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The Red Fort, with a circumference of over 2.2 kilometers, was laid out by the banks of the Yamuna river in the 17th century. The Mughal emperor Shajahan built it with the ambition of concentrating the Mughal power in one monument. Monument is perhaps not the right word. A mini-city is more like it.
Unfortunately for the emperor, before he could move his capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad in Delhi, he was taken a political prisoner by his son Aurangazeb. The fort is a delight to one's imagination. Imagine the Naqqar Khana (Drum room) also called Naubat Khana (Welcome Room), where once drums loudly heralded the arrival of the emperor and the Diwan-e-Am (Hall of Public Audience) resounded with the incantations of the people. Amazing, isn't it? There's more to see - Mumtaz Mahal, Rang Mahal (Palace of Colours), Khas Mahal (Emperor's Palace), Diwan-e Khas (Hall of Private Audience), the Hammam (bathing area) and Shah Burj. The fort has two main entrances - Delhi Gate and Lahore Gate. The latter get its name from the fact that it faces Lahore in Pakistan. It's entrance leads to Delhi's most crowded bazaar, Chandni Chowk. A must see!
There is a Light and Sound Show every evening.
Summer timing : Hindi - 7 pm to 8 pm, English - 8 pm to 9 pm
Winter timing : Hindi - 6 pm to 7 pm, English - 7 pm to 8 pm
The highest stone tower in India, the Qutub Minar was built by Qutbuddin Aibak, the viceroy of Mohammed Ghori in 1192. It was built to celebrate Ghori's victory over the Rajputs. The tower and the victory are very significant, because both heralded the birth of a new dynasty - Slave Dynasty. And it laid the foundations of the Delhi Sultanate. And the rest, as one would put it after witnessing this monumental tower, was history.
The Minar is a five-storey building with a height of 72.5 metres. The first storey of the Qutb Minar was completed in the lifetime of Qutbuddin. His son-in-law and successor, Iltumush, added the next three storeys.
Within the complex, is the famous Iron Pillar which has stood for millennia without rusting, Quwwat-ul-Islam, the first mosque built in India, and the Alai Darwaza, the gateway to the complex erected by Alauddin Khilji. The entry to the Minar has been closed, after the tower became infamous for the several suicides that were committed here.
Qutb Minar is a successful tribute to architecture, as it captures one's attention by its sheer mass appeal. Even on close encounter, the attention lingers, owing to the delicate and almost ethereal carvings.
Address: Mehrauli, Delhi-Gurgaon Road
Timings: 6 am to 6 pm
The 7.2 metre high pillar, standing within the Qutb Minar complex, is a proof of India's advanced knowledge of metallurgy 2000 years ago. For it continues to stand, even today, rust-free. The pillar was erected sometime between the 4th and 5th century AD as a Dhavaja-stambha (flagpole) of a Vishnu temple.
It was erected in memory of King Chandragupta Vikramamditya who ruled from 375 to 413 AD. The Sanskrit inscriptions on the pillar record these facts. Unbelievable, considering today, even the spoons in our kitchens cannot guarantee this kind of an immortality after centuries of scientific progress! Another thing one has to do after laying one's sight on this pillar is, to go and give it a bear hug. Besides the metallurgic excellence, it is believed that hugging the pillar will make all of one's wishes come true. So… go, see and hug!
Address: Qutb Minar Complex, Mehrauli, Delhi-Gurgoan Road
Timings: 6 am to 6 pm
This solemn monument was built in memory of the 90,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War I. It was built in 1931, designed by Lutyens, and was originally called the All India War Memorial. The names of the soldiers are inscribed on the walls of the arc of the gate. Later in 1971, an eternal flame was lit here in memory of the unknown soldiers who died in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war. India Gate stands at the end of Rajpath, and is a popular picnic site especially during hot summer evenings. At night, the Gate is brightly lit and the fountains near the Gate are lit with coloured lights. The sight is delightful.
Nestling on the banks of river Yamuna over 100 acres of land, the temple is a modern signature of exquisite beauty. Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the haunt of eternal values and virtues of 'Akshar' as defined in the Hindu texts where a heart of devotion, purity and peace forever perches. Portraying an impeccable blend of breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss, the temple is a desired fruit of 5 years of non-stop, round-the-clock construction and blessings of HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), which now manages this pristine architecture. The temple affords a beautiful matrix of marble and red sandstone, with many alluring sculptures that embellish its periphery. Come, experience divinity rising before your peeled eyes at Akshardham, where a religious poetry is offered to every individual heart.
Long before you savour the spiritual aroma of this peerless architecture, you will see a white chaste lotus soaring high from amidst the lush hills of Kalkaji in New Delhi. Lying to the east of Hauz Khas is the last of seven major Bahai temples build all over the world, the famous Bahá'í Mashriqu'l-Adhkar or Lotus Temple, as it is commonly known. The lotus-shaped shrine, since its arousal as a spiritual haven in December 1986, has carved itself on the consciousness of the city's inhabitants, awning their imagination, fuelling their curiosity, and remodelling the definition of worship. Designed by architect Fariburz Sabha, the serene temple nestles amid a picturesque backdrop adorned with emerald pools and lush manicured gardens, that soothe every thirsty soul. With the onset of every new day, a humoungous tide of visitors crowd to its doorsteps to behold its beauty and blend in its serenely spiritual atmosphere. Come, experience yourself...
