Interested places to visit in India and Ladakh
DELHI:
Delhi is the ideal gateway into India for Himalayan bound trekkers. The capital of India is steeped in history and culture, which reflect the diversity of the subcontinent. This provides travelers with many fascinating sightseeing possibilities, while enabling them to put India's disparities into context. The site of the modern Delhi encompasses more than eight previous sites under various names. The first recorded city is that of Indraprastha, which is thought to have been near the Purana Quila until the 4th century A.D. Delhi has remained the administrative and political capital of India since Independence in 1947 and now become one of the India's fastest growing commercial centers. Delhi, has seen the rise and fall of many empires which have left behind a plethora of monuments that the grandeur and glory of bygone ages. A city, which traces its history to Mahabharata, the great epic tale of wars, fought between estranged cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas for the city of Indraprastha.
The sites to visit in Delhi are Raisina Hill, Viceroy's house, Lutyen's magnum opus, Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar complex, The Red Fort, India Gate, Agra, Tajmahal.
Delhi is further divided into New Delhi and Old Delhi.
New Delhi:
New Delhi, the capital of India lies in northern India; is sprawled over the west bank of the river Yamuna. It is surrounded on three sides by Haryana and to the east, across the river Yamuna by Uttar Pradesh. New Delhi is the landlocked city. New Delhi falls under seismic zone-IV making it vulnerable to major earthquakes. The winters in New Delhi are relatively cold due to cold fronts from the Himalayan region; the summers are very hot, due to heat waves, and often precautions have to be taken before going out in the afternoons for extended periods of time.
Historically, the city has long since been the foremost in political importance with successive dynasties choosing it as their seat of power, between the 13th and the 17th centuries.
The myriad faces of the city are simply fascinating. Soaring skyscrapers, posh residential colonies and bustling commercial complexes can be seen along with the ancient historical monuments.
Old Delhi which looks entirely different from New Delhi area, is about 6 Km north of the city center.
Old Delhi:
The tour of Old Delhi starts with the visit of Red Fort. From the Red Fort you will take a cycle rickshaw to Chandani Chowk or the Moonlit Square. It is a medieval area in which you will recognize not just Cairo or Istanbul, but also Chester and Heidelberg. This is perhaps one of the Delhi’s most populated areas and the largest marketplace - jewelers, spice merchants, food vendors, moneylenders, shopping arcades, workshops as well as residences, are crammed here. Within this area is the British built Town Hall, the St. James Church built by colonel Skinner in the early 19th century, the old St. Stephens College and the office of the state department of Archeology with a colonnaded facade going back to the 19th century.
Raisina Hill:
Raisina Hill is a prime area in Edwin Lutyens' New Delhi, housing India's most important government buildings; The Rashtrapati Bhavan, India's Presidential palace flanked by the Secretariat building housing. The Indian Prime Minister Office and several other important ministries are in Raisina hill. Other important buildings and structures situated near the Raisina Hill includes the Parliament of India the Rajpath, the Vijay Chowk and the India Gate. Within the courtyard is the 145 feet high Jaipur column, a symbol of victory designed by Lutyen. He created this masterpiece - the 250 acre Mughal Gardens on the grounds of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which at one time required the care of 418 men and the great Vice Regal Palace required a staff of 2000.
India Gate:
At the foot of Raisina Hill is the India Gate. India Gate was originally called "All India War Memorial" is situated on the Rajpath in New Delhi. The 42m high structures is a war memorial arch, which Lutyen built in honor of 60,000 soldiers who died in World War –II. It is a monument built by Edwin Lutyensto commemorate in the memory of the Indian soldiers who died in the World War II and the Afghan Wars. The Duke of Connaught laid the foundation stone on 10 February 1921. The names of the soldiers who died in these wars are inscribed on the walls. It was completed in 1931.
Amar Jawan Jyoti; is the flame of the immortal warrior. It is an eternal flame to honor the memory of the unknown soldiers. Which is burning under the India gate since 1971.
Humayun,s Tomb:
Humayun's Tomb, which is perhaps, the finest Mughal building located in Nizamuddin East New Delhi. Built by the wife of Humayun, Haji Begum in the mid 16th century, this red sand stone structure is considered to be the predecessor of Taj Mahal. Humayun's wife is also buried in the red and white sandstone, black and yellow marble tomb. The complex is a World Heritage Site and the first example of this type of Mughal architecture in India. The tomb stands on a raised platform and is built of red sandstone. The construction of the tomb was completed in 1565. The tomb stands in a well laid out Mughal Garden. Visit the mosque, mausoleums and ruins of forts that lie around it including the Iron Pillar which is Delhi’s totem pole 24 feet high, made of 99% steel and which has stood for 1600 years without a speck of rust on it.
