Places of worship

Some Places of Worship:

Akshardham temple:

Akshardham is a place of  education, entertainment  and enlightenment.As one of the wonders of world,
it combines traditional stone architecture, ancient wisdom, and the best of modern technology
to create the most powerful experience  of Indian Culture ever to exist.

Dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan, and  inspired by HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj, Akshardham is a miracle worked by the sacrifice of thousands of volunteers.

Hundreds of figures, dioramas,  displays and audio-visual shows,  unfold a stream of timeless experiences.
They are visually mesmeric, scientifically stunning, and spiritually moving.

More than 2 million visitors visit annually. But remember, at Akshardham  you are not a tourist nor a traveler.  You're an explorer. An inventor. A sculptor.You'll discover the art of sculpting yourself from within.


Iskcon temple

Sri Sri Radha Parthasarathi Mandir  or generally called as ISKCON Delhi temple is a famous Vaishnav temple of LordKrishna and Radharani in the form of Radha Parthasarathi, Opened in 1998, it is located at Hare Krishna Hills, in the East of Kailash area of New Delhi, India.ISKCON Temple, designed and built by Achyut Kanvinde who in 1993 agreed to accept a pro-bono commission to build this temple complex for the followers of Srila Prabhupada, is one of the largest temple complexes in India. It comprises numerous rooms for priests and for service renders. It has many halls that are used for its administration purposes. It is divided into four broad sections.

Lotus temple
The Lotus Temple known as the Taj of modern India is a distinctive lotus-shaped marvel in marble surrounded by a landscaped garden. This architectural marvel of the Bahai faith is essentially a symbol of peace. In the Bahai's Holy Writings great importance is given to prayers as is revealed in all the scriptures. According to Bahai faith the mere act of praying is not sufficient. The inspiration drawn from one's prayers must be translated into action which promotes the well being of humanity.

The Bahai House of Worship at New Delhi is one of the marvels of modern architecture. The temple gives the impression of a half-open lotus flower afloat, surrounded by its leaves. The shining pure white marble, the majestic dome, the petals clearly standing out create a sense of awe. The temple is surrounded by walkways with beautiful curved balustrades, bridges and stairs that surround the nine pools representing the floating leaves of the lotus. It is a remarkable tabernacle of peace and beauty and an engineering feat that will set standards for centuries.
The temple complex consists of the main house of worship with a basement and the ancillary block, which houses a reception centre, a library and the administrative building. The library contains a rich collection of religious books. Besides, there is also an hourly introductory audio-visual presentation for the visitors. 
The inner dome is spherical and patterned after the innermost portion of the lotus flower. It is like a bud consisting of 24 petals and light filters through these inner folds which is diffused through the central hall. While the flooring inside the auditorium is of white marble, the walkways and stairs of the outer portion are of red sandstone, offering a majestic contrast.

Lotus temple

Iskcon temple

Akshardham temple

Qutub minar

The Qutub Minar is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. Numerous inscriptions in Parso-Arabic and Nagari characters in different sections of the Qutub Minar reveal the history of its construction. According to the inscriptions on its surface it was repaired by Firoz Shah Tughluq (AD 1351-88) and Sikandar Lodi (AD 1489-1517)

ASI plaque at Qutub Minar.

The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, located at the northeast of Minar, was built by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak in AD 1198. It is the earliest mosque built by the Delhi Sultans. Later, a coffee arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged by Shams ud Din Iltutmish (AD 1210-35) and Allaud - din Khilji. The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of the 4th century AD. According to this inscription, the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of Lord Vishnu) on the hill known as Krishnapada in memory of a mighty king named Chandra. A deep socket on the top of the ornate capital indicates that an image of Garuda was probably affixed to it.

The Qutub Minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated bybalconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. The Qutub Minar is itself built on the ruins of the Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika, the capital of the Tomars and the Chauhans, the last Hindu rulers of Delhi. One engraving on the Qutub Minar reads, "Shri Vishwakarma prasade rachita" (Conceived with the grace of Vishwakarma).

How to reach

Major Trains Connecting New Delhi

• Hazrat Nizammudin Rajdhani Express (Bangalore)
• Kalka Mail (Kolkata)
• Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express (Mumbai)
• Tamil Nadu Express (Chennai)
• Shan-e-Punjab Express (Amritsar)
• Madhya Pradesh Sampark Kranti (Madhya Pradesh)
• Shramjeevi Express (Bihar)

Qutub Minar by Metro 

Qutub Minar is easily accessible by the Delhi Metro. It even features on the Smart Cards issued by the Delhi Government. The Qutub Minar station is located on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro running between Huda City Centre and Jahangirpuri. The passengers on other lines need to get connectivity to the Yellow line from the nearest Metro station. 

