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Delhi, the capital of India and the second largest
metropolis in India with a population of thirteen million is a beautiful blend
of the ancient culture and modern technology. Etymology of the name "Delhi" is
still debatable because the most common view is that Delhi is an eponym
"Dhillu", the name of a king who ruled this area while some historians believe
that the word Dilli is a concoction of the word Dehali which in Hindi language
means threshold as Delhi is located at the threshold of Indo-Gangetic Plain
(starting of India proper). Delhi, standing proud on the banks of the river
Yamuna, unwinds a picture rich with history, culture, monuments, architecture,
museums, galleries, gardens and human diversity.
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Qutab Minar, an
Indo-Islamic architectural wonder of India, is the highest two hundred and
thirty nine feet sandstone tower in India. There are a lot of controversial
theories regarding the origin of Qutab Minar as per which it was probably a
tower of victory or a tower attached to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque built for the
priest to climb up top for prayers or an observatory of the great scientist of
ancient India Aryabhatta because there is an ancient non-rusting iron pillar
within the Qutab Minar Complex. The foundation of Qutab Minar was laid in the
year 1199 A.D. by King Qutubuddin Aibak to proclaim the victory of Islam over
the last Hindu Kingdom in Delhi. Second, third and the fourth storeys were
completed by his successor and son-in -law, Illtutmish in 1230 A.D. Qutab Minar
was first struck by lightening in 1368 A.D. and the fallen top storey was
replaced by two more storeys in 1370 A.D. by Feroz Shah Tughlaq. The result of
this combined effort is an interesting mix in styles where the first three
storeys are made of red sandstone and are heavily indented with different styles
of fluting while the fourth and fifth floors are made of marble and sandstone.
Qutab Minar has a diameter of 14.32m at the base and 2.75m at the top. Qutab
Minar has a door on the northern side leading to the spiral stairway with three
hundred and seventy nine steps that wind up to the balconies in each floor that
have an interesting pattern with icicle-shaped pendentive type of brackets.
Qutab Minar had a crowning cupola at the top which was struck down by an
earthquake in 1803 A.D. and was replaced by a Bengal Style chhatri by an English
engineer Major Smith in the year 1829 A.D. The chhatri was quite an eyesore and
criticized for not being in compliance with the existing architecture hence was
removed by Viceroy Lord Harding in 1848 A.D. and is still known as Smith's
folly.
The Red Fort at Delhi also known as the Lal Quila, built by the
Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan around 1640 AD, is one of the most splendid work of
Mughal Architecture in India. The Red Fort lying along the river Yamuna was the
palace for Emperor Shah Jahan after he moved capital city of the Mughal Empire
from Agra to Delhi. The Red Fort has walls extending from two kilometers in
length and thirty three meters in height. Entry to the Red Fort is from the
Lahori Gate or the Chatta Chowk following which is the Meena Bazaar, selling an
excellent collection of handicrafts, miniature paintings, antiques, jewellery
and carpets. At the heart of the fort is the Naubat Khana or the Drum house
where the musicians used to play for the royalty. Following this is the huge
open space for the public known as the Diwan-i-Am and then a more private area
for the king and his council known as the Diwan-i-Khas. The other attractions
enclosed within this monument are the hammams or the Royal Baths, the Shahi
Burj, which used to be Shahjahan's private working area, and the Moti Masjid or
the Pearl Mosque, built by Aurangzeb for his personal use. The planning of the
palace is based on Islamic prototypes shown by a couplet inscribed in the palace
which reads, "If there be a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here", but each
pavilion reveals the Hindu influences typical of Mughal buildings in its
architecture. Till date the Red Fort, an eloquent reminder of the glory of the
Mughal era, is one of the most popular tourist destinations whose magnificence
leaves one awestruck. Sound and light shows or son et lumiere as it is better
known, highlights particular phases of history and transports the viewers to
another realm of existence. The shows are in Hindi and English with tickets
costing Rs. 20, available at the Red Fort. The shows in English are at 7.30 p.m.
from November to January, at 8.30 p.m. from January to April and September to
October and at 9.00 p.m. from May to August. 
Humayun's
tomb, built in 1570, by Hamida Banu Begum - Humayun's widow was the first
garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent which inspired many later Mughal tombs
like Taj Mahal. Humayun's Tomb is a complex of buildings which encompass the
main tomb of the Emperor Humayun and is built in a Char Bagh Garden style. The
structure is built with red sandstone, but white and black marble has been used
to break the monotony, the latter largely in the borders. In 1857, the tomb was
used as shelter by Bahadur Shah Zafar and his three princes during the first war
of Independence. Nila-Gumbad is an impressive tomb of plastered stone covered
with a dome of blue tiles outside the Humayun's tomb enclosure which is
octagonal externally but square within and its ceiling is profusely decorated
with painted and incised plaster. Within the compound of Humayun's tomb to its
southeast is the Babur's tomb which is an impressive square tomb with a
double-dome.
