A city of great character, of contrasts and convolutions - this is Delhi, the capital city of India. A city with antiquity dating back over 2,000 years, it is also a modern metropolis with fast cars and neon lit shopping malls. So varied are the shades of Delhi's different faces, it is difficult to grasp it in a short span of time.
The India Gate, Delhi
Home to over 10 million people, the sights of Destination Delhi range from the ruins of the seven historical cities built over time, monuments that testify to its position as a central hub of commerce and government, to symbols of an ever-growing prosperity in the southern parts that has engulfed a multitude of old villages. Even a cursory glance at a Delhi destination guide will reveal that here is a city that is simply packed with important sights that include the historical, cultural and the religious. This is the home of the Qutub Minar and India Gate, Chandni Chowk and the Red Fort, the Lotus Temple and Jama Masjid. Delhi is the city of the mythological Pandavs and the mythical Indraprastha, of the medieval Sultanate and of the great Mughal, Shah Jahan.
jamamasjid.jpg (10947 bytes) The large number of important sightseeing venues and the expanse of the city together make Delhi actually quite a difficult city to "do" in a short span of time. North Delhi, which is Old Delhi, is the area where the Mughals left behind some of the greatest architectural delights in all of India. In the southern parts of New Delhi are more remnants from bygone eras: forts, mausoleums and other sundry monuments.
But it is central Delhi where much of the action happens; this is Lutyen's Delhi, where the corridors of power are located and only the most successful companies can afford the real estate. Tourists flock to central Delhi with the intuition of homing pigeons. Budget accommodation abounds in Paharganj, from where the New Delhi railway station is just a short walk, a brief auto-rickshaw ride will get one to the atmospheric lanes of Old Delhi, and the pleasures of Connaught Place are right there. Only a small distance from "CP" are Delhi's most important museums.
If your India travel plans restrict your stay in Delhi to a day then Connaught Place is where you want to be: airline offices, tourist information kiosks, footpath Delhi City Guide hawkers, restaurants, pubs, monuments like the Jantar Mantar observatory, shopping streets like Janpath, chaos, clutter, colour - this place packs in all that's best about Delhi in both its older and newer avatars. If you're spending only two days in Delhi, then too you'd want to be located in this area, give one day to the action at Connaught Place and reserve the other for a well-organised guided city tour, most of which originate from Connaught Place.
A repository of India's culture and heritage, Delhi is famous for its many museums, art galleries and crafts expositions that are a mirror to the entire country. It is also the center of most important cultural festivals, where performers from the classical arts to modern pop stars, artists, sculptors, dramatists, film-makers, all come to present their works. Charting phenomenal growth over five decades after India's independence in 1947, Delhi has now become a heterogeneous mixture of all religious groups, linguistic communities, social segments and economic brackets. While the city is bustling with activity that holds out a promise for everyone, it can brutally stamp out the vulnerable, leaving no ripples on the surface. Delhi - here you can feel the pulse of India beating to the rhythm of rapidly changing times.
