical and eastern Asia. It has three subspecies: the Indian Spot-billed Duck , Eastern Spot-billed Duck and Burmese Spot-billed Duck. Spot Billed duck is resident in the southern part of its range from Pakistan and India to southern Japan, but the northern subspecies, the Eastern Spot-billed Duck is migratory, wintering in Southeast Asia. It is quite gregarious outside the breeding season and forms small flocks.Hauz Khas village is a historic habitation around the region of the Hauz Khas Complex, dating to much before establishment of South delhi city. It existed as an urban village at the edge of larger Hauz Khas area, developed by DLF after the 1960s. The village area started getting modernized in mid-1980s when designer boutiques of fashion designer like Bina Ramani, started moving in.Then, in the late 1990s restaurants started coming up in the area, today it has around 40 restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes.

The success of Hauz Khas village has led to the development of Shahpur Jat and Lado Sarai as fashion and design markets and cafe's, restro & bar also in the South Delhi area.

House of Parliament

  The House of Parliament, it was designed by the British architect Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in 1912-1913 and construction began in 1921. The opening ceremony of the Parliament House, then called the Central Legislative Assembly, was performed on 18 January 1927 by Lord Irwin, the then Viceroy of India. The third session of Central Legislative Assembly was held in this house on 19 January 1927. The Central Hall of the Parliament is designed to be circular in shape. The dome is 91.50 ft. (29.87 metres) in diameter and is believed that it is one of the most magnificent domes in the world. The Central Hall is a place of historical importance in India for two reasons: The transfer of colonial power to the Provisional Government under Nehru in 1947 and the framing of the Constitution by the Constituent Assembly took place in this very hall. At present, the Central Hall is used for holding Joint Sittings of the two Houses. At the commencement of the first session after each General Election to Lok Sabha and at the commencement of the first session of each year, the President addresses both the Houses of Parliament assembled together in the Central Hall. When the Houses are in session, the Central Hall is used by Members for informal discussions among themselves. Central Hall is also used for special occasions when the Members of Parliament are addressed by distinguished Heads of States of other countries.The Parliament Museum, opened in 2006, stands next to the Parliament House.

India Gate

The India Gate, originally called All India War Memorial, is a war memorial located near the Rajpath. India Gate is a memorial to 82,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died in the period 1914–21 in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. 13,300 servicemen's names, including some soldiers and officers from the United Kingdom, are inscribed on the gate The India Gate, even though a war memorial, and the Gateway of India in Mumbai. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

In 1971, following the Bangladesh Liberation war, a small simple structure, consisting of a black marble plinth, with reversed rifle, capped by war helmet, bounded by four eternal flames, was built beneath the soaring Memorial Archway. This structure, called Amar Jawan Jyoti, or the Flame of the Immortal Soldier, since 1971 has served as India's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Amar Jawan Jyoti, or the flame of the immortal soldier, is a structure consisting of black marble plinth, with reversed L1A1 Self-loading rifle, capped by war helmet, bound by four urns, each with the permanent light (jyoti) from (CNG) flames, Amar Jawan Jyoti is manned round the clock by soldiers drawn from the three services of the Indian armed forces. Wreaths are placed at the Amar Jawan Jyoti on 26 January, by the Prime Minister of India, and Chiefs of Armed Forces; on Vijay Diwas, and on Infantry Day. Infantry Day, is the day Indian Infantry air landed at Srinagar on 27 October 1947 to stop and defeat the Pakistani mercenaries attack on Jammu and Kashmir. India Gate is a place to be visited with a bunch of friends / family. And the late night ice cream experience is amazing

Red Fort (Laal Quila)

Red Fort was the residence of Mughal Emperors for about two-hundred years. ! Red fort is not just a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also is a major iconic symbol of India. This is where the prime minister of India hoists the Indian flag in the occasion of Independence Day, every year. The fort exhibits the impeccability of Mughal architecture in every inch of the  Naubar Khana, Diwan-i-aam, Nahir-i-behisht, Rang Mahal, Khas Mahal are the most notable spots inside the fort.

Gurudwara Shish Ganj Sahib

Gurudwara Sis Shish Ganj Sahib is one of the oldest and historical Gurudwaras in Delhi. Located in Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, the Sis Ganj Gurudwara was first established in the year 1783 to remember the persecution site of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji. Gurudwara Sis Ganj drives it name from “sis” meaning head which connote the fact about the demises of Shri Tegh Bahadur. Sis Ganj sahib is among famous Sikh Gurudwaras and it is equally revered by the Hindus. However I have seen almost all religions here in a single day, either they are Sikhs or Hindus, or any other community, loved the humbleness and calmness of the holy place..

Laxminarayan Temple

The Laxminarayan Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Laxminarayan in Delhi and also known as the Birla Mandir. The temple is located on the Mandir Marg, west of Connaught Place. The temple is easily accessible from the city by local buses, taxis and auto-rickshaws. The Nearest Delhi Metro station is R. K. Ashram Marg, located about 2 km away. The temple is one of Delhi’s major temples and a major tourist attraction visited by numerous devotees and international tourists every year.

Gurudwara Banglasahib

This is a very symbolic worship place for the Sikhs; in fact, not just the Sikhs,but people other religions too. It Is Located in Cannaught Place. The Gurudwara is associated with Sikhs’ eighth gurus, Guru Har Krishan. The domes of the edifice are covered with gold and reflect in the adjacent pool, weaving a panorama worth hailing. The pool, also known as “Sarovar”, is bel ieved to have medicinal qualities and you can see people having a dip here to.

Introduction

Delhi is bustling; a million words would fall condensed. if we intend to correspond the vastness of what this city is comprised of. The city is the seat of Indian Government, mainstream media channels, India’s topmost universities, supermarket shopping scenario, deafening parties, toothsome foods and this list expands every blink of an eye here.
Delhi has two faces; New Delhi & Old Delhi. 

Delhi's culture has been influenced by its lengthy history and historic association as the capital of India. This is exemplified by many significant monuments in the city. Delhi is also identified as the location of Indraprastha, the ancient capital of the Pandavas. The Archaeological Survey of India recognises 1200 heritage buildingsand 175 monuments as national heritage sites. In the Old City, the Mughals and the Turkic rulers constructed several architecturally significant buildings, such as the Jama Masjid – India's largest mosque built in 1656 and the Red Fort. Three World Heritage Sites – the Red Fort, Qutab Minar and Humayun's Tomb – are located in Delhi. Other monuments include the India Gate, the Jantar Mantar . The Laxminarayan temple, gurudwara bangla sahib and gurudwara shish ganj sahib  are examples of modern architecture. Raj Ghat and associated memorials houses memorials of Mahatma Gandhi and other notable personalities. New Delhi houses several government buildings and official residences reminiscent of British colonial architecture, including the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Secretariat, Rajpath, the Parliament of India and Vijay Chowk. Safdarjung's Tomb is an example of the Mughal gardens style.

MY DELHI TOUR WILL TELL YOU ABOUT 15 PLACES :-

1. India Gate
2. Red Fort (Laal Quila)
3. Gurudwara Shish Ganj Sahib
4. Laxminarayan Temple
5. Sacred Heart Cathedral Church
6. Gurudwara Banglasahib
7. Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mughal Garden
8. Connaught Place, New Delhi
9. Khan Market
10. Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, Lodi Garden
11. Janpath Market
12. Jantar Mantar, New Delhi
13. Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place
14. Hauz Khas Village
15. House of Parliament