 |
 |
|||
 |
||||
| Main Spiritual Guides Page > Main India Page > Delhi | ||||
|
Shopping at Natural Nirvana Amazon
Herb This
Site to Close on January 1, 2006 Appeal for Help If you know of information that is not listed here, or if you would like to help update our listings, please e-mail us at:
|
New Delhi & Old Delhi
Population:
11 million Delhi is the capital and the third largest city of India. There are two parts of the city—Old Delhi, the old Muslim capital, and xe "New Delhi" New Delhi. Delhi is a Union Territory, which is independent of any state rule, similar to Washington DC. There
is the impressive Red Fort and Jami Masjid Mosque in Old Delhi. There
are many other interesting sites in Delhi, including what remains
of the eight great cities of Delhi. Delhi
Gate.com (http://www.delhigate.com)-
Has useful information about Delhi. Foreigners often invaded Delhi. Tamerlane sacked the city in the 14th century, killing many of its residents. Babur came from Afghanistan in the 16th century and conquered Delhi. Nadir Shah sacked the city in 1739, and took away the Peacock Throne and the Kohinoor Diamond. Eight
major cities have been situated in the Delhi area. The first four
cities were in the southern part of present-day Delhi. The Tomara
Rajput dynasty founded Lal Kot in 736 AD. The Chauthan dynasty conquered
Lal Kot and renamed it Qila Rai Pithora in 1180. This was the first
major city of Delhi and it was situated near the Qutb Minar in south
Delhi. The Rajputs were defeated by an Afghanistan army led by Muhammad
Ghori. Ala-ud-din-Khalji (1296-1316) gained control of Delhi and constructed the second city of Delhi, Siri, in 1303, near present-day Hauz Khas. Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq became Sultan of Delhi in 1320. He built Tughlaqabad, the third city, which was located 10km southeast of the Qutb Minar. This city was occupied for only five years. Not much remains of it. Jahanpanah, the fourth city, was built by Muhammad din Tughluq in the 14th century between Lal Kot and Siri. The fifth city, Firozabad, is located in New Delhi. Firuz Shah, the then Sultan of Delhi, had the Ashoka pillars from Meerut and Topra moved to his city. Timur (Tamerlane), a Turk, sacked Delhi in 1398. After this, the Sayyids (1414-50) took control of Delhi. They were replaced by the Lodi dynasty. In 1556, the governors of Sind and Punjab invited Babur, who was in Afghanistan, to aid them in defeating Ibrahim Lodi. During the battle, Lodi was killed and Babur took control of Delhi. After his death, his son, Humayun, succeeded Babur. The Afghan Sher Shah defeated Humayun. The sixth city, Purana Qila (then called Shergarh), was established by Emperor Sher Shah in 1540. It is located near India Gate in New Delhi. Akbar, the son of Humayun, moved the capital to Agra. The seventh city, Shahjahanabad in Old Delhi, was built by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, and the capital was moved from Agra to Delhi at this time. His impressive Red Fort is still standing and is well-preserved. Old Delhi was the capital of the Muslim Mughal emperors between the 17th and 19th centuries. The eighth city, New Delhi, was constructed mainly by the British, beginning in 1911. At the Delhi Durbar on December 12, 1911, King George V declared that Delhi would become the new capital of India, replacing Calcutta. The city was officially declared the capital of the British Empire in India in 1931. After Independence in 1947, Delhi remained the capital. Getting
Your Bearings About twenty minutes north of Connaught Place by car is Old Delhi, where the crowded Chandni Chowk shopping area is located. The Red Fort, the long distance bus station, and the Old Delhi railway station are located here. The
Foreign embassies are mainly in the Chanakyapuri area, about a twenty-minute
drive southwest of Connaught Place. Nizamuddin Train Station is southeast
of Connaught Place. Further south, in southeast New Delhi, are the
interesting Baha’i and ISKCON temples. The airport is a forty-minute
drive southwest of the city center. The India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), N-Block, Connaught Place (2331-5322; Web Site: http://www.delhitourism.nic.in), runs tours of Delhi and some other places in India. The ITDC office at Jeevan Vihar Bldg, 3rd Fl, 3 P Street, can book reservations for ITDC hotels, which usually go under the name “Ashok”. Delhi
