Friday, March 19, 2004

At New Delhi, India.

New Delhi is a place of historical importance. The city is bigger than some of the countries in the world. It does have lot of places of interest and if you go to the Karol Bagh area you could get tourist bus operators who does have city tour packages. December first two weeks and February Mid are the best time to visit New Delhi.

India gate is opposite to the Rashtrapathi bhavan. I was lucky to have witnessed the Rebuplic Day Parade ( Feb 26 ) thru the Raj Path. As an Indian , this was one the best patritoic moment in my life. Its a worth seeing event.India gate is inscribed with all the warriors who had given thier life for the country during the world war II.

Another place of interest is Qutab Minar. This huge vertical structure does have historical significance.Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world, and an important example of Indo-Islamic Architecture. The tower is in the Qutb complex at Mehrauli in South Delhi, India. The Qutub Minar and its monuments are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Qutub Minar is 72 meters high (237.8 ft) with 379 steps leading to the top. The diameter of the base is 14.3 meters wide while the top floor measures 2.75 meters in diameter. Surrounding the building are many fine examples of Indian artwork from the time it was built in 1193. A second tower was in construction and planned to be taller than the Qutub Minar itself. Its construction ended abruptly when it was about 12 meters tall.The name of this tower is given as Alau Minar and construction of the same ended due to the death of the Sultan ,Alauddin Khilji.Only the core made of RAndom Rubble masonry and Mortar remain of this unfinished Tower which was to have been twice the height of the Qutb Minar of Qutb ud din Aibak.
According to the Archaeological Survey of India, the place where Qutub Minar stands today was once occupied by about 27 Jain and Hindu temples. These were demolished and the stones reused to build the present complex.The temples columns were used to build the Mosque Quwwat ul Islam (translated as the Might of Islam) by Qutb ud din.

Lotus Temple is one of the reglious place of worship for Bahais . The building architeture is in the shape of a Lotus flower. The Bahá'í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple, is a Bahá'í House of Worship and also a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

The house of late Prime Minister of India , Indira Gandhi is coverted into a Museum. As we pass thru the corriders of the house , its like like walking thru the last 100 years of Indian history. Birla mandir is another attraction. I visited the Motilal Nehrus house , which is infact as big as a fort. All the mortal remains of martyrs and the famous personalities connected with Indian History are at nearby places. Raj Ghat ( Mahatma Gandhi ) , Veer Bhumi (Rajiv Gandhi) etc i visited.

The Red Fort and the city of Shahjahanabad was constructed by the Emperor Shah Jahan in 1639 A.D. The layout of the Red Fort was organised to retain and integrate this site with the Salimgarh Fort. The fortress palace is an important focal point of the medieval city of Shahjahanabad. The planning and aesthetics of the Red Fort represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which prevailed during the reign of Emperor Shahjahan. This Fort has had many developments added on after its construction by Emperor Shahjahan. The significant phases of development were under Aurangzeb and later Mughal rulers. Important physical changes were carried out in the overall settings of the site after the First War of Independence during British Rule in 1857. After Independence, the site experienced a few changes in terms of addition/alteration to the structures. During the British period the Fort was mainly used as a cantonment and even after Independence, a significant part of the Fort remained under the control of the Army till the year 2003.

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