Travel Attractions of Delhi

Since the times immemorial Delhi has been the famous attraction of India. Be it historical incidents, political rivalry of erstwhile kingdoms or the struggle for freedom of India, Delhi has always been centre of attraction. As Delhi has seen the rule of a number of Emperors, it has been a hub of various monuments which stand still as evidences of the architectural brilliance. There is a long list of tourist attractions in Delhi, which are flocked by a large number of visitors from far away places.

India Gate

India Gate is one of the historical monuments of Delhi. It was built in 1911 and was named as All India War Memorial. India Gate is an arch of 42 meters in height, which was designed by Lutyens. It is a monument built in memory of 90,000 soldiers of Indian Army who sacrificed their lives in World War I. One can see names of all the soldiers inscribed on all the walls of this monument. An eternal flame in honour of immortal soldiers keeps burning 24 hours at India Gate, which was lit in 1971 for the first time.

Purana Qila (Old Fort)

Purana Quila was built by Emperor Sher Shah Suri between 1538 and 1545 AD. It was constructed on the banks of river Yamuna on a small hill. The fort still stands in dilapidated condition. According to a famous legend, Purana Qila marked site of the capital of Pandavas, Indraprastha. The famous Mughal King lost his life at this Fort as he fell from one of the towers. Main attraction of Purana Qila is a small lake at its foothill where one can enjoy boating, which is arranged by Delhi Tourism.

Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar literally means calculation instrument. It was constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur in 1724 for the purpose of measuring time and predicting the movement of stars and planets. Hence, the monument also has astronomical importance. There are a total of 04 astronomical instruments constructed at the site within the observatory, known as Samrat Yantra, Jayaprakash Yantra, Ram Yantra and Mishra Yantra. Maharaja Jai Singh II constructed a total of five such sites betwwen 1727 and 1734. The other being located in Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura.

Red Fort

Red Fort was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1638 and 1648 AD. It is also famous by the name of Lal Quila and is the site from where Prime Minister of India addresses the nations on the eve of Independence Day of India. There are a number of attractions inside the Red Fort, which has been constructed with Red sandstone, like Moti Masjid, Diwan-i-Am, Diwan-i-Khas and Shah Burj etc.

Akshardham Temple

Akshardham temple is an another example of architectural brilliance which is dedicated to Lord Swaminaryan. It is famous as one can peep into the the Hindu culture, ancient Indian traditions, culture, architecture and spirituality, in the temple complex. It was completed in November 2005 and 7,000 artisans and 3,000 volunteers were engaged in its construction on the banks of river Yamuna. Another such temple is located in Ahmadabad in Gujarat.

Rashtrapati Bhawan (President's House)

Rashtrapati Bhawan is the official residence of the President of India. The building spreads over an are of about 330 acres and houses 340 rooms. It has also been designed by Luytens and was the official residence of the Viceroy during British era in India. One of the famous attractions of this site is Mughal Gardens, where one can see a large number of varieties of flowers, which is opened for public during a certain period in an year.

Birla Mandir (Laxmi Narayan Temple)

Birla Mandir was constructed by Raja Baldev Birla, an industrialist, in 1938. It was inaugurated by Mahatama Gandhi, who himself, as it is said, was the regular visitor at this temple. Dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, it has been constructed with white marble and red sandstone. It houses various holy books, Hindu Vedas and various idols of Hindu deities.

Parliament House

Located near to the Rashtrapati Bhawan, this building is a seat of Indian parliament and thus can be seen from the outside because of security reasons. This building has been constructed in a round shape and has its circumference of about 1 km. It was also designed by Herbert Baker and was opened in 1927.

Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk literally means moonlit square. It is one of the busiest commercial markets since ancient period. Located in the walled city of Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk was earlier located in Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's capital Shahjahanbad. The market lies in between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid. One of the main attractions of Chandni Chowk is Paranthe Wali Gali, famous for its Paranthas.

Safdarjung Tomb

Safdarjung Tomb was built between 1753-54 AD by Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah, son of Safdarjung, the governor of Awadh. The tomb lies at Lodhi Garden and was built in the same pattern as Emperor Humanyun's Tomb. Safdarjung Tomb has been built in Red sandstone and buff stone. The tomb houses two graves of Safdurjung and his wife.

Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar has the distinction of being the highest brick tower in the world. It has been declared by UNESCO as the world heritage site. Qutub Minar, which was completed in 1193 AD, is 72.5 meter high structure and one needs to climb 399 steps to reach the top of the tower. Its construction was started by Qutub-ud-Din Aibak and was completed by Iltutmish. It is located in Mehrauli, South Delhi.

Lotus Temple (Bahai Temple)

Bahai Temple is known by the name of Lotus Temple because of its structure like a Lotus flower. The temple was constructed in 1986 and has been bestowed with many awards for its architectural brilliance. This temple has registered its name in Guinness Book of World Records in 2001. It attracts millions of visitors every year from far away places.

Information about various attractions of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
Know about the various historical and cultural aspects of Dlhi, Agra and Jaipur.