Tourism Dev. Corp. (Delhi Tourism) has offices at N-Block,
Connaught Place (2331-5322); the international airport; New Delhi
Railway Station; Delhi Railway Station; Inter-State Bus Terminal;
and at the Coffee House on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Haryana (332-4910), Himachal Pradesh (2332-5320), and Uttar Pradesh (2332-2251) offices are located in the Chandralok Building at 36 Janpath. The offices for Madhya Pradesh (2334-1187), Punjab (332-3055), Jammu & Kashmir (332-5373), and Kerala (2336-8541) are in the Kanishka Shopping Center between the Yatri Niwas and Kanishka Hotels at 19 Ashoka Rd. The Rajasthan Tourist Office (2338-3837, 338-1884; fax 338-2823) is on Bikaner Rd by India Gate. Goa (2462-9967), 18 Amrita Shergil Marg; Andhra Pradesh (381-293) 1 Ashok Rd; Andaman & Nicobar Islands Tourist Office (2687-4433; fax 2378-2642), No 12 in Chanakyapuri (opposite the cinema), is open from 3 to 5 pm; Sikkim (2611-5346), Sikkim Bhavan, Chanakyapuri; Meghalaya (2391-4417), 9 Aurangzeb Rd; Tripura (2301-5171), Tripura Bhavan, Chanakyapuri. There are a few good local magazines about Delhi. The weekly Delhi Diary. First City, City Info and The Delhi City Guidelists current events, tourist sites, exhibitions and has a map. First City also lists current events. Warning! There are no tourist offices across the street from the New Delhi railway station, despite what the signs say. These offices are travel agencies, many of which can be total cheaters. There is a tourist counter inside the station. This does not mean that some of the travel agents are honest, but definitely beware of anyone coming up to you that points out that the tourist office is actually across the street and tries to bring you there. Tourist office people never do this. Guided
Tours ITDC (Operates under the name Ashok Travels & Tours) (2332=2336) runs a half-day tour of New Delhi (Rs 100, 8 am to 1 pm) or Old Delhi (Rs 90, 2:15 to 7 pm). They also run a full-day tour of New Delhi and Old Delhi from 8 am to 7 pm for Rs 175. The five-hour New Delhi tour goes to the Lakshmi-Narayana Temple, the Jantar Mantar, India Gate, Humayun’s Tomb, and the Qutb Minar. The Old Delhi tour goes to the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Raj Ghat, Shanti Vana and Firoz Shah Kotla. ITDC has a one-day tour of Agra that goes to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Sikandra from 6:30 am to 10 pm for Rs 500. You can book these tours at the ITDC office at L-Block at Connaught Place near the Nirula’s Restaurant, at their counters in the airports, or at ITDC Hotels. Delhi
Tourism Dev. Corp. (Delhi Tourism) N-Block, Connaught Place
(2331-5322). Operates a morning tour of New Delhi for Rs 119 and an
afternoon tour of Old Delhi Rs 110. Taking both tours on the same
day cost Rs 200 American Express Travel Services, A-Block, Connaught Place, and Royal Express, 16 K G Marg, Connaught Place, both run tours of Delhi. The Haridwar-Rishikesh tour departs 7:15 am on Wed and Sat and returns the next day at 8 pm (Rs 450). It is run by Delhi Tourism, which has many offices all over town. The main one is at N-36, Bombay Life Building, Connaught Place. There is a one-day and two-day tour of Jaipur and a two-day tour of Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. There is also a two-day tour of Mathura, Agra, and Fatehpur Sikri. Uttar
Pradesh Tourism (332-2251), 36 Janpath, operates an overnight
tour to Haridwar and Rishikesh for
Rs 700. Tripsout Travels (332-2654; fax 332-1863), 72 Janpath, behind the India Tourist Office, are reliable but very busy, so expect to wait. I know people who have been using them for years and recommend them. They are a good discount travel agency. Aa Bee Travels (2351-0171), in the Hare Rama Guest House, Paharganj, is an honest discount ticket-seller. Competitive and recommended. Shigeta Travels (751-9000), in the Ajay Guest House, seems trust-worthy. The owner speaks Japanese well. Gagan
Travels and Tours (751-0061; fax 753 4093), at west end of
