Don't let your first impressions of Delhi stick like a sacred cow in a traffic jam: get behind the madcap façade and discover the inner peace of a city rich with culture, architecture and human diversity, deep with history and totally addictive to epicureans.

Both Old and New Delhi exert a beguiling charm on visitors. Lose yourself unwinding the secrets of the city's Mughal past in the labyrinthine streets of Old Delhi before emerging into the wide open spaces of imperial New Delhi, with its ordered governmental vistas and generous leafy avenues.

Lotus Temple or Bahai Temple is a very recent architectural marval of the Bahai faith and is visible from several spots in south delhi. Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi. It is Lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name.

Visited by over four million people, annually, it is crystallization of aspirations of Baha'i followers in over 200 countries. This temple signifies the purity and the universality of the lord and the equality of all religion.

The temple is designed to make people conscious about the beauty of life. For, life's beauty can be preserved, rising as the lotus out of swampy slime, clean and perfect - a manifestation of god.

It is one of the architectural land marks of modern DELHI. It is made up of marble,cement dolomite, and sand.

TIMINGS:
Summer- 9:00 a.m - 7:00 p.m. Winter- 9:30 a.m - 5:30 p.m. Monday closed

Huyamun's Tomb, which as built by emperor Humanyun's wife, took eight years to complete. The emperor's wife Begai Begum was buried in the tomb and the structure is first of its kind built in the center of a well - planned garden. The combination of white marble and red sand stone was a great influence on later Mughal architecture. It is generally regarded as a prototype of the famed Taj Mahal of Agra. The Mughals brought with them their love for gardens, fountains and water. The first mature example of Mughal architecture in India. HUMAYUN'S TOMB, was built in AD 1565. Designed by Presian architect, Mirza Ghyas, Humayun's Tomb shows a marked shifts from
the persian tradition of using coloured tiles for ornamentation. Located in the midst of a large square garden, screened by high walls, with gateways to the south and west, the tomb is a square tower surrounded by a magnificent marble dome. The dome stands 140 feet high from the base of the terrace and is topped with a copper pinnacle.

India Gate: Straight down the road from Rashtrapati Bhavan is India Gate which is primarily a memorial to unknown soldier. Designed by Lutyens , the 42 meter high structure is a war memorial in honour of soldiers who died during the second World War. The structure has an eternal flame (Amar Jawan Jyoti) to honour the memory of the unknown soldiers.

Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observatory with masonary instruments, built in 1724 by Jai Singh, the mathematician and astronomer king. The Samrat and Yantra supreme instrument, the largest structure shaped like a right-angled triangle, is actually a huge sun-dial; the other five instruments are intented to show the movements of the sun, moon etc.

Qutub Minar: The origins of Qutub Minar are shoruded in controversy. Some believe that it was built as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the Muslim rule in India. Others say it served as a minaret to the adjoining mosque and was used by the muezzins to call the faithful to prayer. However, no one disputes that the tower is not only one of the finest monuments in India, but also in the world. Qutab-ud-din Aibak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced the construction of the Qutub Minar in A.D. 1193, but could only complete its basement. His successor, Iltutmush, added three more stories, and in 1368, Firoz Shah Tuglak constructed the fifth and the
last storey. The development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tuglak are quate evident in the minar. The relief work and even the materials used for construction differ. The 238 feet high Qutub Minar is 47 feet at the base and tapers to 9 feet at the apex. The tower is ornamented by bands of inscriptions and by four projecting balconies supported by elaborately decorated brackets. Even in its ruin, the QUWWAT-UL-ISLAM(Light of Islam) MOSQUE in the Qutub complex is one of the most magnificent in the world. The main mosque comprises an inner and outer courtyard, of which the inner one is surrounded by an exquisite collonade, the pillars of which the inner one is surrounded by an exquisite collonade, the pillars of which are made of richly decorated shafts. Most of these shafts are from the 27 Hidus temples which were plundered to construct the mosque. Close to the mosque is one of Delhi's most curious structures the Iron Pillar. Dating back to 4th century A.D., the pillar bears an inscription which states that it was erected as a flagstaff in honour of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II(375-413). How the pillar moved to its present location remains a mystery. The pillar also highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.

