Top 6 Places to Visit in New Delhi, Its Magic- Pauli in India Part 3!

My Top 6 Places to Visit in New Delhi, The Magic of New Delhi A Visual Feast – Pauli in India Part 3 

In between building up and training our team in India and helping them get started, I nipped over to Delhi to see what its all about. I had a full month in India so I had every opportunity to see more of it and felt that It would be great to bring you with me on a visual feast. Prepare to be amazed as you and I check out my top 6 places to visit in New Delhi, if you please…

I continued my quest for the architectural and touristic monuments all those places to visit in New Delhi ad surrounds, that every visitor tries to see on a tour of India. I visited outstanding monuments like Humayun’s Tomb, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Lotus Temple, India Gate and the Qutub Complex. TripAdvisor gives you 10 top things to do  in New Delhi to keep you busy too. So lets go….

HUMAYUN’S TOMB

One of the must go places to visit in New Delhi is this monument. Its an eye-catching mausoleum believed to be the first example of Mughal architecture in India.  Apparently several years after its construction, Humayun’s tomb became the main inspiration for the construction of the Taj Mahal.

This wonderful structure was built by Humayun’s widow. According to my guide, Hamida Banu Begum from 1565 to 1572.  Humayun was born in 1508 and died in 1556.  He was the second Mughal emperor who ruled from 1530 to 1556. It was designed by a Persian architect called Mirak Mirza Ghiyath and he used red sandstone and white marble together with a double dome with a high neck drum.

Humayun’s Tomb has been designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. So I hope it will be one of your places to visit in New Delhi soon too! 

We accessed the complex via the Bu Halima Gate and then moved onto the West Gate

The West Gate is the main entrance to the World Heritage Site of the Emperor Humayun’s Tomb-Garden.  It stands 16 meters high and has rooms on either side of a central passage together with small courtyards on the upper floor.

When I walked through the West Gate, I was greeted by a magnificent sight; Humayun’s mausoleum in the middle of a Persian-style garden divided into four main quadrants separated by walkways or flowing water in channels and fountains. These four main parts are in turn separated by channels to 36 parts. Honestly one must see this to understand the sheer magnitude and beauty! I believe its one of the best places to visit in New Delhi!  

Still in awe, I headed for the mausoleum which was constructed from red sandstone on a huge base of about 7 meters high.  This lower part of the rectangular base is decorated with arches located all around the perimeter of the building. If stairs aren’t your bag, you may struggle; it takes a flight of steep stairs to the top of the base. The view of the garden from the mausoleum top is absolutely beautiful. So asymmetrical, clean edges, well kept! 

The two-storied mausoleum is crowned with white Persian style marble dome. The breadth of Humayun’s Tomb is 91 metres and the height is 47 meters. Breathtaking measurements at the time when you think about it, minimum technology, yet the beauty is undiminished…They don’t build them like this anymore…More is the pity! 

The cenotaph of Humayun is located in the central octagonal chamber directly under the main dome.  There are corner-chambers that house the graves of other members of the royal family.

The Dome ceiling has intricate design patterns that would blow your mind away.

The Persian architectural influence is evident in the arched alcoves, Jaali vents corridors and the high double dome.

RASHTRAPATI BHAVAN

One of the must see places to visit in New Delhi India is the official home of the President of India, the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

It was built by the British Viceroy after the decision to move the capital of India from Calcutta (Kolkata) to Delhi.  It was built from 1911 to 1916 on a massive plot of land…as you do.   

It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, a famous British architect who also designed the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool, UK.

Apart from the official residence of the president, enclosed within the perimeter walls, the complex has offices, guest rooms, halls and beautiful presidential gardens (Mughal Gardens).

As you can see above I couldn’t leave New Delhi without stopping at one of the most popular places to visit; The Lotus Temple, the official place of worship for the Baha’i. We got there to find long queues in the sweltering heat, but the distant views of the beautiful flower-like building were too compelling for anyone to leave without getting to the temple.

The Lotus Temple is the world’s seventh Baha’i House of Worship. It was designed by Fariborz Sahba and constructed from 1980 to 1986.  The design of the temple is like that of a lotus flower.  It has 27 free-standing “petals” clad in marble, grouped in clusters of three, making up nine sides. It has got a height of 40 meters and a sitting capacity of about 2500 people. Would you say its one of the places to visit in New Delhi or indeed in the world? 