the Main Bazaar in Paharganj, has a good reputation. More upscale are Cox & Kings (2332-0067), Indra Palace, H-Block, Connaught Circus; Sita World Travels (2331-1133), 4 Malcha Marg, Diplomatic Enclave; American Express, (332-4119), A-Block, Connaught Place; Y’s Tours and Travels, YMCA; Thomas Cook (332-8468), Hotel Imperial, Janpath and Rishya Mook Building, 85A Panchkuin Marg. President Travel (331-0793), Arunachal Building, 19 Barakhamba Rd, is efficient. Wanderlust (687-5200; 688-5188), M51/52 Palika Bhawan, opposite Hyatt Regency is efficient. Peak
Adventure Tours (643-3294), 29A, Kailash Colony, and
Snow Lion Expeditions (552-4389; 553-0153) 512-B Kirti Shikher
Janak Puri, are foreign run and very efficient. Institute of Medical Sciences (2656-1123), at Ansari Nagar, and the Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (2336-5525), Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Apollo Hospital (2692-5858), Mathura Rd, Sarita Vihar, on the border of southeast Delhi, is a new, modern hospital, which has some of the best doctors in India. Recommended, but expensive. In Paharganj is Dr Sharwan Gupta’s Care Clinic and Laboratory (751-7841; Home 623-3088), 1468 Sangatrashan, Paharganj, two blocks north of the west end of Main Bazaar. The clinic is open Mon to Sat 10 am to 7:30 pm and Sun 10 am to 1 pm. Also
in Paharganj, Dr BS Pancholi’s Clinic Dr. B.S.
Pancholi Clinic,555 gali Chandi Wali, Mantola ADJ Hotel Namaskar Phone
No.:- Bhandari Homeopathic Store (373-2450), 43-44 Municipal Market, opposite the York Hotel, Connaught Circus, has an excellent selection of German, Swiss, and Indian-made homeopathic medicines. The Tibetan Clinic (Men-Tsee-Khang-Exports) (621-2604) is located at 13 Jaipur Estate, Nizamuddin East, New Delhi. They treat people by a natural herbal method and have been recommended to me by several people. To get there, ask to go to Jaipur Estate, which is near the Nizamuddin railway station, in southeast New Delhi. Renoo and Nalin Nirula (611-3990, 688-5990; fax 688-0474), A-14 Anand Niketan, New Delhi, are consisted to be some of the best Rieki Masters in the world. Beside treatment, they also offer courses. Some doctors recommended by the US Embassy are: Dr Chawla (462-1684), 37 Prithviraj Rd; Dr KP Jain (644-3615), C036 South Extension (Clinic: 16 Daryaganj); and Dr Harish Khasla (629-544), 166 Jor Bagh. The Delhi Dental Centre (644-4918, 644-2398), C-565 Extension II, has been recommended to me as a good place to have dental work done. It is best to call for an appointment. Dr Chopra is supposed to be good. DR SP Aggarwal (619-7777), R-4A Green Park Extension, is a good dentist. Open Tue to Sat 10 am to 1 pm and 4 to 7 pm. Lawrence
& Mayo, 76 Janpath, and Bon-Ton Opticians, 13 Janpath
Market have good glasses and sunglasses. Medikos Opticians,
1588 Main Bazaar, Paharganj, does eye tests and makes up glasses quickly.
A recommended economical place to get glasses is Eastern Optical
Corporation (331-3907), 15 Shankar Market. To
find his office, you go to the Nizamuddin railway station. As you
walk out the door, turn left and take a rickshaw or walk about half
a km. When you come to the Y-intersection, take the left fork past
some vegetable stands, which brings you over the train tracks. After
the train tracks, walk about 50 m (165 ft) and turn right at the intersection.
His office is at the end of the road, a minute away. Open 9.30 am
to 1 pm. Closed Mondays and sometimes he is not there for a week or
two. For phone numbers that have changed: English - 1952, Hindi 1951. International and Collect calls dial 186. Local information 197. Express couriers: Overnight Express (open 24 hours) and Blue Dart (332-4511), both have offices in the Kanishka Shopping Plaza, next to the Ashok Yatri Niwas Hotel. DHL (686-7090), 11 Ashirwad, D-1, Green Park, is efficient at shipping packages out of India. Another DH (2373-7587) branch at Vandana Bldg, 11 Tolstoy Marg (Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-8pm, Sat 10am-6pm Belair Travel and Cargo (331-3985), 10-B Scindia House, ships heavy baggage overseas. Sham Store (738-945), Main Bazaar across from Galaxy Guest House has an export license and can ship goods overseas. Parcel Packing Service (777-8298), T-298 Main Bazaar, Paharganj, next to the Hare Rama Guest House, is a reliable shipper. They can package and send parcels home for you. I have used them myself. Recommended.
