Top 10 Tourist Attractions in New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital of India and a historical city. Delhi is also known as the heart of India and has been the epicenter of important events since the ancient Pandavas period. Delhi has been built and destroyed many times because it has been the capital of many dynasties and many times it has been plundered by invasions from outside. Because of this, the people, travel, and food here are very diversified and interesting. This article will discuss the Top 10 Tourist Attractions in New Delhi, and also their importance.
Which is the best time to visit Delhi?
Summers are very hot in North India, so the best time to visit Delhi is during winter ie from October to March. The weather is very pleasant during this time, and Delhi looks very beautiful due to the flowering season.
How to Travel in Delhi?
There are many types of public transport in Delhi, you can travel cheaply by government DTC bus, there are auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws are very cheap and there is a metro train service that is very well connected to every part of Delhi. Private taxi services Uber and Ola are also available round the clock but they are a bit expensive, especially on busy routes and office timings.
If you want to travel the entire Delhi in a short time and cheaply, then you can take a Delhi Darshan Sightseeing Tours AC bus service. These Government and Private AC bus Delhi sightseeing Tours, will show you almost all major tourist places in few hundred rupees,
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Delhi
There are about 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India and out of this, there are 3 in Delhi.
1. Qutub Minar (1993)
2. Humayun’s Tomb (1993)
3. Red Fort (2007)
Tourist Attractions in New Delhi
1. India Gate
India Gate is one of the most important and popular tourist attractions in New Delhi for both domestic and international tourists. A crowd of people will be seen walking here all the time.
India Gate was built in 1931 and is about 138 feet or 42 meters in height. India Gate is a war memorial and is largely modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. It is dedicated to those 70,000 British Indian Army who were martyred during the World War.
From India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhavan of India, there is a beautiful road of about 3 km surrounded by parks and ponds on both sides, which is called Rajpath. People will often be seen walking the Rajpath in the evening and enjoying the surrounding grounds, landscape, pond, and street food at India Gate.
2. Red Fort or Lal Qila
The Red Fort (Lal Kila or Lal Qila) is a historic fort near Old Delhi, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1638 – 1648 when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi.
National Importance of Red Fort:
India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the Indian flag (tricolor) atop the Red Fort on 15 August 1947, the day of India’s independence. Since then, every year on 15th August, India’s Independence Day, the Prime Minister hoists the Indian tricolor flag at the main gate of the fort and addresses the nation.
Red Fort: The Popular Tourist Attractions in New Delhi
The Red Fort is one of the most popular tourist attractions in New Delhi due to its marvelous architecture which attracts thousands of visitors. Red Fort is the most beautiful fort made by the Mughals, and its architecture is an excellent mix of Persian, Timurid, and Hindu architecture. Some of the main tourist attractions inside the Red Fort complex are Chatta Chowk, Mumtaz Mahal, Rang Mahal, Naubat Khana, Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, etc.
3. Qutub Minar
The Qutub Minar is a five-storeyed red sandstone tower built in 1193
by Muslim emperor and the first ruler of the Delhi Sultanate, Qutb-ud-din Aibak to commemorate their final triumph over the Rajput rulers of Delhi. The construction of the Qutub Minar was started by Qutb-ud-din Aibak and was later completed by his successor Iltutmish.
Apart from Qutub Minar the other major attraction inside the Qutub complex are the Iron Pillar of Chandragupta II (This pillar never rusts), the Tomb of Iltutmish, Alauddin Khalji’s Madrasa, the Tomb of Imam Zamin, and Alai Minar of Khalji.
4. Humayun’s Tomb
Humayun’s Tomb, Mughal Emperor was built around 1570 by his son, the great Mughal emperor Akbar and the second wife of Humayun. Humayun’s Tomb is the first of the grand mausoleums representing Mughal architecture.
Even the Taj Mahal, which is one of the new seven wonders of the world seems to be inspired by the architectural style of the Humayun Tomb.
5. Lotus Temple
The Lotus Temple, located in South Delhi, is a very beautiful Bahai Temple or Bahai House of Worship built in the shape of a lotus. Every year lakhs of tourists come here to see its beauty.
Lotus Temple was built and opened to the public in December 1986 and was designed by Iranian architect Fariborz Sahba.
6. Akshardham Temple
Swaminarayan Akshardham or simply Akshardham Temple is a very large Hindu temple and complex located at the foot of East Delhi. This temple and its entire complex have been very beautifully maintained and have been one of the main tourist attractions of Delhi since its construction in the last few decades.
Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
The Akshardham Delhi temple complex has also received the certificate of “the world’s largest comprehensive Hindu temple” by the Guinness world record.
It may take around 2-3 hours to visit this temple complex, which does not include special shows like a musical fountain or water show, light, and sound show.
Some of the main attractions to visit Akshardham Temple Delhi Complex are the central temple house/dome, the Musical fountain show or water show, The cultural boat ride, Lotus Garden, The Exhibitions Sahahjanand, Neelkanth, and Sanskruti Darshan
7. Jama Masjid
Built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1644-56, New Delhi’s Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India, and can hold over 25,000 worshipers at a time. This mosque is very sacred and important for the Muslims of Delhi and India, they all gather here for prayers on all major functions and festivals.
The Jama Masjid was the main mosque in the city of Shahjanabad (Old Delhi today) until 1857 (before British rule) for both the Mughal king and his subjects. Shahjahanabad City was established by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan when he shifted his capital from Agra to Delhi.
8. Rashtrapati Bhavan
India is the largest democratic country in the world and Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence, of the President of the world’s largest democracy (India).
The Rashtrapati Bhavan complex built in 1929 is spread over 320 acres and out of that 5 acres is the H-shaped main building which has 340 rooms. The whole complex is mainly divided into three circuits:
Circuit 1 – Main Building
Circuit 2 – Museum
Circuit 3 – Garden
Rashtrapati Bhavan is open to the public 6 days a week except Mondays. The visitor tour of Rashtrapati Bhavan includes Museum, Gardens, Main Building Forecourt and Principal Halls/Rooms, Banquet Hall, Ashoka Hall, Durbar Hall, Library and more.
9. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib
In Sikhism, a gurudwara means “Guru’s Gate” and is a place of worship for him. Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is located in the heart of Delhi and is one of the main Gurudwaras of the Sikh community.
It is associated with the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishna, and its importance is also enhanced by the holy pond “Sarovar” inside its premises. That’s why thousands of devotees and common people come here every year for foot darshan.
10. Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk, more popularly known as Chandni Chowk Market, is located near the Red Fort in the Old Delhi area of Delhi. It is an old traditional narrow congested area but very popular for shopping and eating and drinking all over the country at very cheap and accessible prices.
Photo Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0
It is one of the biggest wholesale markets in India. Here you will find almost everything, modern and traditional clothes, jewelry, spikes, electronics, mobiles & accessories, sweets and anything else you can think of at very low prices. Yes, you will have to walk a lot and it will take time to find stuff.
Other Tourist attractions on New Delhi
Delhi is a huge old and historical city, due to which it has many other tourist places as well which are not mentioned above. Also, Delhi is very famous for its variety of food including traditional, modern, and street food. Some other must-visit tourist attractions in New Delhi are Shri Laxmi Narayan Mandir (Birla Mandir), Agrasen Ki Baoli, Old Fort, Delhi Zoo, Rail Museum etc.
