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Central Delhi
Rajpath—the broadest avenue in the city—leads to Delhi's British capital: Sir Edwin Lutyens' imperial city, built between 1914 and 1931 in a symbolically heavy-handed design after the British moved their capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911. Starting from India Gate, at the lowest and eastern end of Rajpath, nearby land was allocated to numerous princely states, each of which built small palaces, such as the Bikaner House (now the Rajasthan tourism office) and Jaipur House (now the National Gallery of Modern Art). It might be said that this placement mirrored the British sentiments toward the princes, who lost much of their former power and status during the British Raj. Here, too, are the state Bhavans (houses), where you can taste the cuisine of each state.Moving up the slowly inclining hill at the western end of the avenue, you also move up the British ladder of power, a concept inherent in the original design. First you come to the enormous North and South Secretariats, facing each other on Rajpath and reflecting the importance of the bureaucracy, a fixture of Indian society since the time of British rule. Identical in design, the two buildings have 1,000 rooms and miles of corridors.Directly behind the North Secretariat is the Indian parliament house, Sansad Bhavan, a circular building in red and gray sandstone, encompassed by an open colonnade. Architecturally, the Indian design is meant to mirror the spinning wheel that was the symbol of Mahatma Gandhi, but the building's secondary placement, off the main avenue, may suggest the attitude of the British toward the Indian legislative assembly.At the top of the hill is the former Viceroy's House, now called Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the president of India (not the prime minister) resides. It was built in the 20th century, but the building's daunting proportions seem to reflect an earlier, more lavish time of British supremacy. The Bhavan contains 340 rooms, and its grounds cover 330 acres. The shape of the central brass dome, the palace's main architectural feature, reflects that of a Buddhist stupa (shrine). The execution of Lutyens' design has a flaw: the entire palace was supposed to fill the vista as you approach the top of the hill, but the gradient is too steep, so only the dome dominates the horizon. Just a few years after the imperial city was completed, the British packed up and went home, and this lavish architectural complex became the grand capital of newly independent India.Permission to enter Rashtrapati and Sansad Bhavan is almost impossible to obtain; unless you have contacts in high places, you'll have to satisfy yourself with a look at the poshest address in town from outside. Parts of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, including the extensive gardens, are accessible to the public on prebooked tours, which are fully booked out much in advance. Book online and if you do get tickets, carry your passport. Heavy security is in place (no bags or cell phones, for instance).For an experience of imperial Delhi, stop for tea at the Imperial Hotel on Janpath; for a glimpse of Delhi's contemporary elite, browse at Khan Market. A stroll through Lodhi Gardens is a relaxing break and Habitat World or the India International Centre are good bets if you have a taste for culture.
Delhi, National Capital Territory, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Tours, Rs. 50, Closed. Mon.--Wed.
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Central Delhi
Rising over the traffic jams of National Highway 24 on the way to Noida lies a massive, 100-acre temple complex. Completed in November 2005, the pink-stone religious emporium pays tribute to Bhagwan Swami Narayan (1781–1830), the founder of a worldwide spiritual movement that claims a million devotees. An architectural marvel built over five years and without using steel, the elaborate main temple and its soaring domes and 20,000 carved figures only appear ancient. This gleaming complex includes a giant movie theater and a 14-minute boat ride that is quite an experience. Whisking the visitor through 10,000 years of Indian culture, the ride could be mistaken for something straight out of Disney World—Indian style! Just viewing the exhibits takes at least two hours. Admission lines can be lengthy, so allow plenty of time. Security is airtight. All bags, electronics (including mobile phones and cameras), and tobacco products are banned, so check them in or leave them at the hotel or in the car before you get in line. Exhibitions tend to shut an hour before the complex itself; the food court provides decent, cheap vegetarian meals and snacks for those who opt to spend the day.
Noida Mor, Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110092, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free; exhibitions Rs. 170, Closed Mon.