Parcel Packing and Cargo Service (738-945), 5068
Main Bazaar, Paharganj, is a reliable shipper. Internet The
Roye Business Centre, down a side street behind the Kwality Restaurant
in Connaught Place has email service for around Rs 20 for 10 minutes
or Rs 100 for one hour. Cybercafe, N-Block, is an
e-mail place open 9.30 am to 8.30 pm. Calculus Cyber Center
(373-4007), above Khadi Gramdyog, near Regal Cinema, has web service
for Rs 100 per hour and Rs 60 per half-hour. Thomas Cook (2334-2171; fax 2371-5685), in the Imperial Hotel on Janpath, and at C-Block in Connaught Place (335-6575; fax 335-6580) changes money efficiently. They have a branch at the International Airport and at New Delhi train station. The Bank of Baroda (332-8230), Sansad Marg, give cash advances on Visa and MasterCard. The places in the Main Bazaar in Paharganj usually give good rates of exchange and change money quickly. There are several places that change money in the bazaar. Ankur Guest House, across from the Hare Rama Guest House, changes money efficiently at good rates. Baluja Exports (753-2419), 4596 Main Bazaar, in Paharganj, changes money quickly and efficiently at the current bank rate, and they do not take a commission. They are recommended if you are staying in Paharganj. Chequepoint Foreign Exchange (2361-1331), Baluja Forex, Main Bazaar, is a good place to change travelers cheques and cash. in Paharganj. Banks: State Bank of India, Sansad Marg; State Bank of India, 250m from the east end of Chandni Chowk; Bank of America (2372-2332) DCM Building, 15 Barakhamba Rd; Citibank (371-2484), Jeevan Bharati Building, Connaught Place; ANZ Grindlays (372-1242), H-10 Connaught Place; Banque Nationnale de Paris (2331-4848), 15 Barakhamba Rd; and Hong Kong Bank (2371-6000), 28 Kasturba Gandhi Marg. Banks are usually open 10 am to 2 pm Mon to Fri and from 10 am to noon on Sat. Credit Lyonnaise (2375-5213), Mercantile House, 15 Kasturba Gandhi Marg. Deutsche Bank (2371-2028), tolstoy House, 15-17 Tolstoy Marg. The international banks are usually located near Connaught Place. Changing money at the State Bank of India can take more than an hour. The money changing facilities at the Ashok Hotel are open 24 hours a day. There
are many ATM machines at banks in the Connaught Place
area. The Citibank Machine (Cirrus system), a few
blocks from Connaught Place on Barakhamba Rd, has closed. If you need a longer extension than 15 days, you must first get authorization from the Ministry of Home Affairs (2462-3739) at Khan Market (open 10 am to noon, not a minute later). You then take the form to the Foreigners’ Registration Office. If the visa extension is given, you return to the Home Office, which is where the visa itself will be issued. The men working in this office are really intelligent, so it does not pay to come up with a too extreme bogus story or try to fool them (don’t make a fool out of them). If you have overstayed your visa by a few day, expect to be chastised and ask for forgiveness politely. Tourist are expected to be a bit spaced out. I found them to be reasonable if you are straightforward with them (even if you are making up a story). A
tax clearance certificate is issued around the corner
from Hans Bhavan at the Foreign Section of the Income Tax
Department (2337-9161) in the Central Revenue Building on
Vikas Marg, Indraprastha Estate. You have to bring exchange certificates
with you to show that you changed money legally and did not work in
India. The office is closed from 1 to 2 pm. Libraries
and Cultural Centers Photography Motorcycle
Shops Australia The main sites to see are the Red Fort, the Jama Masjid mosque, and the markets in the Chandni Chowk area. At
the north end of what is left of the old city of Shah Jahanabad is
Kashmiri Gate. Across from the gate is the Interstate bus terminal.
