DELHI (Capital Of India)

Delhi (India’s Capital Territory)

About:-

Delhi, the capital of India has a strong historical background. It was ruled by some of the most powerful emperors in Indian history.

The history of the city is as old as the epic Mahabharata. The town was known as Indraprastha, where Pandavas used to live.

Delhi has been a witness to the political turmoil for over five centuries. It was ruled by the Mughals in succession to Khiljis and Tughlaqs.

India Gate In 1192 the legions of the Afghan warrior Muhammad of Ghori captured the Rajput town, and the Delhi Sultanate was established (1206). The invasion of Delhi by Timur in 1398 put an end to the sultanate; the Lodis, last of the Delhi sultans, gave way to Babur, who, after the battle of Panipat in 1526, founded the Mughal Empire. The early Mughal emperors favoured Agra as their capital, and Delhi became their permanent seat only after Shah Jahan built (1638) the walls of Old Delhi.

In the year 1803 AD, the city came under the British rule. In 1911, British shifted their capital from Calcutta to Delhi. It again became the center of all the governing activities. But, the city has the reputation of over throwing the occupants of its throne. It included the British and the current political parties that have had the honour of leading free India.

After independence in 1947, New Delhi was officially declared as the Capital of India.

ATTRACTIONS & PLACES TO VISIT AND EXPLORE IN DELHI

Akshardham Temple:-

Akshardham or Swaminarayan Akshardham complex is a Hindu mandir, and a spiritual-cultural campus in New Delhi, India. Also referred to as Akshardham Temple or Swaminarayan Akshardham, the complex displays millennia of traditional Hindu and Indian culture, spirituality, and architecture.

'Akshardham' means the divine abode of God. It is hailed as an eternal place of devotion, purity and peace. Swaminarayan Akshardham at New Delhi is a Mandir – an abode of God, a Hindu house of worship, and a spiritual and cultural campus dedicated to devotion, learning and harmony. Timeless Hindu spiritual messages, vibrant devotional traditions and ancient architecture all are echoed in its art and architecture.The mandir is a humble tribute to Bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781- 1830), the avatars, devas and great sages of Hinduism.

The Akshardham mandir has over two hundred murtis, representing many of the spiritual stalwarts over many millennia.

Lotus Temple:-

The Lotus Temple, located in Delhi, India, is a Bahá'í House of Worship completed in 1986. Notable for its flowerlike shape, it has become a prominent attraction in the city. Like all Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification. 
The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine doors opening onto a central hall with height of slightly over 40 metres  and a capacity of 2,500 people.

Birla Mandir:-

Laxmi Narayan Temple, also known as Birla Mandir, is one of Delhi's major temples and a major tourist attraction. Built by the industrialst Sh. J.K. Birla in 1939, this beautiful temple is located in the west of Connaught Place.

India Gate:-

At the centre of New Delhi stands the 42 m high India Gate, an "Arc-de-Triomphe" like archway in the middle of a crossroad. Almost similar to its French counterpart, it commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers.

The foundation stone of India Gate was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and it was designed by Edwin Lutyens. The monument was dedicated to the nation 10 years later by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti was added much later, after India got its independence.

 India Gate stands at one end of Rajpath, and the area surrounding it is generally referred to as 'India Gate'. Surrounding the imposing structure is a large expanse of lush green lawns, which is a popular picnic spot.

Iskcon Temple:-

The ISKCON temple, also popular as Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir, is devoted to the worship of Lord Krishna and Radharani. The temple houses the idols of Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi, Sita Rama Laxman Hanuman and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai.

The temple is located in the East Kailash region of the capital on the hilltop of Hare Krishna Hills. The temple has been an outcome of the popular 'Hare Krishna' movement. It was constructed in 1993 by Achyut Kanvinde.

The temple is a significant structure, with 90-foot-high 'shikharas'. The walls of the temple have been decorated with the works of artists from Russia. The paintings portray different scenes from the lives of deities like Lord Krishan and Radha, and Lord Ram and Sita.

Jama Masjid:-

Shah Jahan’s last architectural extravagance, the Jama Masjid towers over Old Delhi and is India’s largest mosque. Commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1650 the mosque took six years to be constructed and was completed in 1656. The massive courtyard of the Jama Masjid can hold up to twenty five thousand worshippers and houses many interesting relics, including an ancient copy of the Quran inscribed on deer skin.

