ATTRACTIONS OF NEW DELHI

New Delhi is the capital of India and an administrative district of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House, and the Supreme Court of India.

It is situated in the north-central part of the country on the west bank of the Yamuna River, adjacent to and just south of Delhi city (Old Delhi) and within the Delhi national capital territory.

1. Red Fort

The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, with which it forms the Red Fort Complex.

On Independence Day, the Prime Minister hoists tricolor at the main gate of this place as a symbol of freedom and peace. Red Fort is one of the most celebrated monuments of India. Be it architecture or history, Red Fort's rich heritage makes it a must-visit place for people from across the globe.

The fort, which is spread over 255 acres, features a mix of architectural styles such as Islamic, Hindi, Timurid, and Persian. Its massive, 2.5-km-long enclosing walls are made of red sandstone and that's where the monument got its name from.

2. Qutab Minar

Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced the construction of the Qutab Minar in 1200 AD, but could only finish the basement. His successor, Iltutmush, added three more stories, and in 1368, Firoz Shah Tughlak constructed the fifth and the last story.

Qutub Minar is one of the highest minarets in India with a height of 73 meters. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the tallest brick minaret in the world. This 12th-century minaret is considered as the earliest Islamic structure in India with both Arabic and Brahmi inscriptions.

A lightning strike had destroyed the top story a few centuries ago. Firoz Shah Tughlaq replaced the damaged story and added one more level to it. - Pathak said. Qutub Minar is one of the most-visited and most-photographed monuments in India and has been featured in several films and documentaries.

3. India Gate

India Gate, official name Delhi Memorial, originally called All-India War Memorial, monumental sandstone arch in New Delhi, dedicated to the troops of British India who died in wars fought between 1914 and 1919.

The Imperial War Graves Commission (now called Commonwealth War Graves Commission) was established in 1917 as an organization responsible for burying and commemorating First World War dead and missing soldiers. An All India War Memorial was commissioned as part of this project. The name was later changed to India Gate.

India Gate symbolizes the sacrifice of 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives battling against the foreign army during World War I. Designed by Edwin Lutyens, it features the undying Amar Jawan Jyoti or the Flame of the Immortal Soldier which was added later to honour Indian martyred soldiers in the Indo-Pak War. Furthermore, this beautiful masterpiece is counted amongst the largest war memorials in India. Standing on a Bharatpur stone base, the structure is surrounded by lush lawns making it a popular picnic spot during winter afternoons and summer evenings. Lit at night, the monument looks magnificent with colourful fountains in the vicinity.

4. Jama Masjid

The Masjid-i Jehan-Numa, commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is one of the largest mosques in India.

It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1650 and 1656 and inaugurated by its first Imam, Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah Bukhari. Situated in the Mughal capital of Shahjahanabad (today Old Delhi), it served as the imperial mosque of the Mughal emperors until the demise of the empire in 1857. The Jama Masjid was regarded as a symbolic node of Islamic power across India, well into the colonial era. It was also a site of political significance during several key periods of British rule. It remains in active use and is one of Delhi's most iconic sites, closely identified with the ethos of Old Delhi.

Akbar commissioned the Jama Masjid as part of his new capital city of Fatehpur Sikri. The structure was one of the first sites constructed in the city and was completed sometime between 1571 and 1574, according to its own inscriptions. The mosque was in honour of the Sufi Shaikh Salim Chishti, Akbar's spiritual advisor. It was also meant to serve as a khanqah (monastic school) for the Shaikh's descendants. In its time, it was extolled by various authors and travelers for its beauty and grandeur.

5. Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple, located in Delhi, India, is a Baháʼí House of Worship that was dedicated in December 1986. Notable for its flowerlike shape, it has become a prominent attraction in the city. Like all Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification. According to Shoghi Effendi, a Bahá'í temple is a “silent teacher” of the Bahá'í faith. The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine doors opening onto a central hall with a height of slightly over 34 meters and a capacity of 2,500 people. The Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards and has been featured in many newspaper and magazine articles. A 2001 CNN report referred to it as the most visited building in the world.

The temple was dedicated 23–27 December 1986 with a gathering of 8,000 Baháʼís from 107 countries, including some 4,000 Baháʼís from 22 provinces in India. On January 1 the temple was opened to the public and more than 10,000 people visited that first day.

By late 2001, it had attracted more than 70 million visitors according to Manpreet Brar, a CNN reporter. The permanent delegation of India to UNESCO stated that the Lotus Temple has received over 100 million visitors by April 2014.

6. National Museum

The National Museum, New Delhi, as we see it today, has an interesting beginning. The blueprint for establishing the National Museum in Delhi was prepared by the Maurice Gwyer Committee in May 1946. An Exhibition of Indian Art, consisting of selected artifacts from various museums of India was organized by the Royal Academy, London with the cooperation of the Government of India and Britain. The Exhibition went on display in the galleries of Burlington House, London during the winter months of 1947-48. It was decided to display the same collection in Delhi, before the return of exhibits to their respective museums. An exhibition was organized in the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President's residence), New Delhi in 1949, which turned out to be a great success. This event proved responsible for the creation of the National Museum.

On August 15, 1949, the National Museum, New Delhi, was inaugurated in the Rashtrapati Bhawan by Shri R.C. Rajagopalachari, the Governor-General of India. The foundation of the present building was laid by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, on May 12, 1955. The first phase of the National Museum building was formally inaugurated by Dr. SarvepalliRadhakrishnan, the Vice President of India, on December 18, 1960. The second phase of the building was completed in 1989.

7. Rashtrapati Bhavan

Rashtrapati Bhavan, home to the President of the world’s largest democracy, epitomizes India’s strength, its democratic traditions and secular character.
Rashtrapati Bhavan was the creation of architects of exceptional imagination and masterfulness, Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. It was Sir Lutyens who conceptualized the H-shaped building, covering an area of 5 acres on a 330 acre estate. This mansion has a total of 340 rooms spread over four floors, 2.5 kilometres of corridors and 190 acres of garden area.
Painstaking efforts of thousands of labourers including masons, carpenters, artists, carvers, and cutters saw the completion of this masterwork in the year 1929. Originally built as the residence for the Viceroy of India, Viceroy's House as it was then called, has metamorphosed into today’s Rashtrapati Bhavan. From being a symbol of imperial domination and power, it is today emblematic of Indian democracy and its secular, plural and inclusive traditions. Former President of India, Shri R. Venkataraman has rightly said, “Nature and man, rock and architecture, have rarely collaborated to so fine a purpose as in the fashioning of the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhavan.”