Across from the bus station is the Qudsia Gardens, which were built
in 1748 by the wife of the Mughal emperor, Muhammad Shah. West of
the gate is an Ashok Pillar, which was brought to this spot by Firoz
Shah Tughlaq. Near the pillar is the Mutiny Memorial, which honors
the British soldiers who died in the Uprising of 1857. From here there
are good views of the city. North of the Old Delhi Post Office, before
Kashmiri Gate, is St James’ Church (1836). Colonel James Skinner
built it. Prayers
are chanted by a priest from the platform under the center arch in
the most western part of the mosque. Before amplification, the small
post between here and the east gate is where a priest would repeat
the prayers so those in the back could hear. On the floor of the mosque,
each rectangle designates the space that is used by a worshiper while
offering prayers. In the center of the courtyard is a hauz (water
tank), used to clean the hands and feet before worshiping. On the
east side of the mosque there are lines that mark where one mourns
the dead. The symmetrical patterns on the arches represent the lotus
flower. You can climb the south minaret (tower) and get a good view of the city (Rs 5, camera Rs 10). From there you can get a great view of Old Delhi, the Red Fort, and New Delhi to the south. Caution: women, especially if alone, should beware of men trying to touch them on the dark stairway. Priests’ homes are to the west of the mosque. Priests have lived here since the time of Shah Jahan. The
mosque is open for tourists from thirty minutes after dawn until 12:20
pm (noon on Fri), 1:45 pm until twenty minutes before azan, the call
for prayer, and then from after the prayer until twenty minutes before
sunset. Entry fee Rs 10, camera Rs 10; lungi to wrap around bare legs
Rs 5-10. Near the beginning of Chandni Chowk, opposite the entrance to the Red Fort, is the Digambara Jain Temple. It was built in the 17th century, but over the years many additions have been made. It contains intricate carvings and is dedicated to the twenty-third tirthankara, Parshvanath. The Jain Bird Hospital is located in the temple courtyard, treating up to fifty birds a day. Open October to March from 6 am to 1 pm and 6 to 7 pm; April to September from 5:30 am to 12:30 pm and 7 to 8 pm. West of the Jain Temple is the Gauri Shankar Temple, which contains an 800-year-old Siva-linga. Next to the linga are deities of Gauri (Parvati) and Shankar (Siva). Sunehri Masjid is a few blocks west of the Jain Temple. Nadir Shah, who sacked Delhi in 1739, is said to have watched from the roof of the mosque while his soldiers slaughtered thousands of the residents of Delhi. Sisganj Gurudwara, near the police station in the middle of Chandni Chowk, marks the place where Aurangzeb beheaded Guru Teg Bahadur in 1675, after the Sikh guru refused to convert to Islam. Fathpuri Mosque, at the west end of Chandni Chowk, was built in 1650 by one of Shah Jahan’s wives. Old Delhi: 10 Easy Walks by Gaynor Barton and Lauraine Malone, published by Rupa and Co, is a good guide book of the area. Coronation
Durbar Site Raj
Ghat There is a museum at Birla House, Tees January Marg, near the Claridges Hotel. It is the site of Gandhi’s assassination. Raj Ghat is close to the west bank of the Yamuna River, about 2km southeast of the Red Fort and 1km east of Delhi Gate. Just south of the monument is a park containing trees and flowers planted by different dignitaries—Eisenhower planted gladiolas, Queen Elizabeth II planted a pine tree, and Nasser from Egypt planted a slanted tree. A little north is Shanti Vana (“Forest of Peace”), which is the cremation site of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister. His daughter Indira Gandhi was cremated here in 1984, as were her sons Sanjay in 1980 and Rajiv in 1991. A little further north is Vijay Ghat (“Victory Ghat”), which is where Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri was cremated in 1965. Firoz
Shah Kotla There
are also the ruins of the palace of Firoz Shah Kotla, a huge old ruined
mosque, and a circular baoli (step-well). Firozabad is between new
and old Delhi, near Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, 500m east of Delhi Gate.