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Central Delhi | Religious Building/Site/Shrine
This massive gurdwara (Sikh temple) is always full of activity—no surprise, given Delhi's huge Sikh population, most of whom came here as refugees from Pakistan in 1947. If you can't make it to Amritsar to see the Golden Temple, come here to admire the distinctively ostentatious style of their temples. Sikh gurdwaras reflect both the symmetry of Mughal mosques and the chaos of Hindu temples. Bangla Sahib is built of white marble and topped with a shiny, gold onion dome.The gurdwara stands on the site where Guru Hari Krishan, the eighth of 10 Sikh gurus who lived between 1469 and 1708, performed a small miracle. Before entering, remove your shoes and socks (check them at the counter on the left), get rid of cigarettes, and cover your head with a piece of cloth. As you walk up the stairs and enter the sanctum, you'll see people filling jugs of water from enclosed cisterns. Guru Hari Krishan used to distribute sanctified water to the sick, believing it had a miraculous healing effect on their mind, body, and soul, and people still treat the contents of these pools as holy water. Inside, devotees sit facing a small pavilion in the center that holds the Granth Sahib (Sikh scriptures). Hymns from the holy book are sung continuously from well before sunrise until approximately 9 pm, and you're welcome to sit and listen; if you fancy something cultural in the evening, come at about 9 to see the ceremony by which the book is stored away for the night. As you walk around inside, be careful to proceed in a clockwise direction, and exit on the right side in back. Out the door to the right a priest distributes prasad, a ritual that Sikhs share with Hindus and that resembles the Christian sacrament of Communion: take a lump of this sugar, flour, and ghee (clarified butter) concoction with both hands, pop it into your mouth with your right hand, then rub the remaining ghee into your hands.
Bangla Sahib Lane, off Baba Kharak Singh Marg, near Connaught Pl., Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110001, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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Central Delhi | Museum/Gallery
Mohandas K. Gandhi, better known as the Mahatma (Great Soul), lived a life of voluntary poverty, but he did it in some attractive places. It was in this huge colonial bungalow, designed by a French architect for Indian industrialist G. D. R. Birla, that Gandhi was staying as a guest when he was assassinated in the back garden on his way to a prayer meeting. Gandhi's bedroom is just as he left it, with his "worldly remains" (only 11 items, including his glasses and a walking stick) mounted on the wall. Pictures and text tell the story of Gandhi's life and the Independence movement; there's also a collection of dioramas depicting events in Gandhi's life. In the theater, 10 different documentaries are available for viewing on request. Take off your shoes before entering the somber prayer ground in back; an eternal flame marks the very spot where Gandhi expired. This, not the National Gandhi Museum at Raj Ghat, is the government's official museum dedicated to the Mahatma.
5 Tees January Marg, Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110011, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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Central Delhi | Notable Building
Anchoring a traffic circle near the far end of Rajpath from the Indian government, this massive sandstone arch was designed by Lutyens in 1931, in memory of the 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who fell in World War I and the Third Afghan War of the late 19th century. In the 1970s the government of India added a memorial to India's unknown soldier, the Amar Jawan Jyoti, beneath the arch. It has huge sentimental value to Indians. The Indira Gandhi Canal runs through the circle; if it's not dry, go boating! While traffic speeds neatly around the outer circle, vendors occupy the inner circle, and people amble and socialize on the lawns. Come in early evening and you'll find all sorts of activity, from men offering to make monkeys "dance" (for a fee) to impromptu cricket matches to youngsters splashing in the ornamental fountains. The thing to do is get an ice cream—Mother Dairy is one of the better brands.
Rajpath, east end, Delhi, National Capital Territory, India
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Central Delhi | Museum/Gallery
On October 31, 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was shot outside her home by two of her Sikh bodyguards in retaliation for her violent suppression of a violent Sikh independence movement in Punjab, which included a military operation that entered Amritsar's Golden Temple. The murder sparked gruesome anti-Sikh riots in Delhi, and political turmoil ensued. The simple white bungalow in which Mrs. Gandhi lived from the 1960s to 1980s is now a small museum with endless photographs, quotations, and newspaper articles, plus a few rooms preserved as they were used. The photos get more interesting as you progress, and the museum ends with displays on Indira's son, Rajiv, himself prime minister from 1984 to 1991 before he, too, was assassinated. Displays include the sari, handbag, and shoes Mrs. Gandhi was wearing when she was killed, and the sneakers Rajiv was wearing during his even more grisly demise at the hands of a female suicide bomber who killed him and 14 others bcause of India's support of the Sri Lankan government during a civil war. Outside, the spot where Indira fell is marked and preserved. Popular with Indian tourists, the museum can get very crowded; allow extra time if you want to peruse things carefully.
1 Safdarjung Rd., Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110011, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free
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Central Delhi
This odd grouping of what might seem like random modern sculptures is actually a huge sundial and open-air observatory. One of five such installations built by the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in the early 18th century (the one in Jaipur is the best preserved), Jantar Mantar is an interesting place to wander, though better understood with a good guide. The Samrat Jantar, the sundial, is the largest structure here, at 90 feet. The Hindu Chhatri, a small domed building, can tell when the monsoons are coming in and whether the weather will change. The Jai Prakash shows the sun's position at the time of the equinox. The Ram Yantra consists of two large buildings, both with open tops: they're used, together, to measure the altitude of stars. The Mishra Yantra consists of five instruments, which are used to measure the shortest and longest days of the year.
