Destination: Delhi

City of Gardens and Parks

Delhi is the capital and union territory of India. It constitutes two quite distinctive worlds, New Delhi and Old Delhi. New Delhi, inaugurated in 1931 by the British as the imperial capital, is the country’s modern capital and seat of government, whereas Old Delhi is considered the heart of the greater metropolitan region. All the former locations of Delhi are enclosed in a triangle-shaped area of about 70 square miles, generally known as the Delhi Triangle. Two borders of this triangle are linked, one side by the Aravalli hills to the south of it and another one on its western edge called the Delhi Ridge. The last side of the triangle is shaped by the shifting path of the infamous Yamuna River. In the middle of the hills and the river lies wide-ranging alluvial plains; the elevation of the city varies from 700 to 1,000 feet which is approx. 200 to 300 meters. Delhi has one of India’s fastest and largest growing retail industries. Key service industries are telecommunications, information technology, hotels, media, banking, and tourism. Health, construction, power, and community services, along with retail real estate, are also essential to the city’s economy. Delhi is also a center for all kinds of shopping. Sarojini Nagar, Connaught Place, Chandni Chowk, and Dilli Haat are the main retail marketplaces in Delhi. Renowned shopping malls consist of Select Citywalk, DLF Promenade, Pacific Mall, DLF Emporio, Ansal Plaza, and Metro Walk. Flowering plants are another attraction that comprises numerous types of multicolored seasonals namely violas, chrysanthemums, phlox, and verbenas. Culture in Delhi is influenced by its history and its association as the capital of the country; Delhi is also known as Indraprastha, also the capital for the Pandavas. qutab-minar The Archaeological Survey of India identifies 175 monuments and 1,200 heritage buildings as national heritage sites. In 2015, Euromonitor International ranked the city as 28th-most visited place in the world and foremost in India in terms of foreign visitors. There are several tourist attractions, both modern and historic. The 3 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Red Fort, Qutb, Humayun’s Tomb, and Qutb Complex are some of the best examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. Some of the other major landmarks of Delhi are India Gate, Akshardham, Laxminarayan Temple, Lotus Temple, Lal Mandir, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, and many more.

Places to see in Delhi

Qutab: The World’s Tallest Brick Minaret

Qutub Minar is a 72.5-meter tall minaret that is named in memory of Qutb-ud-din Aibak. The tower comprises 5 different tapering stories, three stories of this magnificent structure are embellished with red sandstone, and the remaining two-story are created in sandstone and marble, carved with attractive Quranic texts. It is kind of interesting that the tower has a spiral stairway with exactly 379 steps and has a mosque termed ‘Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid’ at the bottom of the tower. It is the oldest mosque in India.

Lotus Temple

lotus-temple The Lotus Temple or Bahá’í House of Worship was completed in 1986. Furthermore notable for its flowerlike shape, it serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. And it has become a prominent attraction in the city. Additionally, the Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards and has been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

India Gate

india-gate India Gate got to be constructed in memory of the sacrifice of 70,000 brave Indian soldiers who did lose their lives during World War I fighting against a foreign army. It was designed by Edwin Lutyens; the eternal Amar Jawan Jyoti is also known as the Flame of Immortal Soldier, which was later added in honor of Indian martyrized soldiers of the Indo-Pak War. Moreover, this beautiful masterpiece is reckoned among the greatest war memorials in the country. Established on a Bharatpur stone base, India Gate is surrounded by lush lawns, which made it a prevalent picnic spot during summer evenings and winter afternoons.

Rashtrapati Bhawan

The Rashtrapati Bhawan is a renowned monument in Delhi. It was the palace of the Viceroy of India in British India. At present, the Rashtrapati Bhawan is the house of the President of India. Edwin Lutyens designed the building. Although the construction began in 1911 and it took 19 years to finish its construction.

Akshardham Temple

Akshardham means the divine abode of God. Besides being a Hindu house of worship, it has a spiritual and cultural campus dedicated to devotion, learning, and harmony.

Red Fort

In 1639 the Mughals constructed an astonishing building Red Fort, which gets the name from its enormous red-colored walls of sandstone. Situated in Old Delhi, this octagonal-shaped fort covers a land of more than 254 acres. The designing and even the planning of the fort is a blend of Mughal, Hindu, Persian, and Timurid traditions. It has proved to be a solid influence on later structures constructed in as well as around Delhi. Red Fort also showcases some phenomenal Mughal-era artifacts, for example, daggers, miniature paintings, curtains, and luxurious carpets.

At Red Fort, which is hard to miss attraction of Delhi, magical light and shows are regularly conducted, which is again an absolute treat for the eyes. This amazing show depicts history making the evenings ten times more delightful for the tourists. It shows the history of Red Fort with colorful spotlights. The zoo and old fort nearby are the best picnic areas in Delhi for families. But this visit in the evenings will amaze you beyond words. This show is offered in both the prevalent language of India, Hindi, and English at 7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m., respectively.

Raj Ghat

Raj Ghat is a memorial dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. Father of Nation

Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar is one of the five astrophysical observatories constructed by king ‘Maharaja Jai Singh II’ of Northern India. It’s a prominent mixture of geometric forms that have successfully grasped the attention of artists, architects, and art historians from all around the earth. It was built for observing astronomical arrangements with a naked eye. It is a piece of the beliefs of Ptolemaic astronomy, which was quite ordinary in a lot of civilizations. Jantar Mantar encompasses 13 astronomy instruments that were utilized to forecast the timing and movement of the planets, the moon, and the sun. Astronomical charts and tables were compiled to get a precise idea of the astronomic bodies.

Shopping At Delhi

Travelers, artists, nature lovers, and foodies all visit Delhi for their respective reasons, but the common reason for all of the people visiting Delhi is ‘shopping.’ Delhi is also famous for its shopping markets among tourists and locals. Below are some of the popular marketplaces in Delhi:

Dilli Haat

Dilli Haat has been constructed like a traditional weekly rural market, called a Haat. Small thatched roof huts with a village environment give it a unique ambiance. The market offers some exciting combinations of handicrafts from all over the country, cultural, food, and music performances. It is open for all the people from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m. and is also open on national holidays. Dilli Haat is shopping as well as a fun place to stop this.

Sarojini Nagar

Sarojini Nagar is most popular for its inexpensive designer reputable brands and clothes that have been denied from export, either because of small manufacturing defects or surplus quantity. Stalls and shops, selling every kind of clothes as well as fashion accessories, sprawl onto the roads. Fresh stock arrives every Tuesday, so it’s the best day to visit Sarojini Nagar. There’s also a sweet market named Babu Market and a vegetable market, Subji Mandi, in the region.

Lajpat Nagar

The crowded Lajpat Nagar market offers an interesting glimpse of Indian culture. It is one of the long-standing markets of the country and is throbbing with middle-class Indian shoppers, all swarming around the showrooms and stalls. Fairly priced Indian Kurti tops and salwar kameez are famous items. The market also comprises Mehendiwalas, who will put on attractive henna designs on your hands with amazing speed. This market remains open every day except on Mondays.

Karol Bagh

Shopping in Delhi is incomplete without a stop at the Karol Bagh Market, which has something or the other to satisfy the needs of all kinds of shoppers. While the market is largely renowned for Indian traditional and western apparel, cosmetics, and fancy bridal wear, there are also some eminent shopping places in the neighborhood like Ajmal Khan Road, Arya Samaj Road, Ghaffar Market, and Bank Street that will provide a varied shopping experience. If you are tired and worn out after a long day of shopping, there are some restaurants also for a quick snack which are common with shoppers.