Not many people visit here. Admission foreigners/Indians US$2/Rs 5. Rashtrapati
Bhavan (President’s Residence) There is a 145m pillar between the residence and the gate, donated by the Maharaja of Jaipur. It is called the Jaipur Column and is topped by a bronze lotus and a six pointed star, which was at one time the shape of the Star of India (it now has just five points). Rashtrapati Bhavan is located south of Connaught Place, at the other end of Rajpath from India Gate. On Saturday (10 to 10:30 am) there is a parade of the guards, which resembles the changing of the guard in London. Rajpath
runs east to west, with India Gate at one end and Rashtrapati Bhavan
at the other. The Republic Day Parade is held on this street each
year on January 26. Opposite Sansad Bhavan is the 20th century white marble Rakabganj Gurudwara. This is where the body of the Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur was cremated after Aurangzeb beheaded him. To the north of Sansad Bhavan is the Church of the Sacred Heart (1934). The Cathedral Church of the Redemption (1935) is a design-winning church. The Secretariat buildings are on either side of Raisina Hill. All the important government ministries are located here, including the Home, Foreign Affairs, and Finance Ministries. They are longs buildings with domes on top of them. India
Gate WARNING Be careful of the shoeshine men who throw muck on your shoes as you walk by and then point it out to you with an offer to clean it. While they are cleaning your shoes, they may even damage them and then offer to repair them at a hefty price. Be careful of the ear cleaners, because they often cause damage to the ears that they clean. Lakshmi
Narayana Birla Temple Jantar
Mantar National
Museum The museum has a good collection of terra-cottas, dating back to the fifth century. There are also ancient paintings showing Krishna’s pastimes. The museum has a collection of rare and precious antique jewelry. There is a weapon collection, musical instruments, and intricately carved wooden doors. There is a collection of Arabic and Persian manuscripts which include the handwritten writings of Emperor Jahangir. The museum is located on Janpath, just south of Rajpath. Open daily except Mon and government holidays from 10 am to 5 pm; admission foreigners/Indians Rs 150/10. Guided tours are offered at 10:30 am, 11:30 am and 2 pm. There is a film shown at 2:30 pm. Archaeological
Survey of India Nehru
Memorial Museum and Planetarium It was originally built in 1930 to be used by the British Commander in Chief. Open daily except Mon 10 am to 4:45 pm. There is a Son et Lumiere (Sound and Light Show) at 6 pm in Hindi and 7:15 pm in English. The Nehru Planetarium is located next to the Nehru Museum. Open daily except Mon, shows at 11 am and 3 pm; admission Rs 20. National
Rail Transport Museum The
museum is located in the Chanakyapuri area near the embassies, at
Shantipath and Nyaya Marg. Open daily except Mon 9:30 am to 5:30 pm;
admission Rs 15, cameras Rs 20. Phone: 2688-1816 This museum (338-2835) is located in the Jaipur House, near India Gate. It used to be the Delhi home of the Maharaja of Jaipur. Open daily except Mon 10 am to 5 pm; admission Foreigners/Indians Rs 150/10. Crafts
Museum National
Police Museum Other
Museums The National Philatelic Museum is located in the post office on Sansad Marg (Parliament St). There is a large collection of rare stamps here, including stamps issued by the Princely States before Independence. Visitors can obtain an entry pass in the post office’s basement. Commemorative stamps are available for purchase. Open weekdays 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and 2:30 to 4:30 pm. The Air Force Museum at the International Airport has a collection of old planes, and an exhibit showing the history of the Indian Air Force. Open daily except Tues 10 am to 1:30 pm. Sangeet Natak Akademi (338-7246), Rabindra Bhavan, is the main institution for music (sangeet) and dance (natak) in India. It has a good collection of musical instruments, costumes, and masks. There is also a library containing rare books. It has a large collection of films and photographs. Open Mon through Fri 9:30 am to 6 pm; admission free. Shankar’s
International Doll Museum, B Shah Zafar Marg, has an interesting
collection of over 6,000 dolls. It is open 10 am to 6 pm; admission
Rs 1. Purana
Qila (Old Fort) Purana Qila is the sixth city of Delhi and was built by the Afghan, Sher Shah (1538-45), after he defeated Humayun. The main gate is called Bara Darwaza (Great Gate), the south gate is called Humayun Darwaza, and the north gate is called Talaqi Darwaza (Forbidden Gate). The Qila-i-Kuhna Masjid (Old Fort Mosque) was built by Sher Shah from red sandstone in 1541. The mosque is well-maintained. Sher Mandal is a red sandstone octagonal building, which Humayun used as a library. It is said that Humayun received a fatal injury when he tripped while coming down the stairs of the Sher Mandal. There
is a small archaeological museum inside the main
gate, which has some of the items discovered in and around Purana
Qila. Signs say you cannot climb the walls of the fort, but visitors
may ask permission of the guards and get a good view of New Delhi.
