Monuments in Delhi

Delhi is a city with an impressive and remarkable

history. Standing as a witness to this interesting

bygone era are the various monuments of Delhi.

From the Old Fort to the Tughlaqabad area to the

various tombs in the city, each one represents a

separate period in the history of Delhi. In the area

of New Delhi, historical monuments cover mostly those that were built during the time of
the British like the Parliament House, President's House, the India Gate etc.

However, one thing that is common in all the monuments of Delhi is their architectural

excellence. Be it the Red Fort built by Shah Jahan or the Parliament House designed by

Edwin Lutyens, each and every monument has an architectural beauty that leaves you

mesmerized. All said and done, the magnificence of Delhi monuments cannot be fully

described and you will have to visit them to really appreciate them.

Old Fort of Delhi

Constructed By Sher Shah Suri and Humayun

Year of
1538-1545
Construction

Location Near Pragati Maidan, Delhi

Beautiful Architecture and the Sound and Light show held

Attractions
in the evening.
Old Fort of Delhi is believed to be situated on the

same site where the city of Indraprastha once

stood. As per the great Indian epic Mahabharta,

Indraprastha was the capital city of the Pandavas.

Now standing mostly in ruins, the Old Fort of Delhi

once served as the seat of administration of a

number of glorious emperors. Emperor Sher Shah Suri got the fort constructed after he

demolished Humayun's city, Dinpanah. Also known as the Purana Quila, the Old fort is
more or less rectangular in shape, with a course of nearly two km. The legend has it that

Sher Shah could not complete the construction of Purana Quila during is lifetime.

It was later completed or at least renovated by Humayun. Infact, the southern gate of the

fort is known by the name of Humayun Darwaza. This gate as well as Talaqui Darwaza

(the forbidden gateway) on the north combines Islamic pointed arch with Hindu Chhatris

and brackets. Old Fort has 2-km long fortifications, with three gates that have fortresses on

both the sides. Circling the fort is a wide moat, connected to river Yamuna that once used

to flow on the eastern side of the fort. Excavations were carried out in the Old Fort area

that came up with 1000 BC dated pieces of painted gray ware that were said to be

connected with Mahabharata.

The other attractions of the Old Fort of Delhi include the mosque built by Sher Shah in

1541, a lake with boating facilities and Zoological Park situated nearby. Then, there is

Sher-Mandal, a double-story, red sandstone and marble octagonal tower. There is an

octagonal chhatri crowning the tower, adorned with glazed tiles and incised and painted

plasterwork on the inside. Last but not the least, is the sound and light show of the Purana
Quila that showcases 5000 years of history of the city of Delhi. The nine pools of water

come alive in the light and take you on a journey of the royal past of Delhi.
 Red Fort of Delhi

Constructed By Shah Jahan

Year of Construction 1638-1648

Location Old Delhi

The Red Fort of Delhi is a massive monument built

by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It took

approximately 10 years to complete the Red Fort of

Delhi that was started in the year 1638. Situated on

the embankment of river Yamuna, the fort was

constructed during the zenith of Mughal Empire.

The Red fort was supposed to be the fortress of the Shah Jahan's new capital at Delhi,

Shahjahanabad. Today, the Red fort serves as the venue for the Prime Minister's Speech

that is given on the Independence Day of the country.

Lal Quila of Delhi is surrounded by a moat, now dry, and walls that stretch on for

approximately two km. The width of the wall varies from 18 m on the riverside to 33 m on

the city side. The fort comprises of a number of structures like Diwan-i-am (Hall of Public

Audience), Diwan-i-khas (Hall of Private Audience), palaces, private apartments, Moti

Masjid (mosque), etc. Chatta Chowk, once the market of the Delhi's most talented jewelers,

carpet makers, weavers and goldsmiths, provides the main entrance to the Delhi Red Fort.

