Humayun's tomb-Delhi

Humayun’s Tomb is one of the most beautiful monuments in Delhi but you don’t see it as often as you see India gate or Qutub Minar. It is located right in the heart of the city but the spacious compound surrounding the monument hid it away from the glare of public eyes. Sandwiched between Yamuna River and Nizamuddin Dargah, Humayun’s Tomb was the first garden tomb on the Indian Subcontinent. It is the Tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun and it was commissioned by his wife Hamida Banu Begum in 1562 AD.

I've no difficulty admitting that it is one of the most beautiful Tombs, only next to Taj Mahal. Designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyath a Persian architect and built by Indian and Persian workers, this monument is one of the first to employ Persian architecture and also the first to use Red sand stone and White marble in such a huge quantity. In 1993 it was declared a UNESCO World heritage Site.

The garden tomb is some hundredmeters walk from the main road. The place is quite spacious and refreshing. The place is undergoing lots of renovations right from the outer gate to the main tomb. An outer gate and an inner gate surround the main tomb. Near the outer gate which is also known as the Bu Halima, there’s another gate known as the Arab Serai Gate. It is a 14 m high structure which led to the walled enclosure which hosted the Persian Craftsmen who came to work on Humayun’s Tomb. The main entrance or the inner Gate is also known as West Gate. It is a 16 m high structure with rooms on each side of the passage. Now it housed the museum.

This red and white building is an example of Persian influence on Indian architecture. Humayun was the first to be buried in the Tomb when he died in 1556 but the tomb has now within it over 100 graves, earning the name, ‘Dormitory of The Mughals’. Steep steps lead up to the Sanctum of the tomb. The Central chamber looks quite plain now but it was remarkably decorated in the past. William Finch an English Merchant who visited it in 1611 unforgettably describes the presence of expensive carpets, and other rich items including Humayun’s sword, turban and shoes.

The 13 acres land surrounding the tomb became difficult to maintain when the Mughals shifted the capital to Agra. Things got worsened when the British captured Bahadur Shah II in 1857. They replaced the original garden with British like garden. Archaeological Survey of India has tried to restore it to the glorious past. The vast open spaces and cool shades surrounding the tomb are a treat for city dwellers.

Though the monument we see now is only a shadow of the glorious past, the red Sandstone tomb sparks when the golden evening sun shines over it. The magic of that moment makes everything new again.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib-Delhi

An ideal consummation of Sikh values bequeathing the human race with a beacon of hope for a better future, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib located in New Delhi is one of the most prominent Sikh Gurdwara. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib holds a special meaning in the heart of thousands of devotes who visit the premises with a belief to get closer to a complacent lifestyle.

Originally a bungalow of Raja Jai Singh, an Indian ruler, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib came into existence in 1783 as a symbol of benignant of Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji, eighth guru of Sikhs, who served the downtrodden during the epidemic of 1664.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is situated in the Delhi City. Built in the sacred visit of SHRI GURU HARKARISHAN JI to Delhi. At the request of Mughal King Aurangzeb and through the persuasion of Mirza Raja Jai Singh of Amber, GURU SAHIB agreed to come to Delhi. Raja Jai Singh invited GURU SAHIB to the present site which originally belonged to Raja Jai Singh. Raja's wife thought of testing the spiritual powers of the GURU SAHIB and disguised herself as maid servant and sat among the attendants. GURU SAHIB at the age of 8 years identified the RANI and sat in her lap. Thus convincing her of the the spiritual powers of GURU NANAK and his True Disciples. In those days small pox was raging in the city of Delhi on an epidemic form. The citizens of Delhi suffered grief and death As a result of clamity that had befallen there. GURU SAHIB out of love and compassion for suffering humanity dipped his holy feet in water and poured charan amrit into small chaubacha (tank). All those who took water from caubacha were cured from the disease. Thus the people of Delhi were saved from that epidemic. Devotees with faith and devotion come from far and near and get rid of suffering by taking a dip in the holy water. 

Deelhi Haat-Delhi

Dilli Haat is an open-air food plaza and cradia, and from a variety of cultural traditions of India. Unlike the traditional weekly market, the village Haat, Dilli Haat is permanent.

Lotus Temple-Delhi

The Lotus Temple, located in New Delhi, India, is a Bahá'í House of Worship completed in 1986. Notable for its flowerlike shape, it serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent and has become a prominent attraction in the city.It is symbolic of the possibility of being spiritual and pure even in this materialistic world. The temple has a very large prayer hall where visitors of all faiths can meditate. The hall has no idols and no rituals and its daily public services include sections from the holy books of all religions. It is said about the Lotus Temple that "Architecturally, artistically, ethically, the edifice is a paragon of perfection" - a sentiment that is undoubtedly true.

Like all other Bahá'í Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion, or any other distinction, as emphasized in Bahá'í texts. The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship be that it is a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions. The Bahá'í laws also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments can be played inside. Furthermore no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced

India Gate-Delhi

Straight down the road from Rashtrapati Bhavan is India Gate which is primarily a memorial to unknown soldiers. 
At the centre of New Delhi stands the 42 m high India Gate, an "Arc-de-Triomphe" like archway in the middle of a crossroad. Almost similar to its French counterpart, it commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during the World War I. The memorial bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.

The foundation stone of India Gate was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and it was designed by Edwin Lutyens. The monument was dedicated to the nation 10 years later by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti was added much later, after India got its independence. The eternal flame burns day and night under the arch to remind the nation of soldiers who laid down their lives in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971.

The entire arch stands on a low base of red Bharatpur stone and rises in stages to a huge moulding. The cornice is inscribed with the Imperial suns while both sides of the arch have INDIA, flanked by the dates MCMXIV (1914 left) and MCMXIX (1919 right). The shallow domed bowl at the top was intended to be filled with burning oil on anniversaries but this is rarely done.

During nightfall, India Gate is dramatically floodlit while the fountains nearby make a lovely display with coloured lights. India Gate stands at one end of Rajpath, and the area surrounding it is generally referred to as 'India Gate'.

Surrounding the imposing structure is a large expanse of lush green lawns, which is a popular picnic spot. One can see hoards of people moving about the brightly lit area and on the lawns on summer evenings

Purana Quila-Delhi

One does not have to go far to see the old fort or Purana Quila standing stoically amidst wild greenery.Built on the site of the most ancient of the numerous cities of Delhi, Indraprastha, Purana Quila is roughly rectangular in shape having a circuit of nearly two kilometers.

The thick ramparts crowned by merlons have three gateways provided with bastions on either side. It was surrounded by a wide moat, connected to river Yamuna, which used to flow on the east of the fort. The northern gate way, called the Talaqui darwaza or the forbidden gateway, combines the typically Islamic pointed arch with Hindu Chhatris and brackets; whereas the southern gateway called the

Humayun Darwaza also had a similar plan.

The massive gateway and walls of Purana Quila were built by Humayun and the foundation laid for the new capital, Dinpanah.

The work was carried forward by Sher Shah Suri,who displaced Humayun, Purana Quila is the venue for the spectacular sound and light show held every evening.

Jantar Mantar-Delhi

antar Mantar (Yantra - instruments, mantra - formulae) was constrcted in 1724. Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur who built this observatory went on to build other observatories in Ujjain , Varanasi and Mathura. Jai Singh had found the existing astronomical instruments too small to take correct measurements and so he built these larger and more accurate instruments.

The instruments at Jantar Mantar are fascinating for their ingenuity, but

accurate observations can no longer be made from here because of the tall buildings around.