Open
daily from dawn to 6:30 pm; admission foreigners/Indian Rs Rs100/5.
There is a sound-and-light-show evenings at 7:30pm for Rs 50. National
Zoological Park Humayun ruled India from 1530 until 1540, when Sher Shah defeated him. At that time he went into exile and returned in 1555 to reclaim the throne of Delhi. He died a year later. It is said that he was walking down the stairs of his library and heard the call to prayer. He immediately sat down on the nearest step to pray. After rising, he tripped and fell down the stairs. The injuries he received caused his death. Nine years after he died, in 1565, Hamida (Haji) Begam, his eldest widow and mother of his son Akbar, began the construction of his tomb. Haji Begam was also buried here. The tomb is built on top of a huge base and is octagonal. It has double domes which rise almost 40m above the base. The tomb has high arches and beautiful marble lattice screens. Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor, is also buried here. He was captured here by the British during the 1857 Uprising. Barber’s Tomb is southeast of Humayun’s tomb. Outside the walls that surround Humayun’s Tomb is Nila Gumbad (Blue Dome), which is an octagonal tomb with a dome covered with blue tiles. It is not known for whom it was built, but it is believed to have been built before 1625. Near the entrance of the Halima’s Garden is the Tomb of Isa Khan, one of Sher Shah’s nobleman. Humayun’s Tomb is open daily, dawn to sunset; admission foreigners/Indian US$5/Rs 10, video camera Rs 25. Hazrat
Nizamuddin’s Tomb To
the west is the Jama-at Khana Masjid, a red sandstone mosque
built in 1325 by Khizr Khan, the son of Ala-ud-din-Khalji. South of the main tomb, next to Khusrau’s tomb, is the Tomb of Jahanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan. She asked that her grave be covered with nothing but grass, so there is no dome or other structure over the tomb. When her father was imprisoned in the Agra Fort, she stayed with him. The Tomb of Atgah Khan is also here. He was dear to Humayun and his son, Akbar. He was killed by Adham Khan in Agra. Akbar then had Adham Khan killed. Often
in the evenings (5-7 pm), especially on Thursdays and Muslim holidays,
qawwali singers perform evening prayers. There are
two major Urs (fairs) each year in honor of the anniversaries of Nizamuddin
Aulia and Amir Khusrau’s death. Before entering the tombs, you
should cover your head with a hat or handkerchief. This place is near
the Nizamuddin Railway Station, just off Mathura Rd. The #454 bus,
which travels between Paharganj and Nizamuddin via Palika Bazaar,
stops here. In the center of the Gardens is the 15th century Bara Gumbad (Large Dome), a square tomb with a massive dome. It is made of red, gray, and black stones. The tomb has painted stucco work in the interior. It is not known who is buried here. There is a mosque connected to the tomb, which was built in 1494. It is inscribed with texts from the Koran, colored tiles, and floral patterns. A little north of Bara Gumbad is Shish Gumbad (Glazed Dome), built in the early 16th century. It was covered with blue tiles, but now many of them are gone. The Tomb of Muhammad Shah (1434-44), built in the mid-15th century, is about 400m south of Bara Gumbad. It has a high dome. Muhammad
Shah was the third Sayyid ruler. Safdarjang’s
Tomb The
battlefield where Timur defeated Mahmud Shah Tughluq in 1398 is just
south of here. Admssion foreigners/Indians US2/Rs 5. A rickshaw to
here from Connaught place is around Rs 75. Also located here is Firoz Shah’s Tomb (1398). West and north of the tomb are the ruins of some multi-storey buildings— all that is left of an old college built by Firoz Shah in 1354. The ruins of the Idgah Mosque, built in 1405, are close by. There
is a daily cultural show at 6:45 pm (Rs 100). Music and dance performances
are also held here. Tughluqabad was abandoned, being used for only five more years. When he returned from a military campaign, the pavilion built to welcome him by Muhammad-bin Tughluq, his son and successor, was deliberately collapsed, causing his death. On a hill to the southeast are the ruins of the later Adilabad Fort, built by Ghiyas-ud-din’s son, Muhammad Shah II. It is said that after Ghiyas-ud-din claimed the workers Nizamuddin had arranged to build his shrine, Nizamuddin cursed the king that only shepherds would inhabit his city. This has proved true. This place is located on the Mehrauli to Badarpur Rd, 16km southeast of Connaught Place, and 8km due east of Qutb Minar. To get here by bus, take #451 from Jantar Mantar to Badarpur, then catch the bus going to Mehrauli. You can also catch a bus to this place from the Qutb Minar Complex. Jahanpanah