Red Fort is laid outalong the river Yamuna as an irregular octagon , surrounded by a wall of about 2.4 km in circumference and is built of red sandstone. The Mughal king Shah Jahan transfered the capital from Agra to Delhi and the Fort was completed in 1648. The fort has two main entrances , the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate which faces the famed Chandni Chowk market. The Fort has Diwan-e-am, and Diwan-e-Khas where the king would grant audience to the public and would grant audience to important people respectively . Besides this is the Rang Mahal, the water cooled Apartment for the royal ladies. In the basement of the fort is a market where traditional Indian goods can be purchased at nominal rates . Another attraction is Light and Sound show held in the evenings.

National Museum The National Museum, located on Janpath, south of Rajpath, has a good collection of Indian bronzes, terracotta and wood sculptures dating back to the Mauryan period ( 2nd-3rd century BC), exhibits from the Vijayanagar period in south India, miniature and mural paintings, and costumes of various tribal people. The museum is definitely worth visiting and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. There are film shows most days of the week.
National Gallery Of Modern Art The gallery near India Gate at the eastern end of Rajpath, was the former residence of the Maharaja of Jaipur . It houses an excellent collection of works by both Indian and colonial artists.It is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm; admission is free. Nehru Museum The residence of the first Indian Prime Minister, Teen Murti Bhavan, has been converted into a museum. It is located on Teen Murti Rd. near Chanakyapuri. Photographs and newspaper clippings on display give a fascinating insight into the history of the independence movement. It also forms the subject of a light and sound show along with facets of Nehru's life.The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. Admission is free. Rail Transport Museum Visit this museum at Chanakyapuri for a fascinating and exotic collection of India's railway engines. Exhibit's include an 1855 steam engine, still in working order, and a large number of oddities such as the skull of an elephant that charged a mail train in 1894, and lost. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 am to 5 pm and there's a small admission fee. Tibet House This small museum in the Institutional Area, Lodi Rd, has a fascinating collection of ceremonial items brought out of Tibet when the Dalai Lama fled following the Chinese occupation. There is a shop selling a wide range of Tibetan handicrafts. Lecture/discussion sessions are held regularly. The museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm and 2 to 5 pm. Admission is free. International Dolls Museum 6000 dolls from 85 countries are on display in this museum in Nehru House on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. Over a third of them are from India. One exhibit section comprises 500 dolls dressed in costumes worn all over the country. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5.30 pm. Crafts Museum This museum contains a collection of traditional Indian crafts in textiles, metal, wood and ceramics. It is located in the Aditi Pavilion at the Pragati Maidan Exhibition Grounds, Mathura Rd. It is part of a 'village life' complex where you can visit rural India without ever leaving Delhi. Admission is free. Gandhi Darshan Located at Raj Ghat, the Gandhi Darshan is a display of paintings and photos about the Mahatma's life and deeds. The Gandhi Smarak Sangrahalaya, also at Raj Ghat, has displays of some of Gandhi's personal possessions. Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum This museum was the former residence of Indira Gandhi at 1 Safdarjang Rd. On show are some of her personal effects, including the sari (complete with blood stains) that she was wearing at the time of her assassination. A crystal plaque in the garden, flanked constantly by two soldiers, protects a few brown spots of Mrs Gandhi's blood on the spot where she actually fell after being shot by two of her bodyguards in December 1984. Nehru Planetarium Situated at Teen Murti House the planetarium holds film shows on the solar system in English (11.30 a.m. & 3 p.m.) and Hindi (4 p.m.& 1.30 p.m.). A special show in Hindi (10.30 a.m.) is held on Sundays. Closed on Mondays and public holidays. National Science Centre Museum Located near Gate No.1, Pragati Maidan,the museum has workingscience exhibitions as well as exhibits on the history of architecture. Open 11.30 am - 7 pm. Entry free. Mondays closed.