Sightseeing in Delhi

Amongst so much pollution, noisy and big crowds of people and animals on the streets of Delhi, it’s possible to find some incredibly peaceful and beautiful places within the city to escape its daily craziness.

Initially my sister and I had planning on exploring Delhi via metro, but we soon realized that it would take a lot more days than only a weekend to do this. It was also a challenge asking Indian people on the streets information on how to find the places, as most of them speak only Hindi. Arriving at the Red Fort, in Old Delhi, we spotted various tour guides with their four wheel drive Jeeps parked near the fort. Fortunately, they spoke English! We hired a guide for around US$20 dollars each. We found this an easier and inexpensive way of travelling around Delhi. Rajits mobile number 9213 536 303.

Tour Guide Rajit with Dine in Delhi

 NEW AND OLD DELHI

The capital city of Delhi has a population of nearly 14 million people, being the second largest metropolitan city in India (Mumbai being the first).  The city is divided into Old and New Delhi.

Old Delhi is chaotic and dirty with old building constructions (like they are going to fall apart at any moment). Riding on a rickshaw (bicycle carriage) trough Chandni Chowk’s Market Street, in Old Delhi, made me fell claustrophobic and a bit fearful, since it was getting dark and we had waved farewell to our tour guide. Although after watching Dine enjoying herself seating next to me, I decided to change my mindset looking at it as another adventure, which did help to put me at easy.

Messy Street in Old Delhi - Chandni Chowk Market

New Delhi was developed by the British, with elegant building constructions well preserved to this day. This part of the city was formally inaugurated as New Delhi in 1931. New Delhi is clean and vastly surrounded by beautiful old trees. It comes as no surprise that most tourists will stay in New Delhi when they come to the capital city of India.

President House alongside Parliament House - New Delhi

LOTUS TEMPLE

My favourite place in Delhi was the Bahai Temple or Lotus temple, which resembles the Sydney Opera House, but with a shape of a lotus flower instead. The difference between the two buildings is that the temple has its petals turned inward and the second has its petals turned outward. The Lotus temple is also surrounded by swimming pools of fresh water and the Opera House is surrounded by sea water.

Lotus Temple

This was a challenging construction as the building has no pillars to support itself. The completion of the temple took 10 years, being inaugurated in 1986. It has 27 petals and is surrounded by 9 swimming pools, which help to cool down the temple naturally. The room inside the temple accommodates 2500 people. Its lotus structure is made of white marble, which is the Indian national symbol of spiritual growth. (Photo below taken from the Internet)

Aerial View of Lotus Temple

This was the only temple in India so far, where I really felt at peace and actually sat down to pray. It’s not allowed to take photos inside the temple, which I believe contributes to create its peaceful and quiet atmosphere. It also stood out for me that this temple has no images of Gods as they embrace all religions. (Photo below taken from the Internet)

Room inside Lotus Temple

It’s free to visit this temple, compared to many others, where they charge tourists a significant amount of rupees to get in. It seemed to me that in this temple their main concern wasn’t making money, but truly getting people to be in touch with God. I left this place feeling uplifted.

My Favourite Temple in Delhi

MAHATMA GANDHI MEMORIAL

Raj Ghat is a beautiful and well kept garden built in Gandhi’s honor, one of the biggest personalities in India. In the middle of the garden there is a platform built in black marble, where Gandhi was cremated in 1948.  Although his ashes are not kept in this garden, they were thrown into the Ganges River. It’s free to visit this park, which is open from 6am to 6pm.

Raj Chat Park

Mahatma Gandi's Place of Cremation

Gandhi’s work owned him the title of ‘Mahatma’ in India, meaning a person who is greatly revered for his goodness and knowledge. Son of a politician and graduated in Law, Gandhi was a very polemic personality in India. He was nominated to the Nobel Peace Prize five times, although he never received this award.

The Golden Gandhi Statue at National Gandhi Museum

Gandhi Smriti was the house where Gandhi lived until the day of his assassination. He was shot by a Hindu radical, who blamed him for weakening the Indian Government. Although even after his assassination, Gandhi’s legacy is still strongly felt throughout India. There are several museums in Delhi exhibiting his nonviolence philosophy in India and other parts of the world. Gandhi’s house also turned into a museum, free of entry.

Gandhi Smriti Museum

Place of Gandhi's Assassination

INDIRA GANDHI MEMORIAL MUSEUM

Indira Gandhi was another great leader in Indian politics. Similarly to Gandhi’s fate, Indira was assassinated in her own house. She was shot by her two private bodyguards in 1984. Indira’s murders, who belonged to the ‘Sikh’ religion, blamed Indira for a big bloodshed of Sikhs in Amritsar, due to religious disputes. They revenged the Sikhs’s deaths with Indira’s killing. Nowadays, Indira’s house stands as a memorial in her honor and a museum exhibiting her private and political life.

Indira Gandhi's Memorial Museum

Indira Gandhi's Place of Assassination

Due to Indira’s surname, she can be mistakenly considered as part of Mahatma Gandhi’s family by some (myself included here!). Indira received Gandhy’s name after her marriage to Jehangir Gandhy, which later on was changed to ‘Gandhi’. Some Indian people say that Indira used her ‘Gandhi’ surname to win votes during her political campaign, making people believe that she was related to Mahatma Gandhi. Indira became the first Prime Minister of India in 1966. Indira’s work was renowned worldwide.

Although Indira has no family relation to Gandhi, they shared many things in common, such as having the same name, being children of politicians, becoming great leaders and ultimately having the same fate of being assassinated in their own house.

INDIA GATE

Also known as the ‘All Indian Wall Memorial’, this National monument was another place we visited, also related to the bloodshed of many lives. This gate was inspired by the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, standing 42 meters tall. It was built in 1931 in honor of the 90,000 Indian soldiers, who lost their lives fighting during the First World War in the British Indian Army. The Indian Gate is situated in the heart of New Delhi and the visit is free.

India Gate