Khirki
Masjid Baha’i
Temple It
is a popular place. It is 12km southeast of Connaught Place. Bus #433
from Sansad Marg, near Connaught Place, stops near this temple. Open
April to Sept, daily except Mon 9 am to 7 pm; Oct to March 9:30 am
to 5:30 pm; Admission free. There is an audio visual show at 11 am,
12 noon, 2 pm, and 3:30 pm. It is closed twice a day for an hour for
morning and evening prayers (approximately 10 am and 4 pm). To get to the temple, ask for the Sant Nagar area by Nehru Place. There are two Sant Nagar areas in Delhi, so adding “by Nehru Place” is essential. Once you arrive at the Sant Nagar area, ask anyone directions to the temple. The temple is located in the southeast part of Delhi by Mathura Rd. It is half an hour by auto-rickshaw from Connaught Place. Ashoka’s
Rock Edict Swimming
Pools and Gym Many shops in Connaught Place sell modern clothes and other items, as well as traditional handicrafts. You can purchase good Tibetan goods at Tibetan Market, on Janpath, near the Imperial Hotel. These shops are managed by Tibetan Refugees and Kashmiris. They sell carpets, antiques (alleged), jewelry, and handicrafts. On Baba Kharak Singh Marg, there are State Emporiums representing many of the Indian states. They carry brass items, woodcarvings, textiles, jewelry, handicrafts, and many other items. The goods in these shops are some of the highest quality in India, but they have price tags to match. The Tamil Nadu Emporium is worth visiting, just to see it. The
Main Bazaar in Paharganj has a wide assortment of shops. A few shops
specialize in incense, oils, and perfumes. It is crowded. Khan Market is a good place to purchase fruit, vegetables, and imported food. It also has good book shops. Hauz
Khas Village in South Delhi has several upmarket shops and
is an interesting place. There are several shops selling designer
clothing. Central
Cottage Industries Emporium, Janpath and Tolstoy Marg, carries
good quality cotton and silk fabrics and clothing. They have an excellent
selection. It is a government shop with fixed prices, and they will
ship overseas if requested. Their prices may be higher than at other
places, but the quality makes up for it. You can purchase detailed maps of India and its cities from the Map Sales Office, Survey of India, near the Central Cottages Emporium, 1st floor, Janpath. Book
Shops An excellent place to buy travel and other books is the round bookstall just south of Connaught Place on Janpath. They sell books at the best prices I have seen in India, and the man who runs it is quick and efficient. Piccadilly Book Stall, Shop No 64, Shankar Market, on a side road off M-Block from Connaught Place, has the best selection of astrology and spiritual books in Delhi, and one of the best in India. Bahri Sons at Khan Market has probably the largest selection of travel books. The Bookshop, Khan Market, also has a good selection. At BPB Publications on B-Block, Connaught Place, you can purchase computer books. They have many of the latest titles from the US; a book costing $25 will go for $7 here. In the center of Palika Bazaar there are two good book shops across from each other, Book World (Shop #7) and Rajiv Book House (Shop #30); both carry books mainly about India. Motilal Banarsidass (291-8335 Fax: 99-11-293-0689), 41 UA Bungalow Rd, has a huge selection of books on Indian philosophy, the Puranas, astrology, and Ayurvedic medicines. They are wholesalers, but will also sell retail. They have a branch at Nai Sarak, Chandni Chowk. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers (777-1668; fax: 99-11-751-2745), 54 Rani Jhansi Road, has a large selection of Indian philosophy books. They are also publishers. Sagar Publications (332-0648), 72 Ved Mansion, down a side road off Janpath, carries a good selection of astrology, Vedic, and Ayurvedic medicine books. Many of the bigger hotels have good bookshops, such as the Taj Mahal, Taj Palace, Hotel Kanishka, and Claridges. Jacksons Books, 5106 Main Bazaar, west end of Paharganj, has a good selection of used books in English, French, German, Italian, and other languages. Fruit,
Vegetable & Supermarkets Entertainment | |||
