Welcome to Delhi
One
of the most fascinating aspects of Delhi is the "visibility" of its
historic past. Were it not for the demands of urbanization, large portions of
the city could well be earmarked as archaeological parks. This is because the
rulers of successive dynasties between the 13th and the 17th centuries
established seven cities in different parts of Delhi. A chronological review of
these cities fortunately also serves as a suitable itinerary for tourists and
highlights the important monuments amongst the 1300 officially listed.
The
same holds true for half a billion domestic travelers across the sub continent.
Same Day Delhi Tour is the order of the day as many arrive
at Delhi in transit, on their way to cool hilly regions further north, either
for pilgrimage or leisure or adventure usually. Hence tour operators and travel
desks of hotels in Delhi have long since come up with an arsenal of itinerary's
for same day Delhi sightseeing.
QUTUB MINAR
Qutub
Minar, is the tallest minar in India, originally an ancient Islamic Monument,
inscribed with Arabic inscriptions, though the iron pillar has some Brahmi
inscriptions, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located in Delhi, the Qutub
Minar is made of red sandstone and marble. The tower has 379 stairs, is 72.5
metres (237.8 ft) high, and has a base diameter of 14.3 metres, which narrows
to 2.7 metres at the top storey. Construction was started in 1192 by
Qutub-ud-din Aibak and was completed by Iltutmish. It is surrounded by several
other ancient and medieval structures and ruins, collectively known as the
Qutub complex.
QUTAB-UD-DIN AIBAK
Qutb-ud-din
Aibak was a Turkic king of Northwest
India who ruled from his capital in Delhi where he built the Qutub Minar and
the Quwwat Al Islam mosque. He was of Turkic descent from central Asia, the
first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the Ghulam dynasty (Mamluk Sultanate) of
India. He ruled for only four years, from 1206 to 1210 AD. He died while
playing polo in Lahore.
RED FORT
The
Red Fort is a 17th-century fort complex constructed by the Mughal emperor, Shah
Jahan in the walled city of Old Delhi (in present day Delhi, India) that served
as the residence of the Mughal Emperors. The fort was the palace for Mughal
Emperor Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad, the seventh city in the Delhi
site. He moved his capital here from Agra in a move designed to bring prestige
to his reign, and to provide ample opportunity to apply his ambitious building
schemes and interests. It served as the capital of the Mughals until 1857, when
Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the British Indian government.
THE MUGHAL EMPEROR
The
Mughal Empire was a Persianate empire that ruled large
parts of the Indian subcontinent after Babur's victory over Ibrahim Lodi
in the first Battle of Panipat (1526). It reached its peak extent under
Aurangzeb, and declined rapidly after his death (in 1707) under a series of
ineffective rulers. The empire's collapse followed heavy losses inflicted by
the smaller army of the Maratha Empire in the Deccan Wars, which encouraged the
Nawabs of Bengal, Bhopal, Oudh, Carnatic, Rampur, the Nizam of Hyderabad and
the Shah of Afghanistan to declare their independence from the Mughals.
Following the Third Anglo-Maratha war in 1818, the emperor became a pensioner
of the Raj, and lingered on, its power now limited to Delhi, until 1857, when
it was dissolved in the wake of the Indian Mutiny.
HUMAYUN'S TOMB
Humayun's
Tomb is a beautiful mausoleum built in the mid 16th century by Haji Begum, the
widow of second Mughal emperor, Humayun. Designed by the Persian architect,
Mirak Mirja Ghiyuath, it is built mainly in Red Sandstone. Acknowledged as
World Heritage Site by UNESCO, it also houses the graves of some other eminent
Mughal rulers. The imposing monument is the first example of garden tomb.
JANTAR MANTAR
At
first sight, the Jantar Mantar appears like a gallery of modern art. It is,
however, an observatory. Sawai Jia Singh II of Jaipur (1699-1743), a keen
astronomer and a noble in the Mughal court, was dissatisfied by the errors of
brass and metal astronomical instruments.
JAMA MASJID
The
Masjid-i Jahān-Numā, commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is the
principal mosque of Old Delhi in India. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah
Jahan,built this mosque in the year 1650 AD and completed in the year 1656 AD,
it is the largest and best-known mosque in India. It lies at the beginning of
the Chawri Bazar Road, a very busy central street of Old Delhi.
INDIA GATE
The
India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New
Delhi, it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Originally,
a statue of George V, Emperor of India stood under the now vacant canopy in
front of the India Gate, but it was removed to Coronation Park together with a
number of other British Raj-era statues. Following India's independence, the
India Gate became the site of the Indian Army's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier,
known as Amar Jawan Jyoti ("the flame of the immortal soldier").
RAJGHAT
One
of the most sought-after destinations of Old Delhi,Rajghat is the place where
Mahatma Gandhi,the Pioneer of Truth and Non-Violence had been cremated. The
abode of eternal flame, located near the bank of Yamuna, contains the Epitaph
‘He Ram', the last word spoken by Mahatma Gandhi after he was shot. In recent
years, it has become tradition to pay respect to Gandhiji by visiting the site
for foreign dignitaries. Preying session are organized on every Friday in
memory of Gandhiji.
Rajul Verma is a traveler who likes to share his experiences. All the
articles published by him will help you understand India better and answer all
your holiday queries regarding,
One Day Delhi Tour,
Delhi Tour Package, Rajasthan Tours, Find tourist info on travel packages,
travel destination and much more.
