Everything You Need to Know before Traveling to New Delhi

The city became the capital of the country after King George V laid the foundation stone and shifted the capital from Calcutta. New Delhi lies on the west bank of the River Yamuna, which virtually splits the city into two different sections.

Being the capital of India, Delhi has also seen the rise of many high-rises and planned urban projects, which have transformed the entire look of the city. Overall, it is a great place to visit if you’re looking to explore a new city, and with the so many traveling options available like taxis, metros, buses and more, you’re sure to have a great time heading into the nooks and crannies of the city as well.

From old bookstores to swanky malls, the city has something to offer for everyone. You shouldn’t leave without trying the delicious and tasty kebabs and meat in the by lanes of Old Delhi, so pencil that in as well.

Here are some other awesome places you must visit if you’re ever visiting Delhi:

A temple that encourages people to worship all religions, the Lotus Temple is inspired by the flower it’s named after. Composed of close to 27 marble “petals,” the temple’s unique structure is one of the iconic buildings in the capital of India.

There are nine doors through which guests and visitors can enter, and the overall capacity of the temple is 1,300 people in the central hall and 2,500 overalls. The temple is made of white marble from the Penteli Mountain in Greece.

The marble that was used to construct the Lotus Temple is the same used in the construction of many popular ancient monuments like the Parthenon and many other Baha’ I buildings as well. The architect of this beautiful monument was Fariborz Sahba, an Iranian and cost over $10 million to make, back in 1976.

The temple can be easily accessed by public transport, with the Kakaji Mandir Metro station just a short 500 meter walk away. It is located in Baharpur in Delhi and is frequented by artists and architectural enthusiasts worldwide.

The Laxmi Narayan Temple was built back in 1933 and is another popular tourist spot in the capital of India. The New Delhi Temple was accredited and was supposed to be inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi, who placed a condition that the temple would allow people from all castes to be allowed inside. This is the first temple to have been built by the Birlas in a series of temples they built all over the country.

The temple is built in the Nagara style of temple architecture and is adorned with intricate carvings and opulent shrines. There are statues of Lord Narayan and Goddess Lakshmi, along with other shrines dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Hanuman and Lord Shiva. Inside, there’s also a shrine built especially for Lord Buddha.

An iconic structure in the city, the India Gate embodies the spirit of Delhi and is one of its most recognizable monuments. A war memorial built to commemorate the spirit of the many fallen martyrs and soldiers during the First World War, India Gate has seen many iconic moments and vigils over the decade. Located on the eastern periphery of the “ceremonial axis” in the capital of India, India Gate is a great place to learn about the Indian Army’s history and might.

Sir Edward Lutyens designed the gate, one of the most prominent architects of the last century, and is often compared to the arches of Arc de Triomphe in France and Arch of Constantine in Rome. The India Gate also has a marble plinth surrounded by four eternal flames, called the “Amar Jawan Jyoti.”

Connaught Place is a financial and business hub of Delhi and is a great place to visit if you’re a fan of old-school, British architecture. The place is surrounded by Georgian-style buildings, which house vintage cinemas, restaurants, pubs, bars, and global chains. The hub, found in the capital of India, also features stalls that sell trinkets, embroidered bags and saris, and more.

CP is also home to the Sikh Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, which has its reflecting pool, along with the Jantar Mantar, an observatory deck with many astronomical instruments build back in 1700.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and an iconic structure in the capital of India, the Qutab Minar is a minaret that’s part of the Qutab complex in the city. The minar is a 73-meter tall tower, consisting of five stories and was built way back in the 12^th Century.

These stories are comprised of cylindrical, fluted shafts with red sandstone columns that are separated by balconies. The flanges are engraved with Quranic scripts and other decorative elements and designs, and well. The temple also has a spiral staircase of about 379 steps. It is one of the iconic structures in the city and is a place you must visit on your tour.

Yes, the title is right – it is an international museum dedicated to the history and evolution of the toilet seat. Sulabh International runs the temple, that’s dedicated to the history of toilets and sanitation. The museum is one of the unique experiences in the capital of India and was founded and established by Dr. Bindeswar Pathak, who is a social activist and recipient of multiple international awards.

The museum features an exhibit from 50 nations and is split into “Ancient, Modern and Medieval” exhibits. The exhibits showcase the development of technology related to toilets throughout human history and include chamber pots, privies, toilet seats, and so much more – right from 1145 AD till today.

The Gandhi National Museum is another must-visit location in the capital of India. Dedicated to the Father of our Nation, the museum is located next to the Samadhi, or grave. It was opened back in 1961 and is an official showcase for the work and artifacts collected during the time Gandhi was alive. The books are generally divided into sections where one is about Gandhi, and the other is on various other subject matter. There is a total of 35,000 books housed here, along with periodicals in both Hindi and English.

The Museum also has many personal items and paintings by Gandhi. These include a Satyagraha woodcut by Willemia Muller Ogetor, shawls and dhotis, and Gandhi’s walking sticks and one of the bullets that were used to assassinate him.

The Red Fort is a fortification in the capital of India and is one of its most popular monuments. It is regarded as the spot that marks the center of the city and is the main residence of the mighty Mughal Emperors during their long rule in the city. Constructed by Shah Jahan, this imposing structure gets its name from the red sandstone walls that make up the fort.

It was the political and ceremonial center of the Mughal state and is now the location where India’s Prime Minister raises the tricolor on Independence Day. It was known as the Quila-e-Mubarak along the waters of the Yamuna River and was part of the old city known as Shahjahanabad. The Red Fort is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having received the honor back in 2007.

