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The
Red Fort, Delhi
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.
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
Purana Quila, Delhi
In 1538, the Mughal emperor Humayun laid the foundations of his city
named Dinpanah, or the Refuge of the Faithful. The inner citadel of
this city is today called Purana Qila or the Old Fort. An old fort,
it is! One can almost smell the ancient stories oozing from the
corners of the fort. The site of the fort was also Indraprasta, the
capital of the famed warriors of the Mahabharata, the Pandavas.
Excavations near the eastern wall of the fort reveal that the site
had been occupied since 1000 B.C. Archaeologists found painted grey
ware pottery and other remains, which date back to the Mahabharata.
The Purana Qila has three gates - Humayun Darwaza, Talaqi Darwaza
and Bara Darwaza.
Qutub Minar, Delhi
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.
Timings: 6 am to 6 pm
Iron Pillar
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.
Address: Qutb Minar Complex, Mehrauli, Delhi-Gurgoan Road Timings: 6
am to 6 pm
India Gate, Delhi
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.
Rashtrapati Bhavan
The house
that houses the President of India and the house that boasts of
having welcomed the most powerful men in history. The Rashtrapati
Bhavan was designed by Edwin Lutyens and built in 1931, to be the
central point of the British power in Delhi. Originally called the
Viceroy's House, the Rashtrapati Bhavan covers an area of 4.5 acres
of land. It has 340 rooms, 37 salons, 74 lobbies and loggias, 18
staircases and 37 fountains.
Timings :
April-October : 8:30 am
November-March: 10:35 am
Teen Murti Bhavan
The Teen Murti Bhavan housed the first Prime Minister of India,
Jawaharlal Nehru. It was designed by Robert Tor Russel, the
architect of Connaught Place, and the Eastern and Western Courts on
Janpath. The Bhavan was originally the residence of the
Commander-in-Chief of the British Forces in India. However, after
independence the house was taken over as the residence of Jawaharlal
Nehru. And on his death, the house was converted into a national
memorial comprising a library and a museum.
Rajghat
4 km away from Janpath to the N-East of Feroz Shah near Delhi Gate
at Ring Rd on the bank of Jamuna situated Rajghat. Jawaharlal Nehru
Rd also ends opp. Rajghat. On 31st Jan. 1948, Mahatma Gandhi's last
rites was performed here. The memorial stone of Gandhi is square in
shape made of black stone. His last ward- 'Hey Ram' is inscribed on
it. Ordinary people, VIPs, foreign tourists all come here at Rajghat
to pay their homage to him. On every Friday (the day of his death) a
prayer is being held.
Santiban
To the north of Rajghat is Santiban. 1st Prime Minister Jawaharlal
Nehru's last rites was performed here on 27 May, 1964. A tombstone
has been erected on his funeral place. Next to it, the tomb of
Sanjay Gandhi who was died in a plane crash in 1980.
Vijay Ghat
This is the tomb of 2nd Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. After
the Indo-Pak was of 1965. Shastriji went to Taskhand in Russia on
peace mission. In 1966 his last rites was performed here. |
