PLACES OF INTEREST
Located 1.5 Km west of Connaught Place.Popular known as Birla Mandir, it is a large Hindu temple built in Orissan style in 1938 by the renowned Birla family. People of all faiths can worship at this temple. It is dedicated to Narayan (Vishnu the preserver) and his wife Lakshmi (the Godess of Prosperity and Goof fortune). The temple faced with red sandstone was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. The main shrine features idols of Narayan and Lakshmi, while secondary shrines hold images of Siva (the destroyer) and his wife durga. No entry fee.
SAFDARJANG’S TOMB
Besides the small Safdarjang Airport, where Indira Gandhi’s son Sanjay was killed in a light plane accident in 1980, is Safdarjang’s Tomb. The Nawab of Avadh built it in 1753-54 for his father, Safarjang, who was wazir of the Mughal Empire during the reign of Ahmed Shah. Safdarjang’s Tomb is the last extant example of a Mughal-style garden-tomb before the final remnants of the great empire collapsed. In many ways it is similar to Humayun’s Tomb, but the overall effect is far less pleasing – it is too tall for its width and the dome is overly bulbous. The materials used here were also far inferior – the sandstone is much less red in colour and the poor quality marble of the dome has yellowed. The Tomb stands on a high terrace in an extensive garden. The ornate chambers, which form part of the perimeter wall, possibly used the nawab’s family as the Delhi residence. Entry fee is 100 INR for tourists. Locals (and UNMOGIP personnel on presenting the UN card) pay 5 INR.
LODI GARDEN
About three Km to the west of Humayun’s Tomb and adjoining the India International Centre is the Lodi Garden. In these well-kept gardens are the tombs of Sayyid and Lodi rulers. Muhammad Shahas Tomb (1450), in the south-western part of the garden, is a prototype for the later Mughal style tomb of Humayun, a design which would eventually develop into the Taj Mahal. Its octagonal form, sloping buttress and projecting chajja (eaves) are typical features of the Lodi style of architecture. The Bara Gumbad, the soaring gateway to the mosque in the centre of the gardens, is a fine example of a square Lodi tomb, although just who it belongs to is unclear as there is no grave within. One interesting feature of the mosque itself, which according to an inscription above the prayer niche dates from 1949, is the tapered minarets which form part of the rear western wall. These have obviously inspired the tapered form of the Qutb Minar. To the north of the mosque is the Sheesh Gumbad, a square tomb with arches on the lower level and corresponding blank arches half-way up the façade that give the tomb two-storey appearance, the whole surmounted by a dome, which was originally covered in dazzling blue tile-work, some of which remains above the main entrance. Other tombs in the garden include those of Mubarak Shah (1943), Ibrahim Lodi (1526) and Sikander Lodi (1517), the last of which is surrounded by a wall, built to protect the monument from being plundered. Close by is the Tughlaq-era Athpula stone bridge, which crosses the small waterway running through the gardens. Also in the gardens is the Kos Mina, a milestone dating back to Mughal times. No entry fee.
LOTUS TEMPLE
Building shaped like a lotus flower lying to the east of Siri. Baha’i House of Worship was completed in 1986 and is set amongst pools and gardens. The petals are made of concrete clad with white marble, which give freshness and transparency to its surface. Designed by Fariburz Sahba. Adherents of any faith are free to visit the temple and pray or meditate silently according to their own religion.
PURANA QILA
South-east of India Gate and North of Humayun’s Tomb is the old fort, Purana Qila, the supposed site of Indraprastha, the original city of Delhi. The Afghan ruler, Sher Shah, who briefly interrupted the Mughal Empire by defeating Humayun, completed the fort during his reign from 1538-45, before Humayun regained control of India. The fort has massive walls and three large gateways. In the fort is the Qila-i-Kuhran Mosque or Mosque of Sher Shah and a octagonal red sandstone tower, the Sher Mandal.
JAMA MASJID
The great mosque of Old Delhi is both, the largest in India and the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan. Begun in 1644, the mosque was not completed until 1658. It has three gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40 m high and constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. The courtyard of the mosque can hold 25.000 people.
RED FORT
The red sandstone walls of Lal Qila, the Red Fort, extend for 2 Km and vary in height from 18 m on the riverside to 33 m on the city side. Shah Jahan started construction of the massive fort in 1638 and it was completed in 1648. He never completely moved his capital from Agra to his new city of Shahjahanabad in Delhi because he was deposed and imprisoned in Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb. The Red Fort dates from the very peak of Mughal power.
HUMAYUN’S TOMB
Early example of Mughal architecture, built in the mid-16th century by Haji Begum, senior wife of Humayun, the second Mughal emperor. The elements in its design were to be refined over the years to the magnificence of the Taj Mahal in Agra. Humayun’s wife is also buried in the red-and-white sandstone, black-and-yellow marble tomb.
QUTB MINAR
The buildings in the Qutb Minar complex date from the onset of Muslim rule in India and are fine examples of early-Afghan architecture. The Qutb Minar itself is a soaring tower of victory, which was started in 1193, immediately after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. It is nearly 73 m high and tapers from a 15 m diameter base to 2.5 m at the top. The tower has five distinct storeys, each marked by a projecting balcony. The first 3 storeys are made of red sandstone, the 4th and 5th of marble and sandstone. Qutab-Ud-Din began construction, but only got to the first storey. His successors completed it. In 1368 Feroz Shah Tughlaq rebuilt the top storeys and added a cupola, which was brought down by an earthquake in 1803.
INDIA GATE
The 42 m high stone arch of triumph stands at the eastern end of the Rajpath. It bears the names of 85.000 Indian Army soldiers who died in the campaigns of WW1, the North-West Frontier operations of the same time and the 1919 Afghan fiasco.