This market now mainly houses jewelry and ornaments for the purpose of the tourists. A

little farther from the Chatta Chowk is the Naubat Khana or the Drum House, where the

musicians used to play for the emperor. Other attractions of the Red fort of Delhi include

Hamaam (Royal bath), Shahi Burj (Shah Jahan's private working area), Rang Mahal
(Palace of Colors) etc. The Rang Mahal served as the palace of the wives and mistresses of

the Emperor. Gild turrets, mirror work and gold and silver covered ceiling adorn the

palace.

Tughlaqabad Fort

Constructe
Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughlaq
d By

Year of

Constructi 1321-25

on

Near Qutab Minar Complex,

Location
on the Qutab-Badarpur Road

Tughlaqabad Fort, perched on a rocky hill,

constitutes one third of the capital city of India. The

fort is located on the Qutab-Badarpur Road and

was built by Ghiyas-ud-Din Tughlaq, the founder

of the Tughlaq dynasty. The Tuglaqabad Fort

seems to be more or less octagonal, with a border of approximately 6.5-km. The ramparts

of the fort, now in ruins, are between 10m to 15m high with fortresses and gateways at

intervals. The Tughlakhabad at Delhi was built to serve a dual purpose, one of providing a

defensive structure to the ruler and the second, to serve as his imposing capital.

Tughlaqabad stands divided into three segments. The eastern segment is entered through

from the Qutub-Badarpur road. It is a rectangular area enclosed within high walls and

bastions and used to serve as the citadel. On the west side of the Tughlaqabad Fort is a
wider area that once contained the palaces and is surrounded by walls and bastions. A

huge reservoir stands on the southern side of the Tughlaqabad Fort at Delhi. Bunds were

put up between hills to the east to create the reservoir, which is linked with Ghiyas-ud-

Din's tomb through a causeway.

There is a wide mound near the south eastern-corner of the Fort Tughlakhabad of Delhi

that leads to the fortress of Adilabad. The sluice gates near the mound were used for

controlling water for irrigation purposes. There is also a tower, known as the Bijai-Mandal,

inside the fort, along with remains of several halls, and also a long underground

passageway. To the north of the fort, lies the city of Tughlaqabad, which is now mostly in

ruins.

Qutub Minar

Constructed By Qutab-ud-din Aibak

Year of Construction 1193

Location 15-km South Of New Delhi

Highlights Highest stone tower in India

Best Time to Visit October to March

Timings Sunrise to Sunset

The famous Qutab Minar of Delhi is a tower that claims the distinction of being the highest

stone tower in the country. Said to be a tower of

victory, it soars to a height of 73 m. Qutab-ud-din

Aibak, after defeating Delhi's last Hindu kingdom,

started the construction of this tower in the year

1193. Although Qutab-ud-din Aibak started the

construction of the tower, he could not complete the monument during his lifetime. Later

on, additions were made by his successors. Three stories were constructed by Iltutmush,

while the fifth and the last two was the work of Firoz Shah Tughlak.

Delhi Qutub Minar is made up of five stories, with the first three being made of red

sandstone and the fourth and fifth ones being made up of both marble as well as sandstone.

Each of the stories has a projecting balcony with their diameter ranging from 15 m at the

base to 2.5 m at the top. There is a little disagreement over the origins of Qutab Minar of

Delhi. One legend has it that it was built as a tower of victory to commemorate the

beginning of the Muslim rule in India. Another legend goes that it was built to serve as a

minaret to the muezzins to call the faithful to prayer.

Delhi Qutub Minar is adorned with bands of inscriptions, along with four projecting

balconies supported by elaborately decorated brackets. There is also the Quwwat-ul-Islam

Mosque, the first mosque of India, which stands at the base of the Qutab Minar. Inside the

courtyard of the mosque stands a 7 m high iron pillar. It is believed that if you are able to

encircle it with your hands while standing with your back to it, your wish will be granted.

Over the eastern gate, it is inscribed that the material to build it was acquired from

demolishing twenty-seven Hindu temples.

