Akshardham Temple is a magnificent Hindu shrine, situated in the east region of New Delhi. Located on the banks of River Yamuna, it was inaugurated in November 2005, by the former President of India - APJ Abdul Kalam, the Prime Minister - Manmohan Singh and Pramukh Swami Maharaj - the spiritual leader of BAPS. Pramukh Swami Maharaj is the current spiritual leader of Swaminarayan Sanstha, BAPS. Swaminarayan Akshardham was constructed under his guidance, after his guru, Yogiji Maharaj, expressed a wish for the same.
As a spiritual leader, Swamiji constantly travels and meets people across the world, to help them lead better lives.
The antiquity of the main market area of Chandni Chowk has rendered it a venerated place in the markets of Delhi. It is said that it was once lined with beautiful fountains. However, with time, it grew as crowded as it is today. Situated opposite the Red Fort, Chandani Chowk houses the Digambar Jain Temple, Fatehpuri Mosque - built by the wives of Shah Jahan - and Sunheri Masjid.
It was from here that the troops of Nadir Shah started their mission of plundering and massacring the 'infidels' at Delhi.
Connaught Place, the horseshoe-shaped market of New Delhi, was designed by Robert Tor Russell and W H Nicholls. It was named after the Duke of Connaught, a member of the British royal family. It was the largest of its kind in India at that time. Connaught Place is still a premier shopping destination of Delhi, with a number of restaurants, food joints, watering holes, shops, emporia and cinema halls. It is one of the leading commercial and business hubs of the city and can be broadly categorized into two areas - Inner Circle and Outer Circle.
Inner Circle offers almost all the international brands, finest restaurants, eateries, bars and excellent bookshops.
The war memorial arch, India Gate, was built by the British in the honor of the unknown martyrs, who lost their lives in the First World War and Second Afghan War. Vijay Chowk (the Victory Square) is the site of 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony held annually in New Delhi, on 29th January. Originally known as All India War Memorial, it has the names of the soldiers who died in the wars inscribed on its walls. Since 1971, there is the eternal soldier's flame burning under it, known as 'Amar Jawan Jyoti'. It is said that Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker designed India Gate and its surrounding area.
India Gate is situated on Rajpath (the Royal Road). It is the ceremonial boulevard of the Indian republic that boasts of ornamental parks, pools and gardens alongside.
One of the most beautiful temples in India, the 40 m high Lotus Temple is also known as Bahai Temple, and is built in the shape of a half-opened Lotus flower. Situated near Bahapur village, it is the seventh Baha'i House of Worship in the world. Completed in 1986, this pure white marble temple is also known as Taj of Modern India. Surrounded by carefully manicured lawns, it has been constructed using marble, cement, sand and dolomite. The temple structure has 27 giant white marble petals and nine pools, indicative of the nine unifying spiritual paths of the Baha'i faith, which believes in oneness of all religions and mankind.
The faith emphasizes on prayer, described as, 'Conversation with God' and meditation, described as 'Key for opening the doors of mysteries'.
Parliament House of Delhi, commonly known as the Sansad Bhawan is situated at the end point of the Sansad Marg in New Delhi. Parliament House is a circular structure designed by Herbert Baker and was opened in 1927. The huge structure of the Parliament House in Delhi has 247 pillars with broad corridor. TheParliament House of New Delhi is the Legislative Assembly of the country.
General public can enter the Sansad Bhawan or the Parliament House and view sessions in the public gallery by receiving permits from the reception office of Raisina Road of New Delhi.
Qutubuddin Aibak laid the foundation of Qutab Minar, as a victory tower, in 1199 AD. Originally, it rose to a height of 72.5 m. It is undoubtedly one of the finest stone towers in India and one of the most important landmarks of Delhi. Iltutmish, the son-in-law and successor of Qutubuddin, completed its construction. Nearby, one can also see the ruins of the Tomb of Iltutmish. He built it in 1235 AD, during his own lifetime, and decorated the interiors profusely, using calligraphy.
The tower tapers from a base of 14.32 m to 2.75 m at its top and took 20 years to complete. Built in red sandstone, this tower sports the inscriptions of verses of Holy Quran and some intricate carvings. We can also see the ruins of the embattlements of the city called 'Siri' here.
Raj Ghat, the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most visited sites in Delhi. It consists of a simple square black-marble platform that stands on the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated. Nearby, there are cremation sites of Jawaharlal Nehru - the first Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri.
Raj Ghat is situated to the south of Red Fort and is very peaceful. The black marble tomb is inscribed by the words 'Hey Ram!', the last words that were spoken by Mahatma Gandhi, as he fell down after being shot by Nathuram Godse.
Shah Jahan shifted his capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad and laid the foundation of Red Fort, or the Lal Quila, on 16th April 1639. It took nine years to build this mighty citadel and it got completed on 16th April 1648. It is said that about one crore rupees, an astronomical sum in those days, was spent on its construction. Half of this sum was spent to build the exotic palaces within the fort. Built of red sandstone, it is octagonal in shape, with two longer sides on the east and west.
The perimeter of its strong ramparts is about 2.41 km. Red Fort rises to a height of 33.5 m on the town side and 18 m along the river.
