Tour of New Delhi
- drive past the stately government buildings of the British Era
designed by Lutyens, including the India Gate & the Presidential
Palace. Continue onto the beautiful Humayuns tomb of the Mughal
era & predecessor of the world famous Taj Mahal. End the tour
at the towering minaret of Qutab Minar.
Tour of Old Delhi
- visit the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk (Silver Street)
and Raj Ghat - the site of Mahatma Gandhi's cremation.
Old Delhi by foot
- drive from hotel to Red Fort and start walk around the lovely
old buildings and gardens of Shah Jahan's Palace fortress - the
heart and soul of Mughal Delhi. Continue walk to Jamma Mosque
- which was originally called "The Mosque commanding a view
of the world" (Masjid-i-Jahanuma) as it was built on a rocky
outcrop higher than the surrounding land. It begain in 1650 by
Shah Jahan and took five thousand men six years to complete. After
visiting the Mosque follow the road round the corner and walk
past the fascinating car parts bazaar to a very busy thorough-
fare called Chawri Bazaar. In the 18th century this street was
occupied by great nobles and there were several huge mansions
here which were destroyed after the Mutiny by the British to straighten
the road.
In the 19th Century the Chawri Bazaar also became famous for
"Dancing Girls". Now the market has
groups of shops selling wholesale and retail copper and brass
goods as well as stationery and wholesale paper. Continue little
way down Chandni Chowk (Silver Street), which in the 18th Century
was famous for gold and silver smith shops. Return to the coach
by cycle rickshaws. Drive past Raj Ghat (Mahatama Gandhi's cremation
ground) before returning to the hotel.
Visit the fascinating "Crafts
Museum". Here one can spend hours watching
craftsmen from all parts of India at work. A recent creation,
the museum portrays both the aesthetic skills & the beautifully
handcrafted products of "rural India's" rich heritage.
National Museum - one of the finest of India’s museums,
it has a vast and almost completely comprehensive selection of
Indian art ranging from the pre-historic to the late medieval
periods visit the Indira Gandhi Memorial, the residence of the
former Prime Minister which has now been converted into a museum
cataloguing the life of one of the most powerful and enigmatic
women of India.
Birla House, where
Mahatma Gandhi the Father of the
Nation lived and was finally was assassinated.
It now houses many belongings of Gandhiji and photographs depicting
his life. Visit to the Laxmi Narayan Temple, popularly known as
the Birla Mandir, is a large Hindu temple built in 1938. People
of all faiths can enter and worship, but one must walk barefoot
into the courtyard and further on. A visit to the Baha&i Temple
situated atop the Kalkaji Hill. This distinctive lotus shaped
marvel, surrounded by a landscaped garden, has been dubbed the
Taj Mahal of the 21st Century.
OLD DELHI taking ‘rickshaws’ from the Red Fort, through
“Chandni Chowk” or Silver Street, experiencing the
sights and sounds of this very busy avenue heading west from the
Fort. Chandni Chowk literally means “moonlit crossroads”
and an area which best represents the “super-Oriental”-the
glory and the guile; the grandeur and the grime, with its crowded
bazaars, twisting lanes, maze of small streets strange aromas,
the pungent odour of Oriental spices, the cries of shopkeepers,
coolies and “rickshaw-walas” and the clatter and whirr
of furious industry.
Delhi - is the
capital of India, the center of ‘Indo-Islamic’ culture
and in existence since before written history. This ancient city
is replete with architectural marvels, such as the Red Fort, the
imposing Jama Masjid, (the largest mosque in India), both built
between 1638-1648 by Shah Jahan, India’s most famed Moghul
emperor and fervent architect. The Qutab Minar, a 234 ft minaret
dating back to the 13th century and the tomb of Humayun. We will
wander through Chandni Chowk, once the richest street in India,
today a picturesque bazaar teeming with covered arcades, tiny
sacred temples and thronged with novelty stores. Delhi remains
distinctly British, the old imperiousness of the Viceroys now
the political gentry of the Indian ruling class.
National Museum:
Located on Janpath, just south of Rajpath, the National Museum
has a good collection of Indian bronzes, terra-cotta and wood
sculptures dating back to the Mauryan period, exhibits from the
Vijayanagar period in South India, miniature and mural paintings
and costumes of the various tribal people of India.
National Gallery of Modern Art:
This gallery stands near India Gate at the eastern end of Rajpath
and was formerly known as the Delhi residence of the Maharaja
of Jaipur. It houses an excellent collection of works by both
Indian and colonial artists.
Nehru Museum: Located
on Teen Murti Road near Chanakyapuri, the residence of the first
Indian Prime Minister, Teen Murti Bhawan has been converted into
a museum. Photographs and newspaper clippings on display give
a fascinating insight into the history of the independence movement.
Rail Museum: This
museum at Chanakyapuri will be of great interest to anyone who
is fascinated by India’s exotic collection of railway engines.
This exhibit includes an 1855 steam engine, still in working order
and a large number of oddities such as the scull of an elephant
charged by a mall train in 1894.