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Delhi - Tourist Attractions
The Qutab Minar is his legacy to the city. This tower
of victory is remarkable for its planning and construction,
built to its great height at a time when stones were lifted
manually all the way of it height of 72.5 m. A staircase inside
was being used by the muezzin to climb into the minaret to call
the faithful to prayer. Muslim and Hindu architecture is mixed
in this complex as the remnants of all these kingdoms combine
to give us brief glimpses of that time. On one side of the great
mosque stand the remnants of 27 Hindu and Jain temples. And
in the center of the courtyard is the Ashoka Pillar inscribed
with a Sanskrit text. This is made of a special metal, which
has been impervious to rust over the centuries.
Bahai Temple
Modern wonders have been added to the wealth of the past
like the Bahai temple near Kalkaji. Made in white marble, this
temple is shaped like a lotus flower. A huge hall inside offers
a place for quiet thought and meditation. Its gardens provide
a contrasting splash of color where groups of dahlias and roses
and a variety of flowers stand like a symbol of unity of religions,
just like the temple.
Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar was one of the five observatories built
by great astrologer and king of Jaipur, Sawai Jai Singh. Now
dysfunctional, this structure situated in the center of Delhi,
creates a lot of interest in the tourists coming to Delhi.
Tughlaqabad Fort
Ten kilometers south of the Qutab stands the mammoth
fort of Tughlaqabad built between 1320-1324 by Ghiyas-ud-din.
Piles of gigantic boulders rise in stark, savage splendor. The
fort was never attacked but was plundered for its building material
by Mohammed Tughlaq.
Purana Qila
The Purana qila (fort) stands on the site of the legendary
Indraprastha. Work was started in 1539 by Humayun who completed
the lofty ramparts and gateways, at the center of Dinapanah,
the new city. Soon Sher Shah replaced Humayun and destroyed
much of his predecessor's work. He built the magnificent Qala-i-Kuhna
mosque and Sher Mandal, the octagonal tower. On his return to
power in 1556, Humayun used Sher Mandal as his observatory and
library.
Humayun's Tomb
Humayun's tomb is a grand affair, built by his widow
who brought 300 craftsmen from Persia for this job. This magnificent
tomb in red sandstone, crowned by a glorious double-dome in
marble stands on a terrace, Char Bagh-the authentic Islamic
lay out for a paradise on earth. Four canals divide the garden
into four sections. In the central domed chamber is Humayun's
grave lying in isolated grandeur. Some less fortunate later
Mughal princes are also buried here. In 1857, Bahadur shah II
sought refuge in the tomb but was captured, tried and exiled.
Red Fort
Shahjahan added glittering monuments to Delhi.His city,
called Shahjahanabad, is built in front of the Red Fort. Though
destroyed a fair deal by the British, the fort still contains
some magnificent palaces. The Diwan-i-Khas is grand in its marble
columns and stone platform on which stood the Peacock Throne
with its solid gold frame studded with the empire's costliest
diamonds, emeralds, rubies and pearls valued at 12,037,500 pounds
sterling as per Travernier's contemporary account. Diwan-i-Khas
witnessed the apex of Mughal glory and its fall. Here the Persian
invader Nadir Shah sat on the Mughal throne and Muhammad Shah
stood in attendance. Here Shah Alam II was blinded by an Afghan
chief Ghulam Qadir. 'Seat of the Shadow God' in the Diwan-i-Aam
is a marvelously sculpted throne ornamented with exquisite pietra
dura Italian panels depicting gorgeous birds, flowers and Orpheus
playing flute to animals. These panels were removed and sold
to a London Museum; retrieved and rest on the orders of Lord
Curzon. The marble lotus in the Rang Mahal, crafted out of a
single block of marble is a marvel. Also ingeniously crafted
is the lattice screen in the royal chambers. The gardens and
palaces were fed by channels of Nihir-i-bihisht (stream of Paradise)
running through the royal area.
Jama Masjid
Outside the Red Fort the Jami Masjid dominates the landscape
with its bulbous domes and twin slender minarets piercing the
sky. The Chandni Chowk, cultural center of Shahjahanabad has
a few mosques, notably the Sunehri Masjid from where Nadir Shah
had supervised the plunder and carnage of the city. The Fatehpuri
Masjid without minarets is unique in its architectural style.
Colonial Structures
Delhi's medieval phase ended with the British occupation
of the city after 1857 at the fall of the Mughal Empire. On
December 12, 1911 King George V Declared Delhi the capital of
British India. Lutyens and Baker-the architects started work
on New Delhi, the Imperial capital. Lutyen's magnum opus, the
Viceroy's House (now the Rashtrapati Bhawan) is the showpiece
of the new imperial style with countless columns, endless corridors,
grand reception halls, fountains and courts.
The majestic copper dome recalls the great stupa at Sanchi.
The twin Secretariat Blocks, a work of Baker dominate the Raisina
Hill. The Parliament House is yet another great architectural
achievement of New Delhi. The India Gate and the stone canopy
under which stood the statue of George V (now removed to the
Coronation Park, near Kingsway Camp) form the axial terminal
of the grand vista now called the Rajpath and used for the Republic
Day parade.
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