History of New Delhi

To go right back into an era where mythology and history are too closely intertwined, it is believed that New Delhi, then known as Indraprashtha, was the scene of action of India's great epic, the Mahabharata. Periodic archeological excavations bring in more and more evidence to support this contention.

To go right back into an era where mythology and history are too closely intertwined, it is believed that New Delhi, then known as Indraprashtha, was the scene of action of India's great epic, the Mahabharata. Periodic archeological excavations bring in more and more evidence to support this contention.

Thereafter, historians say there have been seven cities of New Delhi. If you count the smaller settlements and forts, the number may touch fifteen. Each city has left behind so much story and material for rumination that it requires many a lifetime to know them all completely.

Recorded history exists from the 11th century when Dillika, as this little town was known, found its focal point south of where it is now. This kingdom was known as Lal Kot. The famous ruler of this line of Tomars was called Prithvi Raj Chauhan. He is said to have built many temples and a huge fort called Qila Rai Pithora.

However, their 200-year-old rule culminated with the arrival of the first set of invaders-the Slave Dynasty. One of the rulers of this dynasty, Qutub-ud-din Aibak, built the tall Qutab Minar. The Qutab Minar has five floors. It is 72.55-m high with a base diameter of 14.40 tapering to 2.4 m at the top.

Time moved on and by the end of the 13th century, the Khilji Dynasty was looking around for the best piece of land on which to build their seat of empire. Today where Delhi's best auditorium stands, the Siri Fort as it is called, was the site the Khiljis had chosen; it is closer to central Delhi than Aibak's kingdom.

Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq succeeded Alauddin Khilji and, as vanity demanded, built a magnificent fort at Tughlaqabad. It is perhaps the most beautiful ruin in the country. Standing very tall, its massive structure quite contrasting with the delicate ornate style is still charming. The famous traveler Ibn Batuta recorded that it used to shine bright against the sun like a fort made of gold. There were huge silos at the entry points and this fort had umpteen gates. The story goes that a saint called Nizammuddin Aulia cursed Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq that his city would never flourish.

Perhaps, destiny willed it that way too. In those days of treason, Ghiyasuddin fell prey to his son Mohammad Bin Tughlaq's ambition. Mohammad built his own city, Adilabad, a few yards away from Tughlaqabad. He enclosed a large area within a wall, creating within it the Jahanpanah forest. Then came the foolish attempt to move the capital away from New Delhi. However, he had to shift his capital back to this city within a few months.
His nephew was Ferozshah Tughlaq. The fort built by Ferozshah-Ferozshah Kotla, as it is known-has stood as an inspiring backdrop to many famous bowlers and batsmen. The rest of the structures are, however, not intact. This fifth city, like the sixth city of the Lodi Dynasty, has few of its monuments left. Once again, New Delhi saw a shift of capital to Agra.

However, it did not last long. This time the famous battle of Panipat, which brought the fulcrum back to New Delhi eventually, saw Sher Shah Suri as the ruler. Sher Shah laid the foundation for the Grand Trunk Road and built the Old Fort. Today the fort complex houses the zoo in addition to preserving some of the buildings inside the fort.

The living legacy of Delhi is Shahjahanabad. Created by the builder of Taj Mahal, this city, with the Red Fort as the focal point and Jama Masjid as the praying center, has a fascinating market planned to shine under the light of the moon, called Chandni Chowk. Shahjahan planned Chandni Chowk so that his daughter could shop for all that she wanted. It was divided by canals filled with water, which glistened like silver in moonlight. The canals are now closed, but Chandni Chowk remains Asia's largest wholesale market. Crafts, once patronized by the Mughals continue to flourish in the small lanes of the city, once known as Shahjahanabad. Tradition and modernity meet at unexpected places in Shahjahanabad. If you see a man pulling a rickshaw or feeding pigeons, you will see just as many talking over the cello or assembling a computer! An experience of timelessness awaits you at Shahjahanabad.

Modern Delhi, or New Delhi as it is called, centers around Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is architecturally a very impressive building standing at a height, flowing down as it were to India Gate. This stretch called the Rajpath is where the Republic Day parade is held. The imposing plan of this area conceived by Lutyens does not fade in its charm with the numerous summers or winters that go past.

New Delhi remains the center of power. Once it was a city of royal power. Then it became the seat of colonial power. Later it was the seat of bureaucratic power. The seat of political power it has always been. Today it is emerging as an important center for corporate power too.

The most fascinating aspect of this city is its cosmopolitan nature. You can find the whole of India in its little colonies and structures. Contemporary times will be far more difficult to record for tomorrow's history.

