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Delhi
: Sight
- Seeing Places
Delhi has a lot of sight
seeing simply there are so many monuments and tombs
that bear testimony to its history that are not even
included in the lists of sights to see as furnished by
most travel guides and tour operators, there are some
principal sights that no one should miss.
From Mughal India, the
chief attraction is the Red Fort, a huge settlement ing
arcade. The earlier seat of the Mughals was the Purana
Quila, the old fort which still houses the library
where Humayun once spent many hours for studying, and
which now faces the Zoo and the Pragati Maidan
exhibition grounds. Close by his Humayun's Tomb, a
sandstone foreunner of the Taj Mahal that was built by
his grieving window. In old Delhi is Jama Masjid. One
of the largest mosques, a handsome structure that is
still a house worship for devout Muslims.
Following the footsteps
of the Mughals came the British, and their legacy is
the elegant city of New Delhi with its wide avenues and
colonial bungalows. At the centre of their city is
India Gate, a memorial raised in honor of the Indian
soldiers who were martyred during the Afghan War.
Directly opposite it is Rashtrapati Bhawan, once the
imperial residence of the British viceroys, it is now
the official residence of the President of the Indian
republic. To one side is Parliament House, a circular
building that is a symbol of Indian democracy. The
Connaught place shopping centre, now prime commercial
space, is also a British legacy.
But Delhi's history goes
back thousands of years, and their settlements ruins
that testify to this historic past. The Qutab Minar is
an 11th century victory tower that rises to a height of
73m. By its side is the Quwwat-ul-Islammosque, believed
to be the earliest extant mosque in India.
 In two different parts of the city are
the two abandoned settlements those of Feroze Shah Kotla Tughlakabad.
In the heart of the city is Jantar Mantar, a stone astronomical
observatory ordered by the builder of Jaipur. Swami Jai Singh.
In another part of the city are the Hauz
Khas ruins with their water tanks and the ruins was one a place of
education. Beautiful tombs include Safdarjung's Lodhi Gardens where the
remains of an imperial dynasty are beautifully landscaped.
Modern Indian memorials have been raised
to independent India's leaders, by the banks of river Yamuna. That of
Mahatma Gandhi is Raj Ghat and of Nehru, Shanti Vana. Other memorials
include Kisan Ghat is memory of Lal Bhadur Shastri and Shakti Sthala in
memory of Indira Gandhi.
A place of faith that all visitors must see is the Lotus Temple, a
beautiful marble temple in the form of a blossoming lotus, surrounded
by acres of beautiful gardens, Birla Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated
to Lord Vishnu. The city boasts of some very beautiful gurudwaras like
Sheeshganj in Chandni Chowk & Bangla Sahib in Central Delhi too,
and has several churches.
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