Parliament House

Designed By Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker

Year of
1921
Construction

Location Parliament Street/ Sansad Marg, New Delhi

Significance Houses Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha
 (Council of States)

Highlights Magnificent architecture

Parliament House accommodates the two Houses of

Parliament, Lok Sabha (House of the People) and

Rajya Sabha (Council of States). Sir Edwin Lutyens

and Sir Herbert Baker, the architects of New Delhi,

designed this building. His Royal Highness, the

Duke of Connaught, laid the foundation stone of

Parliament House in the year 1921. It took six years to complete the Delhi Parliament

House and its was inaugurated in the year 1927 by the then Governor-General of India,

Lord Irwin. A circular building, it also houses ministerial offices, a number of committee

rooms and a brilliant library.

The Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha meetings are held in the domed circular central hall and

the three semi-circular buildings. Sansad Bhavan of New is adorned with an open

verandah with 144 columns and a 28 m central dome. Made up of blocks of sandstone, it

has a diameter of approximately 174 m. Enclosing the Parliament House Estate is an

attractive red sandstone wall or iron grill with iron gates. It is necessary to take prior

permission before visiting the Parliament House of Delhi. Indians need to get permission by

applying at the Parliament Secretariat and foreigners through their Embassies or High

Commissions.

Rashtrapati Bhavan

Designed By Edwin Lutyens

Location Near Connaught Place, Delhi

 Highlights Breathtaking architecture

It was decided in the Delhi Durbar of 1911 that the capital of India would be shifted from

Calcutta to Delhi. Thus was born the city of Delhi, designed by the great architect Edwin

Lutyens, along with Herbert Baker. It took approximately 20 years and 15 million pounds

to build New Delhi. Built as the Viceral Lodge, Delhi Rashtrapati Bhawan comprises of

four floors and 340 rooms. Now known as the President House of New Delhi, it is spread

over an area of approximately 200,000-sq-feet. It took 18 years to construct this building

and on the on the 18th year of its completion, India

became independent.

The Jaipur Column, a gift from the Maharaja of

Jaipur, stands at a height of 145 m in the middle of

the main court in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Another one of the impressive features of the Delhi Rashtrapati Bhawan comprises of the

outstandingly beautiful Mughal Gardens. Then, at the base of the building, is a spacious

square, known as the Vijay Chowk. The massive neo-Buddhist copper dome of the

President House of New Delhi is splendid and can be seen even from a distance of a
kilometer. Underneath this fabulous dome is the circular Durbar Hall, housing the

Viceroy's throne, measuring almost 22.8 m in diameter. Before the National Museum was

completed, it served as a museum for a number of years. All the official ceremonies such as

the swearing in of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Members of Parliament, etc.,

take place in this hall only. Also, the Arjuna Awards for Excellence are awarded by the

President from here itself. On the ground floor of the Rashtrapati Bhavan are a number of

state apartments. Then, there is the State Drawing Room, State Ballroom, State Dining

Room and a number of other such rooms inside the building. The Delhi Rashtrapati

Bhawan consists of 54 bedrooms, along with additional accommodation for guests.

 India Gate

Designed By Edwin Lutyens

Year of Construction 1921

Location Near Connaught Place, Delhi

Significance War Memorial of martyred soldiers

Best Time to Visit In the late evening.

India Gate is a war memorial of martyred soldiers,

situated in the middle of New Delhi. Standing tall at

a height of 42 m, Delhi India Gate, an "Arc-de-

Triomphe", seems like a gateway at the heart of a

crossroad. His Royal Highness, the Duke of

Connaught laid the foundation stone of India Gate

in the year 1921. Designed by Edwin Lutyens, the monument was dedicated to the country

after 10 years, by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. It stands as a tribute to the 70,000 Indian

soldiers who lost their lives during World War I, when they fought for the British Army.

More than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers who got killed in the Northwestern Frontier

in the Afghan war of 1919 have their names written on the Indian Gate of New Delhi. After

India became independent, another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti was added to the existing

structure. This arched memorial has an eternal flame that burns day and night as a mark

of respect to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the India-Pakistan War that took

place in December 1971.

