Friday 27 July 2012

DELHI - A COSMOPOLITAN HUB

Delhi is an extensive city with amazing sightseeing places, restaurants, lively nightlife and an amazing cuisine. This city bridges two very diverse worlds. The archaic 'Old Delhi' and the dynamic New Delhi. Old Delhi was once the headquarters of Islamic India. It is a tangle of cramped lanes followed with old dilapidated havelis and intimidating mosques. The magisterial city of New Delhi is a contrast to old Delhi. It was created by the British Raj. This city constitudes of spacious and tree-lined avenues and compelling government offices. For several rulers, Delhi has been the seat of power and royalty. Many empires have ruled there for about a millennium. Presently Delhi serves as the national capital of India.

How to reach Delhi:
The most convenient means of transport is by air, but if your concern is money you can opt for railways too. 

Accommodation:
Delhi does not have a problem for accommodation as it offers wide range of luxury and budget hotels. Hotels in Delhi are quite reasonable and can be booked online depending on your convenience.

Major attractions of Delhi:
Delhi is a city with many unique attractions. You can visit many interesting places like religious and historical sites, museums and mosques. Mughal and Lodhi gardens are very popular sites of attraction. The must see places are India Gate, Qutub Minar, Jantar Mantar, Red Fort, Akshardham Temple and Lotus temple.

A brief description of some of the monument is given below,

India Gate
The national monument of India, the India Gate, was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. It is situated in the heart of the city. Built in 1931, it was originally known as the All India War Memorial. This prominent landmark commemorates the sacrifice of the 90,000 soldiers of Indian Army who lost their lives while fighting in World War I and the Afghan Wars. This monument is inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. After India's independence, India Gate has became the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the Indian Army.


Qutub Minar
Qutab-ud-din Aibak after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu king, built Qutub Minar in the year 1193. It is a 73m high tower. Qutub Minar
has five storeys, each with a projecting balcony. The first three storeys of this tower is made of red sandstone, the fourth and fifth storeys are of made of marble and sandstone, Qutub Minar is famous as the second highest tower in India. The interesting thing about this monument is that it is listed with UNESCO, World Heritage Site


Lotus Temple
The Lotus temple as popularly known is the Bahai house of worship. This attraction in Delhi is named Lotus temple due to its flowerlike shape. It is the Mother temple of the Indian subcontinent. This structure was completed in 1986 and it has won many awards for its amazing architecture. This temple is open to everyone regardless of their religion. 

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