The Jama Masjid is flanked by slim red and white minarets on all four sides which reach high into the sky. In the north east corner of the mosque is a small shrine which houses relics of Prophet Muhammad, such as a red hair from his beard, his sandals and his footprint imprinted on a marble slab.

Jantar Mantar:-

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

The primary purpose of the observatory was to compile astronomical tables, and to predict the times and movements of the sun, moon and planets. Some of these purposes nowadays would be classified as astronomy.

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. 
On either side of the triangle is a quadrant with graduations indicating hours, minutes, and seconds. At the time of the Samrat Yantra's construction, sundials already existed, but the Samrat Yantra turned the basic sundial into a precision tool for measuring declination and other related coordinates of various heavenly bodies.

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. The Mishra yantras were able to indicate when it was noon in various cities all over the world and was the only structure in the observatory not invented by Jai Singh II.

Parliament House:-

The Sansad Bhawan (Parliament Building) is the house of the Parliament of India, located in New Delhi.

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 shape is circular, which is based on the Ashoka Chakra. Separate halls were constructed for the sessions of the Chamber of Princes, the State Council, and the Central Legislative Assembly. Members of parliament The building is surrounded by large gardens.

Purana Quila:-

Purana Qila  is one of the oldest forts in Delhi. Its current form was built by Sher Shah Suri, the founder of the Sur Empire. Sher Shah raised the citadel of Purana Qila with an extensive city-area sprawling around it. It is believed that the Purana Qila was still incomplete at Sher Shah's death in 1545, and was perhaps completed by his son Islam Shah , although it is not certain which parts were built by whom.

Qutab Minar:-

Qutab Minar is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom. The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony and tapers from a 15 m diameter at the base to just 2.5 m at the top. The first three storeys are made of red sandstone; the fourth and fifth storeys are of marble and sandstone. 
At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India. An inscription over its eastern gate provocatively informs that it was built with material obtained from demolishing '27 Hindu temples'. A 7 m-high iron pillar stands in the courtyard of the mosque. It is said that if you can encircle it with your hands while standing with your back to it your wish will be fulfilled.

Rashtrapathi Bhavan:-

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 2 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.

Red Fort:-

The Red sandstone walls of the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila) rise 33-m above the clamour of Old Delhi as a reminder of the magnificent power and pomp of the Mughal emperors. The walls, built in 1638, were designed to keep out invaders, now they mainly keep out the noise and confusion of the city.

The main gate, Lahore Gate, is one of the emotional and symbolic focal points of the modern Indian nation and attracts a major crowd on each Independence Day.

Inside is a veritable treasure trove of buildings, including the Drum House, the Hall of Public Audiences, the white marble Hall of Private Audiences, the Pearl Mosque, Royal Baths and Palace of Color.

An evening sound and light show re-creates events in India's history connected with the fort.

HOW TO REACH DELHI:-

By Air:

Delhi is well connected with domestic and international flights, to all the major cities within and outside India. Almost all the major airlines have their flights operating from Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi. Domestic Airport connects Delhi to the major cities in India.

By Train:

The railway network connects Delhi to the all major and, nearly, all the minor destinations in India. The three important railway stations of Delhi are New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station.

By Road:

Delhi is well connected, by a network of roads and national highways, with all the major cities in India. The three major bus stands in Delhi are Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale-Khan Bus Terminus and Anand Vihar Bus Terminus. Both the government and private transport providers provide frequent bus services. One can also get government as well as private taxis here.

ENTERTAINMENT:-

Museums in New Delhi

Following Museums in Delhi:-

Gandhi Smriti                                                             National Gandhi Museum

Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum                              National Rail Museum

National Museum                                                       National Gallery of Modern Art

Jantar Mantar                                                              Crafts Museum

Shankar's International Dolls Museum                       National Science Centre

Indian Air Force Museum                                           Sulabh International Museum of Toilets

Delhi Metro Museum                                                  Nehru Memorial Museum

Sanskriti Museum of Everyday Art

PARKS IN DELHI

Following parks in Delhi:-

Asola Wildlife Sanctuary                                            Badhkal Lake

Buddha Jayanti Park                                                   Central Park

Deer Park                                                                    Garden of Five Senses

Humayun's Tomb Park                                                India Gate Lawns

Japanese Park, Rohini                                                 Jahanpanah City Forest

Kalindi Kunj                                                                Kalkaji District Park

Lodhi Garden                                                               Mughal Garden

Millennium Park                                                          Nehru Park

Roshanara Bagh                                                          Suraj Kund

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary                                            Tal Katora Gardens

Zoological Garden

MOVIE THEATRES:-

Following Movie Theatres in Delhi:-

3 C's (Lajpat Nagar)                                                    Ajanta (Subhash Ngr)

Alpana (Model Town, The Mall)                                Big Cinemas: Odeon (Connaught Place)

Delite (Asaf Ali Road)                                                DT City Centre (Shalimar Bagh)

DT Star Cinemas (Saket)                                            DT Star Cinemas (Vasant Kunj)

Eros (Jungpura Extension)                                          Eros One (Jangpura Extn.)