Resting on a low foundation of red Bharatpur stone, the arch rises in stages to a huge

molding. On both the sides of the arch the word INDIA is inscribed, along with the date,
MCMXIV (1914) on the left and MCMXIX (1919) on the right. The best time to see Delhi

India Gate is during nightfall, when it is magnificently floodlit. Splendid lawns, with a

number of fountains, encircle the monument. These fountains present a breathtaking view

at night when they make a lovely display with colored lights.

Humayun's Tomb

Constructed By Haji Begum (Humayun's wife)

Year of Construction 1565 AD

Entombs Mughal Emperor Humayun

Location Mathura Road, near its crossing with Lodi Road

Highlights Mughal Architecture

Timings Weekdays (Sunrise to Sunset)

Humayun's Tomb, the mausoleum of Mughal emperor Humayun, is situated on the

Mathura Road, near it's crossing with Lodi Road.

The first significant model of Mughal architecture

in India, the tomb was built by Humayun's wife

Haji Begum in the year 1565. High arches and a

double dome adorn the tomb that is entered

through two towering double-storied gateways, on

the south and on the west. The center of the eastern wall of the enclosure houses a baradari

(pavilion), while that of the northern wall houses a bath-chamber.

One of the most remarkable features of the Delhi Humayun's Tomb is a square garden

inside its complex. The garden stands divided into four large squares, separated by

causeways and channels. These four squares are then further divided into smaller squares
by typical pathways ('Chaharbagh') of a Mughal Garden. In the center of the entire

complex stands the mausoleum. The cenotaph is kept in the central octagonal chamber

with arched lobbies on the sides having perforated screens at the openings.

The Garden Tomb Of Humayun in Delhi is constructed mainly of red sandstone, with

white and black marble adorning its borders. The second story of the tomb, with 42.5m

high double dome and pillared kiosks (chhatris), is built in the same way as the first.

Further beautifying the Humayun's Tomb are the carvings, the inlaid work on the marble

of the walls and the trelliswork in red sandstone. Built as per the hasht bihisht (Eight

Paradise) architectural design, it is a sort of pioneering landmark of the Indo-Islamic

architecture.

The vaults below the podium in the mausoleum house the graves of a number of Mughal

dynasty rulers. These include the graves of Haji Begam, Hamida Banu Begam, Dara

Shikoh - Shah Jahan's son, and the later Mughals, Jalandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi'u'd-

Darajat, Rafi'u'd-Daula, 'Alamgir II, Shah Jahan's son and Bahadur Shah II, the last

Mughal emperor of Delhi. Infact, Delhi Humayun Tomb served as the refuge of Bahadur

Shah II, who was later captured here by Lieutenant Hodson during the Revolt of 1857. The

sheer number of graves here led to the tomb being called as "The Dormitory of the House

of Timur".

Jama Masjid Delhi

Dedicated to Hazrat Mahmmad

Location Sadar Bazaar, Old Delhi

Constructed By Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan

Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India,

also known by the name of "Masjid-i-Jahan

Numa" (visible to the world). Situated near the Red

Fort in Delhi, it is one of the last monuments built

by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Designed as Shah

Jahan's primary mosque, Jamma Masjid of Delhi is

built in red sandstone, with an extensive use of white marble. The interiors of the mosque

are inlaid with stripes of black. It took six years to complete this simple yet elegant

monument. Delhi Jama Masjid was built on a high platform so as to make it visible from

all the neighboring areas.

Ostad Khalil, a great sculptor of his time, designed this mosque. Built as the replica of Moti

Masjid in Agra, it has three gateways, four towers and two minarets. However, the most

impressive feature of the mosque is its pulpit, carved out of a single block of marble.