Sansad Marg, Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110001, India
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Rate Includes: Rs. 100
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Central Delhi
Designed by the Indian architect Charles Correa, this charming museum near the Purana Qila houses thousands of artifacts and handicrafts. You're greeted outside by playful terra-cotta sculptures from Tamil Nadu. Inside, the annotations are sketchy, but the collection is fascinating. Items in the Folk and Tribal Art Gallery, including some charming toys, illustrate village life throughout India. In one courtyard you'll see a giant wooden temple car (cart), built to carry deities in festive processions; one of the adjacent buildings contains a lavishly decorated Gujarati haveli. The Courtly Crafts section suggests the luxurious lives of India's former royalty, and the entire upper floor is a spectacular showcase of saris and textiles. In the village complex out back, craftspeople demonstrate their skills and sell their creations in replicas of village homes. The museum shop is one of the best in Delhi, with high-quality art books and crafts. The in-house restaurant, Café Lota, serves regional highlights from all over the country.
Bhairon Rd., Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110001, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Rs. 200, Closed Mon.
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Central Delhi | Museum/Gallery
Facing India Gate, this neoclassical building was built by the British in the early 20th century as a palace for the Maharaja of Jaipur. With its small dome and large, open rooms, the structure makes a fine space for this art museum, established in 1954 to preserve Indian art forms (mainly painting) that developed after 1850. A large new wing was added in 2008 so that more of the extensive collection could be displayed. The displays are attractive by local standards but are unfortunately uneven and not always well explained. Highlights are the colorful paintings of Amrita Sher-Gil (the Frida Kahlo of India) and, upstairs, the myth-inspired works of Raja Ravi Varma and the Bengali Renaissance oils and watercolors of the Tagore family, Jamini Roy, and Nandalal Bose. There are a few representative works by contemporary masters, including M. F. Husain and Ganesh Pyne. Documentaries, shown daily at 11 and 3, explain Indian art. The old wing often hosts interesting temporary or traveling exhibitions.
Jaipur House, India Gate, Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110001, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Rs. 150
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Central Delhi
The facade of this grand building imitates Lutyens' Presidential Palace: a sandstone dome is supported by classical columns of brown sandstone on a red-sandstone base. When you enter, you'll see a 13th-century idol—from the Konark Sun Temple in Bhubaneswar—of Surya, the sun god, standing beneath the dome. Such a statue is emblematic of the National Museum's strength—it showcases ancient, mainly Hindu, sculptures. An entire room is dedicated to artifacts from the Indus Valley Civilization, circa 2,700 BC; others display works from the Gandharan, Chandela, and Chola periods. Besides sculpture, also on exhibit are jewelry, painting, musical instruments, coins, carpets, and weapons, including Shah Jahan's sword. Be sure to pick up a brochure to help you navigate, and get the audio guide, included in ticket rates, which is also worth a listen.
Janpath and Rajpath, Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110001, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Rs. 650, Closed Mon.
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Central Delhi
This colonial mansion, also known as Teen Murti Bhavan, was originally built for the commander of the British Indian Army. When the Viceroy's residence, Rashtrapati Bhavan (at the other end of South Avenue), became the home of India's president, India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, took up residence here. Those interested in the Independence movement should not miss this landmark or the nearby Gandhi Smriti. Nehru's yellow mansion is fronted by a long, oval-shape lawn; out back there's a tranquil flower garden. Inside, several rooms remain as Nehru left them, and extensive displays chronicle Nehru's life and the Independence movement. Move through the rooms in order: one by one, photographs, newspaper clippings, and personal letters tell the breathtaking story of the birth of the world's largest democracy. On your way out, stop and see the 14th-century hunting lodge next to the Nehru Planetarium. (The latter, good for children, has shows in English at 11:30 am and 3 pm.)
Teen Murti Marg, Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110011, India
Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free; planetarium Rs. 50, Closed Mon.
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Central Delhi
The design collective (also in several other Indian cities) has collaborated with the likes of Paul Smith. Popular items include cushion covers and totes with maps of Indian locales, Mughal-ruler playing cards, and T-shirts (they even add custom kitsch to Converse shoes). There's another branch in Khan Market.
Lodhi Rd., Delhi, National Capital Territory, 110003, India