Qutub Minar by Bus

From Railway Station- Bus number 34, 413
From Airport- Bus Number 34

The Daily sight seeing tour organized by the Delhi Transport Commission (DTC) is also a good option to view the tall minaret. The tourist bus takes you to all the important historical monuments in New Delhi. The bus starts from the Scindia's house in Connaught place in Central Delhi. The buses also run frequently from the major bus depots in the city towards the Qutub Minar, you can always take any one of them.

Red Fort

The Red Fort in Delhi is the second most magnificent creation of Shah Jahan after The Taj Mahal. This 17th century Fort of the Mughal Kings reflects the zenith of creativity prevalent in architecture during the Mughal Era. The Red Fort is a fusion of Indian, Persian and European Art. It is also famous for being the venue of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s “Freedom at Mid Night” speech on 15th Aug 1947 after India’s Independence. The sound and light show organized in the Red Fort in the evenings is a great way to experience its history and magnificence.

Lal Quila also called the Red Fort is one of the most important monuments of India. It stands on the bank of river Yamuna. The whole structure is made of Red stone. The fort was built by Shahjahan - the Mughal King who also built the famous Taj Mahal - in 1648. Shahjahan called it the Uru-Muhalla. Shahjahan shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi and Red Fort was the new capital. Lal Quila stands at the eastern side of Shahjahanabad and the very name of "Lal Quila" comes from the huge wall that encloses the whole structure. The wall is 2.5 km long and the height varies from 16 meters on the river side to 33 meters towards the city.One of the special attraction of the fort is the huge wall that encompasses the whole structure. The walls have two entrances, one at the delhi gate and the other at the Lahore gate. Lahore Gate is the main entrance point of the fort, leading to Chatta Chowk. It is a covered bazaar street where merchnants sold their goods to the nobles of the country.

Red Fort has a lot to offer to the visitors. There are many things that can only be seen and witnessed. You must visit the fort once and get to learn a lot about the great Mughal architecture. Being among the top tourist destinations of Delhi, Red Fort attracts thousands of visitors every year. Above all, the Red Fort has a very important purpose in the democracy of India. It is the site that is used for celebrating the Independence Day. The Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on August 15 from this very historical monument.

How to reach

The most convenient way of reaching Red Fort is my Delhi Metro. The Red Fort is closest to the Metro station of Chandni Chowk. It falls in the Yellow line of Delhi Metro running between Jahangirpuri and Huda city. Another option is to take the Delhi Transport Corporations Tourist Bus to Red Fort from Scindia House. This tour operates every day except Mondays and costs Rs 200.

Purana quila

             

   

Purana Qila or Old Fort in English was constructed by Mughal Emperor Humayun in 1533 and was completed in five years time. The Qila was a part of Emperor Humayun's dream city Dinpanah and served as its inner fortress. Dinpanah means 'Refuge of the Faithful' and Emperor Humayun wanted this to be a place where learned men of all Islamic sects could discuss religious studies under the benefaction of their emperor.

When in 1540, Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun, he named the fort as Shergarh or Dilli Shershahi. He destroyed several structures of dinapanah and added many more during his reign, which lasted until his death in 1545.

After the death of Sher Shah Suri, Humayun defeated Sher Shah's son to take back his city. But Humayun did not destroy any thing built by Sher Shah. Rather he utilized several of the buildings of Dilli Shershahi for completing the city of his dream.

Purana Qila is located on the eastern side of India Gate and north of Humayun's tomb on Mathura Road and is mostly open all days from sunrise to sunset. But early morning or evening is the best time to visit the Purana Qila.

Tourists can easily reach the Purana Qila via local buses from various points within the city or can hire auto-rickshaws and taxis. Even metro rail station is a good option to visit the monument. The nearest metro station from the Purana Qila is the Connaught Place metro station. It will require not less than 2 to 2½ hours to to see the entire Purana Qila.

The walls of the Purana Qila are massive and magnificent and are 18 meters high.

In the evenings, light and sound shows are organized in the Purana Qila premises, which attracts a lot of tourists. Generally, two shows are organized in two different languages, English and Hindi for the convenience of international and local tourists.The lake adjoining the Purana Qila offers boating facility for visitors.

