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Delhi

Delhi is the capital of India, the country's third-largest city, and the home of some of the finest monuments of the Moghul Empire and the British Raj.

It is also an excellent base from which to visit Agra and Jaipur - two of India's most popular cities.

It stands at the western end of the Gangetic Plain, bordered on the eastern side by the state of Uttar Pradesh, and on the other three sides by the state of Haryana.

Delhi is an amalgam of the old and the new. The ancient and the modern times are in juxtaposition here, not only in the remains of a succession of empires, but equally in present social structure and lifestyles.

The name Delhi, Dehali, or Dilli is derived from Dhillika, the name of the first medieval township of Delhi, located on the southwestern border of the present Delhi, in Mehrauli. This was the first in the series of seven medieval cities. It is also known as Yoginipura, that is, the fortress of the yoginis (female divinities). There was, however, an ancient urban settlement in Delhi known as Indraprastha on the banks of the Yamuna which is traditionally believed to have been founded by the Pandava brothers, the mythical heroes of Mahabharata, the national epic of India. Excavations at the site of the township inside Purana Kila or the Old Fort show that the date of the oldest habitation in Delhi is around the 3rd or 4th century B.C.

Delhi is divided into two parts. The old Delhi or Delhi was one of the capitals of Muslim India between the 12th and 19th centuries. Old forts, mosques and monuments related to India's Muslim history are located here. New Delhi is the imperial city which was created as the capital by the British. It is spread over a wide area and is lined with imposing boulevards.

ATTRACTIONS
Among the places of special interest to tourists in Delhi are the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Raj Ghat, Jantar Mantar, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Qutb Minar, India Gate, Secretariat Building, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Parliament House, National Museum, National Gallery of Modern Art, Nehru Museum, Rail Transport Museum, International Dolls Museum, Crafts Museum, Gandhi Darshan, Purana Qila, Safdarjung's Tomb, and Bahai House of Worship.

RED FORT
Rising upto 33.5 metres, Red Fort encloses an area of about 124 acres. Forming the eastern wall of the city of Shahjahanabad, the fort is surrounded by a moat 22.8 metres wide and 9.14 metres deep and originally connected to a river. The fort originally had six entrances of which Lahori Gate and the Delhi Gate are the main gates now.

Immediately on crossing the Lahori Gate, once an important commercial and cultural centre - one arrives at the Chatta Chowk or the vaulted Arcade. Once an important centre for finest silks, brocades, enamel, silver and gold, the Chatta Chowk had 32 double storeyed arcade shops. But now it houses various shops and leads to a two story gate, Naubat Khana (Drum House), where martial music was played five times a day. Today it is just an open courtyard.

The square leads on to Diwan-i-Am or the Hall of Public Audience.(where the Emperor heard the complaints or disputes of his subjects). Originally ornamented with stucco work, it now has a 'Bengal roof' inlaid with precious stones. At the northern end stands a three story octagonal tower known as Shah Bhurj, which suffered great damages during the fight for independence. Visitors are permitted to climb the interior narrow winding stairs to the top, where those who make it are rewarded with a splendid view of the activities below.

South of the Shah Bhurj lies the Hira Mahal followed by the Hammam or the Royal Bath. Built of marble and decorated with inlay, glass and paint, the Royal Bath consists of three elegant apartments which were not only used as bathing rooms but also for private meetings.

Next to the Hammam lies the Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Special Audience made of white marble. Built upon a raised plinth and supported upon 32 pillars, Diwan-i-khas was studded with precious stones set in floral patterns. Within the room on a white marble dias stood the famous peacock throne of Shah Jahan which was carried off by Nadir Shah when he plundered Delhi in 1739.

South of Diwan-i-khas lie the private apartments of the emperor, called the Khas Mahal. To the east, is a large room known as the `Baithak' or the sitting room and leads on to a `Jharokha' or overhanging gallery where the emperor appeared before his subjects at sunrise each morning. To the south of Khas Mahal is the apartment of the royal seraglio, called the Rang Mahal. The apartments are divided into six chambers. The four corner chambers have tiny pieces of glass embedded in the upper walls and are known as Sheesh Mahal. South of Rang Mahal stands the Mumtaz Mahal, a palace of Shah Jahan's eldest and favourite daughter Jahanara Begum.

Chandi Chowk is the colorful, huge and wildly active shopping bazaar on the main street in Old Delhi.

Qutb Minar

Close-up details below of the intricately carved Qutab Minar shown in photo left.

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