Filmistan (Model Basti)                                              Fun Cinemas (Pitampura,

Laxmi Nagar, Moti Nagar and Karkardooma)            G3S Cinema (Rohini)

Glitz Cinemas (New Friends Colony)                         Golcha Cinema (Darya Ganj)

Liberty Cinema (New Rohtak Road)                           M2K (Pitampura and Rohini)

Milan (New Moti Ngr)                                                Movietime (Pitampura)

Movietime (Raja Garden)                                           Natraj Cinema (Moti Nagar)

Novelty (Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg)               Payal(Naraina)

Plaza (Connaught Place,)                                            PVR Anupam (Saket)

PVR EDM (East Delhi Mall)                                      Rachna (Rajendra Place)

ACCOMMODATION IN DELHI

Following Luxury Hotels In Delhi:-

Taj Ambassador

The Ashok

Qutub Residency

The Royal Plaza,   Ashok Road Ph: 43555555

The Lalit,   Barakhamba Road Ph: 23411001

The Leela Palace,   Chanakya Puri Ph: 39331234

Shangri –La,   Ashok Road Ph: 41191915

Park Inn,   I P Extension Ph: 66336000

Holiday Inn,   Mayur Vihar Ph: 41105555

Country Inn,   Sahibabad Ph: 0120-4180000

Kempinski Ambience,   Yamuna Sports Complex Ph: 49088888

J W Marriot,   Asset Area 4,Delhi Aerocity Ph: 45212121

The Lodhi,   Pragati Vihar Lodhi Road Ph:43633333

The Piccadilly,   Centre Complex, Janak Puri Dist. Centre Ph: 41234123

Ambassador,   Sujan Singh Park Phone: 24632600

Ashok,   50B Chanakyapuri Phone: 26110101

Ashok Country Resort,   Rajokari Road, Kapashera Phone: 25064590/99, 25063295

Centaur,   Indira Gandhi International Airport Phone: 25652223

Crowne Plaza Surya,   New Friends Colony Phone: 26835070

Diplomat,   9 Sardar Patel Marg Phone: 23010204

Hyatt Regency,    R.K.Puram New Delhi Phone: 26791234

Le Meridian ,   1 Windsor Place Janpath Phone: 23710101

Grand Inter-Continental,   Barakhamba Avenue Phone: 23411001

Imperial,    Janpath Phone:23341234, 23345678

Hyatt Regency Delhi,   Bhikaji Cama Place Phone: 26791234

Hans Plaza,   15 Barakhamba Road Phone: 23316868

Grand Hyatt,   Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant Kunj Phase II Phone: 26771234

Marriott Welcome Hotel,   District Centre, Saket Phone: 42661122

Maurya Sheraton & Towers,   Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave Phone: 26112233

Metropolitan-Hotel Nikko,   Bangla Sahib Road Phone: 42300200

Oberoi Maidens,   7 Sham Nath Marg Phone: 23975464

Park Royal Inter-Continental ,   Nehru Place Phone: 26223344

Qutab,   Shaheed Jeet Singh Marg Phone:26521010/1234

Radisson Delhi,   Sikanderpur, N.H. 8 Phone: 26779191

Samrat,   20B Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri Phone: 26110606

Siddharth,   3 Rajendra Place Phone: 25762501

Taj Mahal,   1 Mansingh Road Phone: 23026162

Taj Palace,   2 Sardar Patel Marg Phone: 26110202

The Claridges,   12 Aurangzeb Road Phone: 39555000

The Oberoi,   Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg Phone: 24363030

The Park,   15 Parliament Street Phone: 23743737

The Tivoli Garden Resort,   Chhattarpur Mandir Road Phone: 26301111

Uppal's Orchid,   N.H. 8, Near I.G.I. Airport Phone: 25061515

Vasant Continental,   Vasant Vihar Phone: 26148800