Tourist Places in New Delhi

There are several places to see, visit, and explore in New Delhi. New Delhi is an international metropolis with excellent tourist spots, recreational facilities, and a history that goes back to antiquity. A remarkable feature of New Delhi is the extent of greenery all over. New Delhi is also a dream city for visitors looking for items of handicrafts, not only the rich artistic crafts of its own craftsmen but also of craftsmen from all over the country. New Delhi offers a multitude of interesting places and attractions to the visitor, so much so that it becomes difficult to decide from where to begin exploring the city.

India Gate
A memorial inscribed with the names of the valiant Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in World War I. The green, velvety lawns at India Gate, particularly, are a popular evening and holiday rendezvous for young and old alike. A must visit place in New Delhi.

Rashtrapati Bhawan
Modern New Delhi, or New Delhi as it is called, centers around the Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is architecturally a very impressive building standing at a height, flowing down as it were to India Gate. This stretch called the Rajpath is where the Republic Day parade is held. The imposing plan of this area conceived by Lutyens does not fade in its charm with the numerous summers or winters that go past.

For lovers of flowers and beauty, the annual spring opening of the glorious, meticulously tended Mughal Gardens at the stately Rashtrapati Bhawan is a bonanza topped by an amazing assembly of roses in perfect bloom-perhaps the best in the whole of India. Mughal Gardens is indeed a place to see.

Red Fort
In Old Delhi, you may visit the ramparts of the Red Fort. The decision for constructing the fort was taken in 1639, when Shahjahan decided to shift his capital to New Delhi from Agra. Within eight years, Shahjahanabad was completed with the Red Fort-Qila-i-Mubarak (fortunate citadel)-New Delhi's seventh fort, ready in all its magnificence to receive the Emperor. The Red Fort still retains some of its lost glory. The Red Fort was the last fort built in New Delhi and it witnessed the vicissitudes of fortune, the splendour and the fall of the Mughals, British rule, and finally the dawn of Indian Independence. A place must see by all tourists visiting Delhi.

Raj Ghat
Raj Ghat On the bank of the legendary Yamuna, which flows past New Delhi, there is Raj Ghat-the last resting place of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation. It has become an essential point of call for all visiting dignitaries. Besides Raj Ghat the other near by places must see in New Delhi are the two museums dedicated to Gandhi.

Qutab Minar
The Qutab Minar is located at a small village called Mehrauli in South New Delhi. Qutub-ud-din Aibek of the Slave Dynasty, who took possession of New Delhi in 1206, built it. It is a fluted red sandstone tower, which tapers up to a height of 72.5 metres and is covered with intricate carvings and verses from the holy Qur'an. The landmark of New Delhi is a place to see.

Laxminarayan Temple
Also called the Birla Mandir, the Laxminarayan Temple was built by the Birla family in 1938. It is a temple with a large garden and fountains behind it. The temple attracts thousands of devotees on Janmashtami day, the birthday of Lord Krishna. The temple is a place to visit by most of the tourist coming to New Delhi.

Humayun's Tomb
Humayun's wife Haji Begum built his Tomb nine years after his death. Designed by a Persian architect named Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, and completed in 1565, the edifice was a trendsetter of the time by remains a must visit place in New Delhi till date.

Chandni Chowk
The living legacy of New Delhi is Shahjahanabad. Created by the builder of Taj Mahal, this city, with the Red Fort as the focal point and Jama Masjid as the praying centre, has a fascinating market planned to shine under the light of the moon, called Chandni Chowk. Shahjahan planned Chandni Chowk so that his daughter could shop for all that she wanted. It was divided by canals filled with water, which glistened like silver in moonlight. The canals are now closed, but Chandni Chowk remains Asia's largest wholesale market. A must visit place in New Delhi

Shanti Vana
Lying close to the Raj Ghat, the Shanti Vana (literally, the forest of peace) is the place where India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was cremated. The area is now a beautiful park adorned by trees planted by visiting dignitaries and heads of state.

Bahai Temple/Lotus Temple
The Bahai Temple, situated in South New Delhi, is shaped like a lotus. It is an eye-catching edifice worth exploring. Built by the Baha'i community, it offers the visitor a serenity that pervades the temple and its artistic design.

Purana Quila
The Purana Quila is a good example of medieval military architecture. Built by Humayun, with later-day modifications by Sher Shah Suri, the Purana Quila is a monument of bold design, which is strong, straightforward and every inch a fortress. It is different from the well planned, carefully decorated, and palatial forts of the later Mughal rulers. Purana Quila is also different from the later forts of the Mughals, as it does not have a complex of palaces, administrative and recreational buildings, as is generally found in the forts built later on. The main purpose of this now-dilapidated fort was its utility, with less emphasis on decoration. The Qal'a-I-Kunha Masjid and the Sher Mandal are two important monuments inside the fort.