 |
 Delhi
Tourism In the six decades
since the creation of New Delhi as the capital of British India, the
city has undergone a sea change. Made in initially to cater to a
population of 70,000, the total urban population of Delhi now exceeds 10
million. The city has exploded in all directions beyond the confines of
Lutyen's wide, tree-lined avenues, with an exuberance that is
characteristically Indian.
 Several
factors have contributed to this breathless pace of growth. For North
India, especially, Independence also meant Partition. In 1947, many
Muslim families of Delhi migrated to Pakistan while many Hindus and
Sikhs from west Punjab sought refuge in the city. They were given land
west of the Ridge and south of New Delhi. Many of these refugees also
built their houses across the Yamuna and north of Shahijahanabad. Since
then, the influx into the city has not ceased. The manpower required by
the government in the capital is itself staggering. Industrialists,
entrepreneurs and migrant labor from all over India have turned to Delhi
in search of livelihood and success, and made it a commercial capital as
well. The cultivated fields which till recently could be seen on the
outskirts of the city have been developed into residential colonies and
commercial complexes. High-rise buildings now stand check-by-jowl with
Delhi's 1300 monuments. Villages such as Khirkee, Begumpur, Hauz Khas,
Sheikh Sarai and Nizamuddin, which grew around medieval Delhi's,
shifting capital "cities", have now been engulfed by the urban
sprawl. Many of them, however, retain their old-world characteristics.
The line of
distinction between Old and New Delhi has begun to blur north, south,
east and west Delhi are more prevalent terms of demarcation. The
facilities and opportunities available in Delhi have attracted Indians
from far-flung corners of the country, making it a melting pot of sorts.
On the other hand, the presence of diplomatic and trade missions, the
growing number of multi-national companies and foreign investors, and
the influx of tourists and visiting professionals have given the city,
especially its southern and central parts, a cosmopolitan air.
Delhi
is one of the most historic capitals in the world and two of its
monuments-the Qutb Minar and Humayun's Tomb-have been declared World
Heritage Sites. It is also one of the greenest capitals. For the
visitor, it serves as a perfect introduction to the cultural wealth, the
complexities and the dynamism of India which Jawaharlal Nehru likened to
"an ancient palimpsest' on which layer upon layer of thought and
reverie has been inscribed".
Delhi has some of the finest
museums in the country. Its boutiques and shopping arcades offer access
to a wealth of traditional and contemporary crafts from all over the
country. It has specialty restaurants to please the gourmet, the open
parks and gardens ablaze with flowers, and in the winter months
particularly, a variety of cultural events. Its many-layered existence
is tantalizing and can entice the curious traveler into a fascinating
journey of discovery.
Attractions
in Delhi
- India
Gate
At the center of New Delhi stands the 42m high
India Gate, an "Arc-de-Triomphe" like Archway in the
middle of a crossroad. Almost similar to its French counterpart war
memorial. It commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their
lives fighting for the British Army during the First World War and
bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers
killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919. The
foundation stone was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of
Connaught in 1921 and was designed by Edwin Lutyens.
- Qutab
Minar
Among all the monuments in Delhi, perhaps this
is the most famous. 15 kms south of Delhi, stands the soaring tower
of victory, the Qutab Minar. The buildings in this complex, date
from the onset of Muslim rule in India. The construction of the
tower began in the year 1193, immediately after the defeat of the
last Hindu Kingdom in Delhi. Qutb-ud-din may have started to build
this just as aparticularly large minar associated with the mosque
for calling people to prayer, or it may have been built as a victory
tower. It is nearly 73 meters high and tapers from a
15-meter-diameter base to just 2.5 meters at the top. The tower has
five distinct storeys, and each storey is marked by a projecting
balcony. The first three storeys are made or red sandstone, the
fourth and fifth of marble of sandstone.
- Red Fort / Lal Quila
The Red Fort with red sandstone
walls, popularly known as the Lal Quila extends for two kms and
varies in height from 18 metres on the river side to 33 metres on
the city side. Shah Jahan started construction of the massive fort
in 1638 and it was completed in 1648. He was deposed and imprisoned
in Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb, before he could move his capital
from Agra to Shahjahanabad in Delhi. Entry to the fort is Rs 0.50;
free on Friday.
- Lotus
Temple
Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi, it is
lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name. It is made of
marble, cement, dolomite and sand. It is open to all faiths and is
an ideal place for meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility.
- Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid or the Jami Masjid was built
by the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, between 1644 and 1658 and is the
final architectural piece built by him. Situated in the ancient town
of Old Delhi, this pride of the Mughals was built by five thousand
artisans. The mosque stands on Bho Jhala, which is one of the old
Mughal capital cities of Shahjahanbad. Originally called the
Masjid-i-Jahanuma, or "mosque commanding view of the world",
this magnificent structure is the largest and most exquisite mosque
in India and is made up of alternate vertical strips of red
sandstone and white marble.
- Jantar
Mantar
The fabled Connaught Place area created and
envisioned by the legendary architect, Lutyens, boasts of an
observatory of yore in the form of Jantar Mantar. According to the
rays of the Sun falling on it, it helped the people calculate to
some extent the time of the day. Jantra(yantra-meaning instrument)
and mantra-formula) was built in 1724 by Maharaja Jai Singh of
Jaipur, who later built observatories on the same lines in Jaipur,
Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura. According to historical records, the
Maharaja found the then existing astronomical instruments to record
totally accurate observations and so he decided that such bigger
structures should be constructed. The instruments at Jantar mantar
are fascinating for their novel approach, though as opf today, they
cannot be relied upon to give the kind of accuracy that they gave
then because of the growth of multistoreyed structures around it
which block the avenues of measurement. At one time the lawns in the
area were used as a spot for protestors who found it convenient to
reach Parliament House from there. But recently a host of them were
removed from there and the area restored to its pristine glory.
- Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
A magnificent and spacious
bungalow in Delhi owned by Raja Jai Singh Amber (Jaipur) who
commanded great respect and honour in the court of Mughal Emperor
Aurangzeb now enjoys the status of a holy shrine called Gurdwara
Bangla Sahib. The eighth Guru Sri Harkishan had stayed here for a
few months as guest of Raja Jai Singh. Since then it has become a
place of pilgrimage for both, Hindus and Sikhs. They pay their
respect to the memory of Guru Harkrishan, nominated as successor by
the seventh Guru, Sri Har Rai. He passed away on October 6, 1661
A.D. When only a little over five year old, he had been tried and
tested as a perfect fearless and fully illuminated soul.
- Birla Mandir
The Laxmi Narayan Mandir (temple) built
by B.D. Birla is a modern Hindu temple dedicated to Laxmi (goddess
of wealth) and Narayana (the preserver). It was inaugurated by
Gandhi with the stipulation that it should be open to all castes
(including the untouchables) and all faiths
 |
|
|