How to reach

How to reach Purana Quila: Pragati Maidan the nearest metro station to Purana Quilais just 3 metro stations away from Rajiv Chowk on Blue line towards Noida City Centre / Vaishali. From Pragati Maidan one can walk or can take Auto Rickshaw to reachPurana Quila.

Humayun's Tomb

                                      


The tomb of the second Mughal Emperor, Humayun, is a red sandstone and white marble structure of monumental proportions standing in a garden landscaped in the classic chahar bagh (four part paradise garden) pattern. The earliest existing example of the Mughal garden tomb in India, Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the first of the grand imperial mausoleums that became the hallmark of the Mughal dynasty. Humayun’s tomb inspired and is a precursor of the Taj Mahal.

The Humayun’s Tomb Complex and its surrounding areas cover almost 60 acres of land and include several significant monuments such as Isa Khan’s tomb enclosure, Afsarwala Tomb and Mosque, Arab Serai, Bu Halima’s Tomb and several monumental gateways.

Conservation work on the restoration of the mausoleum, the gateways, pavilions and tomb structures began in April 2008. Preparatory work prior to conservation included exhaustive archival research, documentation using state-of-art laser scanning technology, condition assessment and structural analysis.


How to reach
For tourist living abroad

Various international flights of different airlines are directed towards Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi. From here one can take DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) buses or can hire private taxis. The flights of following airlines run continuously to New Delhi:

Aeroflot-from Moscow
Air Arabia-from Sharjah
Oman Air-from Muscat
Nepal Airlines-from Kathmandu
Air France- from Paris (Charles De Gaulle Airport)
British Airways  from London (Heathrow Airport)
China Airlines- Rome-Fiumicino
Air China- from Beijing
Emirates- from Dubai
Japan Airlines- Tokyo
Sri Lanka airlines

By metro

Located in The Lodhi Road area of New Delhi, The Humayun's Tomb is closest to The Central Secretariat metro station of Delhi Metro. The Central Secretariat metro station lies on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro which connects all the major areas between Jahangipuri and Huda City Centre. If you are traveling on Red or Blue lines of Delhi Metro all you need to do is deboard at the Rajiv Chowk and catch the underground Yellow line. The Violet line connects Central Secretariat to the Badarpur village on Haryana Border. The Delhi Metro on all routes is available from 6 am to 11pm except for Airport Express Metro which closes at 10 at night.


By Bus

Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) daily operates sight seeing tours from Scindia House except on Monday. These sight seeing
Buses can take the tourists to the Humayun's tomb. The fare of these buses is generally around rupees 200 for the adults and rupees 100 for the children.
Tourists can take buses heading towards Humayun's tomb from the major Bus Depots and terminals in the city like:


Yamuna Vihar bus depot
Sarai Kale Khan
Hari Nagar bus depot
Nangloi bus depot
Shadipur bus depot
Kashmere gate terminal
Anand Vihar terminal

India gate and Rajpath.

The India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. it is a prominent landmark in Delhi and commemorates the 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who lost their lives in World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. It is composed of red and pale sandstone and gran.

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 Parktogether 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").

The 42-metre tall India Gate is situated in such a way that many important roads spread out from it. Traffic passing around India Gate used to be continuous until the roads were closed to the public.

                                        

How to reach:

By train

Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express (Mumbai)
Hazrat Nizammudin Rajdhani Express (Bangalore)
Kalka Mail (Kolkata)
Tamil Nadu Express (Chennai)
Madhya Pradesh Sampark Kranti (Madhya Pradesh)
Shramjeevi Express (Bihar)
Shan-e-Punjab Express (Amritsar)

Domestic Airlines
Air India
Kingfisher Airlines
Spice Jet
Jet Airways
Indigo Airlines

Metro Route to India Gate
Once you are at Delhi, now you might find multiple options which you can abide by but at times they can also be confusing. The best option is to take metro route which is very common in Delhi these days. The metro station that falls nearest to India Gate is none other than Central Secretariat. you will find that they metro station is well connected with two lines that connects Delhi Metro, one is the yellow line which falls between Jahangiri as well as Huda city while the other one which is violet line connects two stations; Central Secretariat as well as Badarpur.

Map of India gate

                                               

Delhi's Heritage

                                          



Being one of the most historic capitals in the world, Delhi has many tourist sites.

this is the list of some important Delhi's tourist sites:

1. India gate and Rajpath.

2.Humayun's Tomb.

3.Red Fort.

4.Qutub Minar.

5.Jantar Mantar.


Places of worship :

1.Akshardham temple.

2.Iskcon temple.

3.Lotus temple.