The National Museum in the capital of India is easily one of the largest and is situated at the corner of the Maulana Azad Road and Janpath. Established back in 1949, the majestic museum has close to 200,000 exhibits of art and culture, made in both India and abroad. The Ministry of Culture maintains the museum.
The museum has plenty of exhibits that transcend many centuries and generations and is an important center to learn about the rich and amazing artistic history of India. Some exhibits date back to close to 5,000 years, making it one of the most popular spots to visit if you’re a history buff.

The capital of India is also home to the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum, which is also popularly known as the Crafts Museum. It celebrates the diverse, rich, and practicing traditions dedicated to crafts in India. It is located on a large campus by the Pragati Maidan and is opposite the Purana Qila and was designed by architect Charles Correa.

There are over 33,000 exhibits and specimens of crafts acquired over 60 years from various states around India, including Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, and many more. The collection is an ode to the continuing traditions of handlooms and handicrafts in the country.

There are also other traditional artifacts like metal sculptures, utensils, lamps, textiles, and more. These include Pashmina, Jamawars, Kalamkaris, embroidered fabrics, and more.

A museum that focuses on natural exhibits and more, the NMNH is a popular tourist destination in the capital of India and features many artifacts on India’s animals, plants, mineral wealth, and more. The museum also has a big collection of films on ecology, wildlife, conservation, and the environment, alon with mounted animals and dinosaur fossils.

The museum is a great place to understand more about India’s ecology and biodiversity with guided tours for specially created resources only for disabled visitors. The exhibits also include eggs from birds like the long-billed vulture and the ostrich and stuffed animals, which include the big cats.

Plans for the museum also include exhibits on global warming, climate change, disasters, depletion of the ozone layer, and a theatre, among others. The museum also expects to receive dinosaur egg fossils from the Narmada Valley in Gujarat.

The residence of the former Prime Minister of India, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum, contains her life’s work and other artifacts related to her. The residence was converted into a museum where visitors will be able to view a rare collection of photographs during the Nationalist movement along with other moments related to the Gandhi-Nehru family and her childhood.

There are also clippings collected over the years about various points in her life and memoirs and notes during her time as the leader of the country. There are clippings of Rajiv Gandhi and her awards, personal objects, funeral pyres, and more. Post her assassination, all her belongings were left untouched, and many different objects include bags, clothes, pens and more, which are part of this rare collection.

The many gifts she received from various people in her life have also been preserved carefully and kept in this museum.

A historic mosque located in Old Delhi, the Jama Masjid was constructed by Shah Jahan, who was a popular patron of Islamic culture and architecture. Shah Jahan was also responsible for many other popular monuments, including the Taj Mahal. The Jama Masjid is a popular mosque in the capital of India and is the second-biggest in the Indian Subcontinent.

The mosque, whose name translates to “Friday Mosque” is a place where the city’s Muslims gather for the communal prayer and is located near the Red Fort, which was also built by Shah Jahan. The courtyard stand has close to 30 steps, which are higher than the street and provides an excellent view of the quaint and beautiful Old Delhi area.

The mosque was built 5 centuries ago by around 5000 workers and was principally constructed with red sandstone with a bit of marble as well. It is one of the iconic structures in the olden part of the city and is visited by thousands of religious and architectural tourists over the years.

One of the most prominent Sikh gurdwaras in the country, the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, is dedicated to the eighth Sikh Guru, Guru Har Krishan. It was first constructed as a small shrine by the General Sardar Bhagdel Singh Dhaliwal in 1783, who also oversaw the construction of nine other Sikh shrines in the city as well.

Located near Connaught Place in the capital of India, it is instantly recognizable owing to its large golden dome and the massive flagpole as well. The Gurdwara was originally a bungalow belonging to Raja Jai Singh, who was a ruler in the seventeenth century. The eighth Sikh Guru also resided here during his stay in the city back in 1664.

When there was smallpox and cholera epidemic that year, Guru Har Krishan helped those who suffered by providing fresh water and aid. He, too, contracted the disease and died shortly after. The Gurudwara is a place of worship for Sikhs and holds a special congregation on the birth anniversary of Guru Har Kishan.

Inside the Gurudwara, there is a kitchen, school, a large pond, and an art gallery. There is a langar practice where all people, regardless of religion and race, eat in the kitchen. The food is prepared by the gursikhs and volunteers who are present there to help. Visitors are requested to cover their hair and remove shoes.

Foreigners and visitors are assisted with headscarves, guides, and more available within the compound itself, free of charge.

The Akshardham is a Hindu Temple that displays many traditional Indian and Hindu culture, architecture, and spirituality. It was opened in 2005 by Pramukh Swami Maharaj in the presence of B.L Joshi, L.K. Advani, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, and Manmohan Singh. The main shrine of this magnificent temple is the focal point of the entire complex.

There is an Abhisheka Mandap, thematic garden, three exhibitions, namely Sahajan and Darshan, Sanskruti Darshan, Neelkanth Darshan. It is generally one of the best places to visit in the capital of India.

Conclusion:

Thus, New Delhi has plenty to offer visitors with many different monuments and tourist destinations. New Delhi has an efficient travel system where you’ll be able to explore the various corners and nooks. Travel with a companion and guide to help you get to those parts of the city that are generally untapped, and you’ll reveal so much more than you expected.

Head over to Delhi with family and friends to have amazing experience over here and get the best discounts and offers on flights and bookings and have a memorable time in the capital of India.