Gracing the portico of Jama Masjid, the slender minarets, one on each side, are

approximately 130 ft high. As you enter inside the mosque, you step into a stadium like

courtyard. Wide staircases and arched gateways are the trademark of the Jama Masjid of

Delhi. The relic of the Prophet as well as the Holy Koran is shrine in a small shrine inside

the mosque

One of the most valued treasures of the Delhi Jama Masjid are a hair of the beard of

Hazrat Mahmmad, his used chappal (footwear), the canopy of his tombstone, the foot print

of Muhammad on the stone and a chapter of Koran taken from its original holy book. All

of these are kept in the northeast corner of the mosque. The main imams of this Jama

Masjid have always been the direct descendants of the first Imam appointed by Emperor

Shahjahan. Till today, this tradition of appointing his descendants as the main Imam has

been carried out without any break. People of other religions are allowed inside the mosque

throughout the day, except for between 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm.

 Jantar Mantar

Constructed By Maharaja Jai Singh II Of Jaipur

Year of Construction 1724

Location Near Connaught Place, New Delhi

Highlights An Astronomical Observatory

Jantar Mantar, with Yantra meaning instruments and Mantra meaning formulae, was

built in the year 1724. Situated near Connaught Place, New Delhi Jantar Mantar counts

amongst the numerous astronomical observatories erected by Maharaja Jai Singh II of

Jaipur. The other observatories consist of the ones built in Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and

Mathura. It basically comprises of the instruments that were used for keeping track of

celestial bodies. Jai Singh, after finding the existing astronomical instruments too small to

take correct measurements, built these larger and more accurate instruments.

The instruments at Jantar Mantar of Delhi display promising brilliance. However, there is

a little problem, that, these instruments can no longer make accurate observations because
of the numerous tall buildings that have been built around the observatory. Delhi Jantar

Mantar is also a reminder of the technological achievements that took place under the rule

of the Rajput kings. There is an interesting legend associated with the construction of the

Jantar Mantar. It is said that Jai Singh, ardent adherer of astronomy, oversaw an

argument between Hindu and Muslim over certain planetary positions.

Since it was utmost necessary to solve the argument and know the positions precisely, he

offered to rectify the available astronomical tables. The offer was accepted by the Mughal

emperor and that led to the construction of Jantar Mantar in Delhi. At first, brass

instruments were used in the observatory. However, they were found to have a number of

intrinsic flaws. So after much deliberation, Jai Singh adopted the style of Prince Ulugh Beg,

builder of the 15th century observatory at Samarkand, Uzbekistan. This is how the Delhi

Jantar Mantar became what it is today.

 Lotus Temple

Dedicated to No Particular God

Location Nehru Place, New Delhi

Lotus Temple is situated 12 km to the southeast of

Connaught Place. Architecturally one of the most

splendid temples of India, Delhi Lotus Temple is

called so because it is built in the shape of a Lotus

flower. The temple got completed in the year 1986

and rises to a height of more than 40 m. Located on

Bahapur Hills, it is the seventh and the latest Baha'i houses of worship in the world. Bahai

Temple of New Delhi is a white marble monument designed like a half-opened lotus.

Twenty-seven giant lotus petals of white marble spring out from nine pools and walkways

of the temple. These walkways represent the nine unifying spiritual paths of the Baha'i

faith. Exquisitely manicured lawns surround the building of the Lotus Temple. Silence is a

prerequisite inside the New Delhi Lotus Temple. Also, one needs to take off the shoes while

entering inside. Made up of marble, cement, sand and dolomite, this temple is often

equated with the Sydney Opera House. Baha'i Temple in Delhi is often compared to the

Sydney Opera House.

There is a simple, but outstanding 34.27 m high central hall in the temple where people sit

and meditate. Petal alcoves of the temple are inscribed with stimulating quotes of the

Baha'i sacred scriptures. Though the temple belongs to the Baha'i sect, it is open to people

of each and every faith. The Baha'i religion, an independent one, places great importance

on prayer and meditation as instruments for the progress of the human soul. Committed to
the oneness of all religions and mankind, it traces its origins to its prophet Baha'u'llah,

born in Persia in the 20th century.