Jamma Masjid:
Jamma Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India, is one of the Architectural gift given by Shah Jahan. Completed in 1658 this Mosque has three gateways. Four angle towers and two 40 m high minarets. You can enter the mosque but take precaution to take off your shoes and make sure that you are properly dressed before entering. One can also go to the top of minarets. From here you can have a birds eye view of Delhi.
Safdarjung Tomb:
The Nawab of Avadh built Safdarjung tomb for his father. The structure is one of the finest examples of architecture of its time and tells a saga of the last remnants of a dying empire. The Safdarjung tomb is besides the of Safdarjung airport.
The Red Fort:
The Red Fort is popularly known as The "Lal Quila"; Lal means Red and Quila means Fort. This palace was built by Shah Jahan in 1648 and was a veritable city within a city. When Shah Jehan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi he built the Red Fort as his residential palace as well as his military fortress. The most elegant building is the DIWAN I KHAS or the Hall of Private audience .The fort is a complex of marble buildings with balconies, filigreed windows, massive red sandstone walls, ramparts and gateways. This Fort stands on the banks of Yamuna River as an irregular octagon. A wall of about 2.4 Kilometers in circumference surrounds it. The fort has two main entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate, which faces the famed Chandani Chowk market.
Quaran Qila:
It is believed that the Pandavas had built their capital, Indraprastha at the place where the old fort stands today. This fort, now in ruins, was the seat for administration for many emperors. The legendary Prithviraj Chauhan ruled from here till Abdali defeated him in the battle of Panipat. The Department of Delhi Tourism holds a new light & sound show every evening. Timings and Tickets are available from the tourist office.
Qutub Minar:
Qutub Minar complex is Delhi’s Eiffel Tower, its Statue of Liberty and Nelson Column. A Muslim king, Qutub -ud - din, built it in 1199 A.D and a part of which he could not finish was completed by Itutmish, another muslim king. It is situated in the southern part of the capital. The height of the tower is about 72.5 meter high and there is a mosque at its base. In front the Qutub Minar there is an iron pillar, which is believed that it was built in 5th century. The uniqueness part of the pillar is that it has not caught rust ever since it was built. Due to some precaution the Tourists are not allowed to climb the Qutub Minar i.e. to the tower.
Raj Ghat:
Raj Ghat is simple square platform of black marble on the banks of the river Yamuna marks the place where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. His last words ' Hey Ram ' are inscribed on this platform, which is surrounded by a serene garden.
Agra:
Agra is the city on the bank of Yamuna River. Sultan Sikandar Lodi ruled Agra in the year 1506. It lies currently in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and remains a major tourists destination because of its many splendid Mughal era buildings, most notably the Taj Mahal Agra Fort and Fatehpur, Sikri all three of which are UNESCO world heritage sites. Agra is derived from the word Agrabana means paradise; the pronunciation finds mention in the epic Mahabharata. Ptolemy the famous second century A.D. geographer marked it on his map of the world as Agra. In the 12th century A.D. Persian poet Salman writes of a desperate assault on the fortress of Agra, then held by one King Jaipal, by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.
Rashtrapati Bhavan:
The Viceroy’s House that is the residence of President of India and Lutyen’s magnum opus. It is larger than Versailles and architecturally is a fusion of Indian and Western design. The Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed by Edwin Lutyens and built in 1931, to be the central point of the British power in Delhi. The most magnificent room in the Rashtrapati Bhavan is the Durbar Hall, which lies directly beneath the main dome. All important Indian State and Official ceremonies are held here. To the west, is the famous and beautifully landscaped Mughal Gardens, designed after the terraced gardens the Mughals built in Kashmir. The garden is famous as the 'Butterfly Garden' for the numerous butterflies that visit the varied flowers. The garden is open to the public in February.
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. It is larger than Versailles and architecturally is a fusion of Indian and Western design.
Tāj Mahal:
Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz. It is a mausoleum located in Agra India. The construction began in 1632 and was completed in 1653. The Taj Mahal is generally considered the finest example of of Mughal architecture a style that combines elements of Persian mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument. Taj Mahal is actually Turkish Indian and Islamic architectural styles. While the white dimmed marble an integrated complex of structures. A team of designers and craftsmen were responsible for the design of Taj Mahal. Ustad Ahmad Lahauri was the principle designer. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983 when it was described as a "universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage. The famous historian Shri P.N. Oak and others are however unconvinced of its origins and have claimed that Taj Mahal is actually Tejo Mahalaya-- a shiv temple-palace. His work was published in 1965 in the book, Taj Mahal - The True Story.One reason stated is that no other buiding in the entire Muslim world is called a 'Mahal'a very Indian/Hindu terminology for a palace except suspiciously for the Taj Mahal(Tejo Mahal?)
Lotus Temple:
Lotus Temple is completed in 1986, the Bahai temple is set amidst pools and gardens, and adherents of any faith are free to visit the temple and pray or meditate silently according to their own religion. The structure is in lotus shape so it often called the lotus temple. The view of the temple is very spectacular just before dusk when the temple is flood lit.