It is surrounded by nine beautiful ponds that reflect the blue sky in the bright sun.

The Temple is set in wonderfully designed gardens and the inside of the temple didn’t disappoint! And now it was time to go see some more wonders and places to visit in New Delhi….off to the….

INDIA GATE

A magnificent archway called India Gate, stands elegantly in the middle of a crossroad at a height of about 42m. Its one of the most popular places to visit in New Delhi. I must say I enjoyed photo bombing.  The foundation stone of India Gate was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869 – 1944) who also commissioned to design the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool, UK.

India Gate was built in memory of the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the first World War, fighting for the British Army. This memorial bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers who were killed in the Afghan war of 1919.

The arch stands on a low base of red Bharatpur stone and its cornice has inscriptions of the “Imperial Suns” while both sides of the arch have “INDIA”, with the dates “MCMXIV” or 1914 on the left and “MCMXIX” or 1919 on the right.

THE QUTUB COMPLEX

The sheer height of the Qutb group of monuments located at the Qutub Complex is superb. Another UNESCO world heritage monument, protected for world cultural and natural heritage. The complex is located in the Mehrauli area of Delhi. This is surely one of the places to visit in New Delhi if yo love old world architectural ruins! 

Its has one of the most outstanding monuments called the Qutb Minar which is the second tallest stone tower in India. It stands at a height of 72.5 meters. It was constructed out of red sandstone and marble, tapering upwards from a base with a diameter of about 14 meters to the top where the diameter reduces to 2.75 meters. There is a circular staircase with 379 steps that leads to the top inside the tower, if you have no fear of heights unlike my Julie…OMG she is gonna kill me for disclosing that! 

Another quick history lesson: The Qutb Minar was constructed by Qutbud-Din Aibak from 1192 to 1210 as a tower of victory. Qutbud completed the 1st floor.  The 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors were constructed by successor Iltutmish. In 1368, the minar was struck and damaged by lightning. Firuz Tughluq (1351 – 1388) dismantled the fourth floor and added two floors made of red sandstone and white marble, making it a five-storey structure.

Other monuments at the Qutub Complex include the Ala’I-Minar and the Ala-I-Darwaza. 

THE ALAI MINAR

The Alai Minar (1311) is named after Ala ud-Din Khalji (1296-1316) who intended to construct another minar twice the size of the Qutb Minar.  Unfortunately he died before it was completed and remained at a height of 24.5m and construction was abandoned. still an amazing sight to behold and one of the monuments or places to visit in new Delhi, time permitting! 

I went past and admired architectural work and structural designs of walkways constructed out of stone slabs and stone columns section, delicately placed upon each other to create a covered path. I could not stop myself from drifting away to recall the construction techniques of the ancient Egyptians and Greeks.

ALA-I-DARWAZA

The Ala-I-Darwaza I was advised was another of the places to visit in New Delhi India, so off we went. And what a magnificent gateway in the complex. Apparently built over 100 years after the Qutb Minar by the first Khilji sultan of Delhi, Ala ud din Khilji. It showcases the remarkable craftsmanship of the Turkish artisans who worked on the gateway with inlaid marble decorations and latticed stone screens.  

Alai Darwaza is built of red sandstone with white marble used liberally on the exterior walls.  It has beautiful both geometric designs and inscriptions as ornamentation. The Images below don’t half do justice to this monument and my past but not least of the places to visit in New Delhi! 

I can only say, that if you ever have the time, and the resources and you have India on your bucket list…Head over and check out the above popular places to visit in New Delhi!

I hope I have ignited some fire under your belly to Dream again and revived your hunger to see the world. Take a dreamtrip, become a world tourist and live a little!

Have you enjoyed my tour of places to visit in New Delhi? Did you feel the magic of new Delhi, because I sure did on this visual journey with you! So if you did then by all means do share, like and let  me know which place or monument pulled at your heart strings the most!   

I know and believe you do deserve to live more so why not…

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Live. Learn.  Love

Pauli Kalungi

Skype: Julie.Kalungi1
Email: julie@Juleskalpauli.com

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