Added: 09/21/2005 |
You have found yourself in Delhi. What is next?Before you will find yourself in Delhi you will have to decide how to get there. There are three ways to get to Delhi. If you go there not from India, go by air. Delhi is a major International Gateway to India. It has an extensive network of International as well as domestic flights. All the major airlines in the world fly through Delhi, and it is easily accessible from anywhere in the world. Domestic air links cover Delhi from all the major cities in the country.
If you move to Delhi from any other town of India, you may get there by train or by bus. Delhi is an important rail center connected to all places in India. It is an excellent place for booking too. There are two main stations in Delhi, Delhi Station and new Delhi station at Old Delhi and Paharganj respectively is also the Nizamudin station in South Delhi. Trains run from all the parts of the country to Delhi. For nearby places like Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gwalior, Bhopal, Lucknow and Kanpur, the Shatabdi Express is recommended.
Buses from all major places in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are available for getting to Delhi. During the summer months, air-conditioned coaches are recommended.
Ok, now you are in Delhi. You will ask, "What tourist attractions in Delhi may I see?"
If it is your first visit to Delhi, everything there will an interest for you as the city has a colorful history. Ruled by different dynasties of conquerors, both Hindu and Muslim, and invaded through the centuries, such conquests have led to the syncretic nature of the way of life in Delhi, which is also represented in its physical features. Vestiges of its historic Mughal past can still be seen between a modern housing complex on the Ring Road, or in the middle of dense vegetation hidden behind rusting old cars near the Palam airport. The old tombs and forts that lie scattered all over the city, the ruins of the walls of the old walled city that can be found in the most conspicuous of places, popping up where you least expect them to.
Among the most popular tourist attractions, found in Delhi, I can mention Chandni Chowk, Red Fort, Qutab Minar, Purana Qila (Old Fort),Humayun's Tomb, Lodi Gardens, Sisganj Gurdwara, Jama Masjid, Bahai Temple, Jantar Mantar, and Lutyens Delhi.
Chandni Chowk is a maze of lanes and bylanes which offer the most amazing wares and have a mixed ethnic population. This is the nucleus of the Old City and has ancient houses or Havelis, some of which are today falling apart. Here stand structures such as the home of the famous Persian poet Mirza Ghalib, which has just been recognised as a national monument and is under renovation. One can spend a day shopping for things like garments, gems, dry fruits, aromatic oils, cameras and other gadgets. The Chowk, besides being a market, also has several places of religious worship, such as the Dighambara Jain temple at the mouth of the market with an interesting bird hospital attached to it. A little deeper into the streets is the Sikh Gurdwara Rakabganj. Behind, to the west of the area, stands the largest mosque in India - the Jama Masjid, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.
This area also has the Nickelsons cemetery, the St. James church and the earliest buildings of the Hindu and St. Stephens colleges, two premier undergraduate institutions in India. It also has a great market for fruits and motorcycle parts, also old parts sold as new!
The most important structure in the Old Delhi region however is the Red Fort or the Lal Qila opposite the Chandni Chowk.
When you stay in Delhi, do not miss the opportunity to taste national cuisine. Delhiites are fond of eating out, and this is best illustrated in the number of eating joints in the city, which cater to all segments of the society. Dining out in Delhi is a pleasurable experience, given the wide variety of cuisines available here. There is something to suit everyone's taste buds. There is of course Indian cuisine - South Indian, tandoori, mughlai, Punjabi, and that of various states of India, available at Dilli Haat - Continental, Italian, French, Thai, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese - Cantonese, Schezwan, Sichuan, Hakka, Shanghai - the list seems endless. There are even joints for Arabian, Moroccan, Middle Eastern cuisine. One should also not forget the various fast food joints that dot the city, and which are popular not only with the younger generation, but with all age groups. Believe me, eating out in Delhi has become a gastronomical adventure with lip-smacking results.
Article comments:
No comments for this article yet. Post your comment now!
