Attractions in New Delhi

Akshardham
Akshardham Temple in Delhi epitomizes 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The main monument, depicting ancient Indian "vastu shastra" and architecture, is a marvel in pink sandstone and white marble that is 141 feet high, 316 feet wide and 370 feet long with 234 ornate pillars, over 20,000 sculptures and statues of deities, eleven 72-foot-high huge domes (mandapams) and decorative arches. For visitors, entry to the complex is free. However, those who want to visit exhibition halls and theatres, Rs.125 is to be paid and for children and senior citizens the charges are Rs.75.

Bahai Temple
This unique temple built in the shape of a lotus flower is the last of seven Major Bahai's temples built around the world. Completed in1986, the structure is made of pure white marble. The architect Furiburz Sabha chose the lotus as the symbol common to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. Members of any faith are free to visit the temple to pray or meditate. The blooming petals have nine pools of water around them which look ethereal when flood lit.

Birla Mandir
Birla Mandir is one of Delhi's major temples. Built by the industrialist G.D. Birla in 1938 and hence known by his name, the beautiful temple is located in the west of Connaught Place. Dedicated to Laxmi (the goddess of prosperity) and Narayana (the preserver), the temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes be allowed to enter the temple.

Garden of Five Senses
The Garden of Five Senses, located at Said-Ul-Azaib village, close to the Mehrauli heritage area in New Delhi is not just any other park but a place that offer individuals a variety of activities and a place to explore themselves. Majestic rocks stand silhouetted against the sky, others lie strewn upon the ground in a casual yet alluring display of nature's sculptural genius. The Garden has been designed to the imagery suggested by the name Garden of Five Senses. Colour, fragrances, texture and form all come together in an evocative bouquet that awakens the mind to the beauty of life and invokes a grateful prayer for the gift of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.

Humayun’s Tomb
Buit in 1565 AD, nine years after the death of Humayun by his senior widow Bega Begam, the tomb’s prominent features are the garden squares (chaharbagh) with pathways water channels, centrally located well proportional mausoleum topped by double dome.

Several graves of Mughal rulers are located inside the walled enclosure and it is from here in 1857 A.D that Lieutenant Hudson had captured the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah II.

India Gate
Central to New Delhi stands the 42 m high India Gate, commemorating the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during the World War I. The memorial bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.

The foundation stone of India Gate was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cannaught in 1921 and it was designed by Edwin Lutyens. The monument was dedicated to the nation in 1931 by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti was added after India got its independence. One can see the eternal flame burning day and night under the arch to remind the nation of soldiers who laid down their lives in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971.

The green lawns surrounding India Gate is a popular picnic spot. One can see hoards of people moving about the brightly lit area and on the lawns on all evenings.

Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India; the mosque has a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. Began in 1644, this mosque can said to be the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. The highly decorative mosque has three great gates, four towers and two 40 m-high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble. Robes are available at the Northern gate for visitors.

Jantar Mantar
Jantar or Yantra means instruments; Mantar or Mantra means formulae. The structure was constructed in 1724. Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur who built this observatory went on to build other observatories in Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura. As the existing astronomical instruments were too small to take correct measurements, Jai Singh built these larger and more accurate instruments.

Purana Quila
Purana Quila having a circuit of nearly two kilometers was built by Humayun in 1534 AD. The fort was encircled by a wide moat connected to river Yamuna, which used to flow on the east of the fort. The northern gateway, called the Talaqui Darwaza or the forbidden gateway, combines the typically Isalmic pointed arch with Hindu Chhatris and brackets. The southern gateway called the Humayun Darwaza also sports a similar plan.

Delhi Tourism
Delhi Tourism is a site for visitors to find attractions and other in information in Delhi.