The massively strong walls of Tughlaqabad, the third capital of Delhi, lie ominously like some Gothic palace 8 km east of the Qutab Minar on the Mehrauli Badarpur (M.B.) Road. The walled city and the fort with its 13 gateways were built by the famous Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, unfortunately whose base nestled on the legendary quarrel with saint Nizam-ud-din. When the Tughlaq ruler took the workers Nizam-ud-din wanted for work on his tank, the saint cursed the king with a warning that his city would be inhabitated only by 'Gujars' (shepherds). Today that is indeed the situation. Roosting as a favoured hang out place, the fort is an excellent option to kick back winter afternoons. Even a cruise through the spacious lanes, with stately walls soaring from your sides, is indeed mind-blowing! Come, feel the erstwhile, and apparently visible, glory of the Tughlaqs, carved with immense interest in stones..
JANTAR MANTAR
Jantar means 'instrument' while Mantar (the same word as 'mantra') is usually translated as 'formula' but here it means 'calculation'. So, 'Jantar Mantar' means something like 'instrument for calculation.' The sprawling periphery of Jantar Mantar is dominated by the colossal Samrat Yantra, or supreme instrument that according to the size and architectural precision, reflects the local time accurate within four minutes! Walk a few metres to the south of the Samrat Yantra, to experience the amazing Jai Prakash, an instrument designed by Sawai Jai Singh himself. The imagination consists of two concave hemispherical structures which together ascertain the position of the sun and other heavenly bodies.The esoteric structures corroborate many astronomical phenomenon and are even used by modern day scholars to determine position of astral bodies. A perfect amalgamation of religion and science, the observatory, still in its own unsecularized integrity, is comparable only with the witnesses in stone of the archaic cultures. Built in 1710, during the period generally known as the dark age of Indian history, this awe-inspiring melting pot of astronomy and related architecture is a must see for every tourist to Delhi.
Also known as the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, it is ideally located in central Delhi (Mandir Marg). This temple dedicated to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi and Lord Narayana (Lord Vishnu) was built in 1938 by the prominent Indian industrialist Raja Baldev Das Birla and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi.
The temple, built in Orissan style, has a large number of idols representing various gods of Indian pantheon. The well-grafted gardens need a special mention.
Chattarpur Mandir is located beyond the Qutb Minar in Mehrauli. The temple dedicated to Goddess Durga, is built in South Indian style.
The temple complex is spread over a large area with beautiful lawns and gardens. Though devotees visit these temples throughout the year, the main attraction comes during the Navarathri festival, when devotees come from far and near. During this time, there are special bus services provided to the devotees.
This is the tomb of the famous sufi saint, Nizam-ud-din Auliya. Built on the way from Humayun's tomb, the premise of the shrine is a tank, which is surrounded by many other tombs. It is said that there was an argument between the rulers of Tughlakabad and the saint over building this tank. The saint had said that the city of Tughlakabad will never prosper and so did it happen. The tomb has been through several renovations ever since it was built. The present mausoleum dates back to 1562.
The complex of the shrine includes several other tombs, including that of the noted poet Mirza Ghalib (1786-1869), Amir Khusru and the grave of Jahanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan.
If you happen to be there at around sunset on Thursdays, don't miss out the extravagant performance of qawwali singers that takes place after the evening prayers.
The temple belongs to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) raised to propagate the message of the Bhagwad Gita by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder Acharya of the Hare Krishna movement. One of the 40 ISKCON temples in India, it is dedicated to the Lord Krishna. Completed in 1998, the temple is situated on a hilly region and was built by the followers of the Hare-Rama-Hare-Krishna cult. One of the largest temple complexes, the spotlight of the temple is the Robot, who enacts and preaches the holy text of the revered book of Hindua, the Gita.
The highest 'Shikhara' of the temple is 90-ft high and the hall of the temple is centrally air-conditioned. Full of aesthetic beauty, the temple has the statues of the two guards of 'Vaikunth' (the abode of Shri Krishna) at its entrance. The temple is adorned with some of the most beautiful paintings of Russian artists on the Hindu deities such as Radha Krishna, Sita, Ram, Laxman, Hanuman and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Covering a circuit of about a mile, the walls of the fort have three gates and are surrounded by a mat fed by the river Yamuna. The wall was built by Humayun while the buildings in the fort are attributed to Sher Shar. The notable buildings that have survived in the fort are the Sher Mandal and the Quila-I-kholina Mosque. Sher Mandal is a two storeyed octagonal tower which was used by Humayun as his library. The mosque, built around 1541-42, is a landmark in Indo Islamic architecture. The architect has shown skill by enriching each part with moulding, bracketed openings, marble inlay, carving and other establishments. A variety of materials have also been used to construct the small mosque (168 x 44 feet). The entrance arch is of marble, the spandrels of red sandstone studded with marble bossed, the columns and pilasters of black and white marble.
The first mature example of Mughal architecture in India, Humayun's Tomb was built by the emperor's grieving widow, Haji Begum, in 1565 AD.The mughals brought with them a love for gardens, fountains and water. Constructed with red sandstone and ornamented marks the beginning of a new tradition of ornate style which culminated in the Taj Mahal of Agra. Designed by the Persian architect, Mirza Ghyas, Humayun's Tomb shows a marked shift from the Persian tradition of using coloured tiles for ornamentation. Located in the midst of a large square garden, screened by high walls, with gateways to the south and west, the tomb is a square tower surmounted by a magnificent marble dome. The dome stands 140 feet from the base of the terrace and is topped with a copper pinnacle. In addition to the remains of Humayun, the complex also houses the grave of many other distinguished members of the Mughal dynasty.
Built in 1753 by Nawab Shauja-ud-Daula to house the remains of his father, who was a minister in the Mughal court, the tomb is referred to as the "last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture." It shows how the grace and simplicity of he Mughals had been overtaken by decadence. The tomb also has a mosque. Representing the last phase of the Mughal style of architecture, Safdarjang's Tomb stands in the centre of an extensive garden.
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