The Jantar Mantar at Delhi was built by Raja Jai Singh
II in 1724 AD as an observatory consisting of mason-built astronomical
instruments to chart the course of the heavens. Maharaja Jai Singh was a scholar
and had an keen interest in astrology and astronomy which inspired him to build
observatories in Jaipur, Mathura, Varanasi and Ujjain, other than the first one
in Delhi. The yantras or instruments used for astronomical calculations have
evocative names like samrat yantra, jai prakash, ram yantra and niyati charka
and are built of brick rubble plastered with lime. Jantar Mantar is not only a
timekeeper of celestial bodies but also an indicator of the technological
achievements under the Rajput kings and their attempt to resolve the mysteries
regarding astronomy. 
India Gate, a forty two meters high majestic arch
designed by Lutyens in 1921, was built as a memorial to the 70,000 Indian
soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War. Another memorial, Amar
Jawan Jyoti was added post independence in the form of a flame that burns day
and night under the arch to remind the nation of soldiers who laid down their
lives in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971. The base of the arch provides
an excellent view of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The entire arch stands on a low
base of red Bharatpur stone and rises in stages to a huge molding, beneath,
which are inscribed Imperial sons. Surrounding this imposing structure is a
large expanse of lush green lawns, a boat club and a children's park which is a
popular picnic spot and comes alive on summer evenings. 
Rajghat, a memorial to BAPU (Mahatama Gandhi), is a simple
square black stone platform that marks the spot of his cremation on 31st January
1948 lies on the banks of river Yamuna in Delhi, India. It is open to the sky
with his last words "Hey Ram" inscribed on it and an eternal flame "Amar Jyoti"
burning at its one end. It has become customary for foreign dignitaries visiting
India to pay their respects to The Father of the Nation - Gandhiji at the Raj
Ghat by laying flowers or wreaths on the platform. As a sign of respect,
visitors are required to remove footwear before approaching the memorial. A
commemorative ceremony is held here every Friday to mark the day Gandhiji died.
Several other samadhis or cremation spots of other famous leaders can be found
in the vicinity of Raj Ghat on the banks of the river Yamuna. Pt.Jawaharlal
Nehru's samadhi is Known as Shanti Van meaning the forest of peace is to the
north of Rajgat. Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, who led India in
the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 was cremated at Vijay Ghat "Platform of
Victory".The only lady Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi's memorial is
depicted with a huge greyish-red monolithic stone signifying the place of power
called Shakti Sthal. The leader of the "harijans" or the lower subdued class
Jagjivan Ram's memorial is reffered as the place of Equality "Samta Sthal".
Beloved leader of the farmers Choudhary Charan Singh was cremated at Kisan Ghat
meaning the Farmer's platform. The samadhi of the president of India - Giani
Zail Singh is called Ekta Sthal meaning the place of Unity. Last but not the
least, the youngest and most charismatic prime minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi's
memorial is called Veer Bhumi i.e. the Land of Brave and is marked by a large
lotus in full bloom carved out of stone surrounded by 46 small lotuses,
signifying the years he lived, and the rocks from all the states of India are
spread around it.
Safdarjung Tomb, also described as the last flicker in the lamp
of Mughal architecture, was built in 1753 as the last enclosed garden tomb in
Delhi in the tradition of Humayun's Tomb as a mousoleum of Safdarjung - the
governor of Awadh under the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. The Safdarjung tomb is
made on the scaled down plans of Humayun's Tomb and the complex comprises of the
mousoleum, the courtyard, a mousque and several beautiful pavilions known as
"Moti Mahal" or the pearl palace, "Jangli Mahal" or the sylvan palace and
"Badshah Pasand" or the emperor's favorite. 
Bahai Temple, commonly known as the Lotus Temple- an
architectural marvel of Bahai faith, has etched itself on the consciousness of
the city's inhabitants, capturing their imagination, fuelling their curiosity,
and revolutionizing the concept of worship. As an evocative symbol of beauty and
purity, representative of divinity, the lotus flower remains unsurpassed in
Indian iconography. Rising up pure and unsullied from stagnant water, the lotus
represents the manifestation of God. The architect used this ancient Indian
symbol to create a design of ethereal beauty and apparent simplicity, belying
the complex geometry underlying its execution in concrete form. Lotus temple
embodies the spiritual aspirations and beliefs of Bahai religion of oneness of
God, Mankind and religion with the absence of idols in the temple and eloquently
silent divine atmosphere. 
The imposing
Akshardham Temple and cultural complex, spread over hundred acres of land on the
banks of Yamuna river, is a magnificent work of architecture which used twelve
thousand tones of white marble and sand stones. Akshardham is a concentrated
effort of over eleven thousand craftsmen, three hundred million man hours and a
whopping rupees two hundred crores. The main monument stands at 141 feet high,
316 feet broad, 370 feet long, 239 ornately curved pillars and 9 domes with not
an inch of steel used in its construction. Akshardham Temple has an 11 foot high
gold plated idol of Swaminarayan. Akshardham Temple has carvings of over twenty
thousand idols of disciples on the inside and outside walls, 869 peacocks and
149 full sized elephants. The campus also has a 12 min boat ride to make visitor
sail through the vast magnitude of Indian culture, models of Ajanta and Ellora
caves and thematic settings of India's glorious past brought to life through
dummy depictions. | Contact Us : Sharmila + 91-9891308722 / Gautam + 91-9911545429 Email : mailto:info@travel-help-india.com |
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