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Humayun's Tomb:
Privileged to be assigned as a World Heritage site by UNESCO, this
tomb was believed to be designed by Haji Begum, Humayun's Persian
widow in the mid 16th century, shortly after his death in 1556. The
tomb was an important predecessor of Mughal mausoleums. The 'Garden
Tomb' as it is popularly called, is set amidst a geometrically planned
garden with a number of water channels crisscrossing it. Typically, a
Persian garden that would later be seen in the Red Fort of Delhi and
Taj Mahal of Agra, its architectural form and especially its main
chamber bears familiarity with the tomb of the Mongol Ilkhanid ruler
of Persia, Oljeytu, at Sultaniyya, which in turn was influenced by
Timurid architecture of the tomb of Timur (Tamerlane) in Samarkand,
the lineage of Babur.
The first Indian building to use the Persian double dome, Humayun's
tomb is harmonious in its proportions and has some impressions of
Indian architecture that are clearly visible in the small kiosks or
Chhatris on the roof. The building has beautiful inlaid tile work and
intricately carved stone screens.
India Gate:
Every Indian heart swells with pride and patriotism as it beholds this
beloved gateway, which witnesses the Republic Day parade every year on
26th January, where the latest advancements in military artillery is
shown to the public as soldiers and school children march in groups
with beaming and bright faces illumined by the love for their
motherland. The parade also has decorated vehilcles that glimpses from
all the states and union territories of the country, called 'Jhankis'.
Straight down the road from Rashtrapati Bhavan, India Gate is a famous
war memorial at the east end of Rajpath. Edward Lutyens designed this
42 m high gate structure in memory of the thousands of Indians who
sacrificed their lives in World War I. Today, an eternal flame is lit
under the gate known as Amar Jawan Jyoti, to honor the unknown
soldiers and the martyrs who lost their lives in the Pakistan war of
1971.
Qutab Minar:
To the south of Delhi, the tallest structure of its time, Qutub Minar
is 72.5 m in height and has a mosque at the base. It is a magnificent
structure whose construction started in 1199 by a Muslim King
Qutab-ud-din Aibak (after whom it was named) and was finished by his
heir IItutmish. There is an iron pillar standing proudly in front of
it since 5th century and has not rusted till yet! It is said that if
one hugs this Iron Pillar of Mehrauli and wish for something, it is
granted. Unfortunately, the authorities had to disallow tourists from
climbing to its top because of several suicide attempts that came into
light here. However, there are so many ruins of the ancient times
surrounding the area complete with the myths and legends to them that
it is quite enjoyable to take a walk around in its premises.
Jantar Mantar:
If the large masonry structures in Jantar Mantar appear abstract and
do not appeal to the first sight of the fine art lovers, be not
deceived. Jantar Mantar is far way from being a modern art gallery. It
is an observatory built on the blueprints of Raja Sawai Jai Singh II
of Jaipur (1699-1743) who was an honored noble in the Mughal court
during the times of Aurungzeb. It was said that the erroreneous brass
and metal astronomical instruments of those times dissatisfied Sawai
Jai Singh who was a keen astronomer. After ensuring the safety of his
kingdom by shaking hands with the mighty Mughals, he turned his
attention to correcting the existing astronomical tables and
contemporarize the almanac with more reliable instruments.
Delhi's Jantar Mantar is the first of the five observatories, the
others being in Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura. The Samrat
Yantra is actually a simple equal hour sun dial, the Ram Yantra was
used for reading altitudinal angles, Jai Prakash Yantra ascertained
the position of the sun and other celestial bodies in the skies, while
the Misra Yantra was a combination of four scientific gadgets.
Rashtrapati Bhavan:
Situated near the circular building of the Parliament House,
Rashtrapati Bhavan is the place where the first man of the Nation
lives. The official residence of the President of India was once used
as the official residence of the Viceroys stationed in India during
the British Raj. Edward Lutyens designed this palatial complex. Cream
and red-colored sandstones and diverse varieties of marble have been
used in its construction. This extensive mansion has 340 rooms, 35
lobbies, vast expanses of well-maintained gardens and 37 fountains to
boast of, and is certainly, the pride of India. Though the entry to
this massive structure is naturally restricted, the famous Mughal
Gardens (which is perhaps the best botanical garden of India and
houses thousands of rare varieties of trees, shrubs yielding some of
the most captivating flowers and fruits) are opened for public viewing
for sometime from the end of February to the middle of March.
Red Fort:
A must visit for all the visitors to Delhi, Red Fort or Lal Qila is a
massive red sandstone structure built on the shores of River Yamuna.
Shah Jahan built it with a vision of shifting his capital from Agra to
Delhi. It was completed in 1648 and has two main entrances - Delhi
Gate and Lahori Gate. Lahori Gate of the Red Fort opens up to the
so-famous Chandni Chowk market. Besides its rich archeology museum,
the places worth seeing in this vast fort are Diwan-e-Am, the court
where the king heard public grievances and Diwan-e-Khas ('khas' means
'special'), which was meant for important visitors of the king. There
is not-worth-a-miss 'Sound and Light Show' held here every evening in
both Hindi and English languages, which retells the history of Delhi
and mesmerize the guests with the beautiful performances.
Raj Ghat:
A pilgrimage to all the patriotic Indians, this place was where the
Father of The nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was cremated after his
assassination in 1948. It consists of a simple square platform with
the words 'Hey Ram' written on it. People come here and offer flowers
at the place as a tribute to the great apostle of peace buried here.
There is a Gandhi Memorial Museum nearby, where once can see and buy
books and tapes containing the writings, speeches and memories of
Gandhiji. A short distance to the north of Raj Ghat is Shanti Vana
where Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, his daugher
Indira Gandhi, who herself was a prominent figure in Indian politics
and is till now the first and only women Prime Minister of India and
her two sons, Rajiv (also the beloved Prime Minister) and Sanjay, were
cremated.
Purana Qila or Old Fort:
From the recent excavations near this fort, archaeological evidences
such as pottery have been found which throws a new light on the
existence of the city of Indraprastha at this place, as mentioned in
the great epic of Mahabharata. Sher Shah Suri built the fort and
completed it in 1545. However, he soon lost it to the Mughal emperor
Humayun, who made good use of the octagonal red sandstone tower known
as 'Sher Mandal' as his library and observatory. It is rumored that
Humayun slipped from the second storey steps and met his death here.
There is a dainty small lake in its premises, where one can enjoy boat
rides during summers.
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