India Gate is one of the magnificent historic structure stands tall in midst of capital city of Delhi. Located on the Rajpath, the gate is huge and impressive, almost 165 feet high and a arch of 138 feet attract tourists all over the world. The entire arch stands on a low base made up of red Bharatpur stone and rises in stages to a huge moulding, beneath, which are inscribed Imperial sons. Amar Jyoti that burns day and night under the arch to pay gratitude to Indian soldiers who thwarted the attempt of Pakistani army during Indo-Pakistan War of December in 1971.

India Gate is a wonderful place for picnic as hoards of people hovering around the brightly lit area and laid-back on the lush green lawns in the evening of summer. The entire wide street in front of the Gate is like a carnival in the weekends.

The Red Fort has walls extending up to 2 kms. in length with the height varying from 18 mts. on the river side to 33 mts. on the city side. The Red Fort Delhi has two main entrances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate. The latter faces Chandni Chowk, the city's most crowded but diverse market. The Red Fort also houses the Diwan-i-Aam or the Hall of Public Audiences, where the Emperor would sit on a marbled paneled alcove, studded with gems, and hear complaints of the common people. The Diwan-i-Khas or the Hall of Private Audience, where private audiences were granted. This hall is made of marble, and its centre-piece used to be the Peacock Throne, which was studded with rubies and gems.

Today, although the Diwan-i-Khas is only a pale shadow of its original glory, yet the verse of Amir Khusro " If there is Paradise on the face of earth, it is here, it is here, it is here" reminds us of its former glory. The Rang Mahal or the 'Palace of Colours' as it is known, holds a spectacular Lotus shaped fountain, made out of a single piece of marble, and housed the Emperor's wives and mistresses.

Qutub Minar has a stand alone place in the prime attractions amongst all the historical monuments of India. The word 'Qutub' means 'pole of justice'. It is situated in Delhi, the capital of India. The monument can be seen from most parts of the old city.

With a height of 72.5 m and 379 steps, it is the highest stone tower in India, as well as one of the finest Islamic structures ever raised and Delhi's recognised landmark.

The splendour of the Rashtrapati Bhavan is multi-dimensional. It is a vast mansion and its architecture is breathtaking. More than these, it has a hallowed existence in the annals of democracy for being the residence of the President of the largest democracy in the world. Few official residential premises of the Head of the State in the world will match the Rashtrapati Bhavan in terms of its size, vastness and its magnificence.

The present day Rashtrapati Bhavan was the erstwhile residence of the British Viceroy. Its architect was Edwin Landseer Lutyens. The decision to build a residence in New Delhi for the British Viceroy was taken after it was decided in the Delhi Durbar of 1911 that the capital of India would be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi in the same year. It was constructed to affirm the permanence of British rule in India.

Old Fort of Delhi is a fascinating building that survived the ravages of time. The Old Fort or the Purana Qila is also known as the 'Qila-i-kuhna masjid' built by Sher Shah Suri in 1541. Old Fort at Delhi is a perfect example of Lodi style of architecture in Delhi. The architecture of the Old Fort of Delhi is a fine blend of the Hindu elements together with the Muslim style of arches and domes. In short the style of architecture of the Old Fort can be considered as a secular architectural style.

The mosque in the Delhi Old Fort has a tranquil environment. The prayer hall of the mosque is about 51.20 meters by 14.90 meters. There are five doorways and horseshoe-shaped arches in the mosques of the Old Fort of Delhi. The whole structure of the Delhi Old Fort was made up of red sandstone with contrast of marbles.

Baha'i Temple in Delhi is often compared to the Sydney Opera House. Located 12km southeast of Connaught Place, has emerged as a top attraction for the tourists. Popularly known as the Lotus Temple, Baha'i Temple is a major feature of Delhi and is well known for its appearance. There is no doubt that in years to come the temple will prove to be a mecca for the visitors. Baha'ism is considered to be a syncretism of the nine great religions of the world and traces its genesis to its prophet Baha'u'llah, born in Persia in the twentieth century.

The Baha'i Temple of Delhi is spectacular in its design. 27 wonderful huge white petals of an unfolding lotus made of marble spring from nine pools and walkways. This symbolizes the nine unifying spiritual paths of the faith. Experience the solitude of Baha'i Temple with Hotels of Delhi. As a matter of fact no travel to Delhi is complete without visiting the temple.

The National Museum has in its possession over 2,00,000 works of exquisite art, both of Indian and foreign origin embracing more than 5,000 years of our rich cultural heritage. Like many other government offices, the circular building with its three floors is painted in red and yellow, peeping from behind a huge chalkboard of variant shades of green. Its history of compiling ancient artefacts goes back to 1946, when a blueprint was created by the Gwyer Committee. Interesting articles from all across India were brought and housed at Rashtrapati Bhavan as an exhibition, which continued till the National Museum building was ready in 1960. Today, from the moment you enter this humongous treasure trove, you will be overwhelmed to see life-size sculpters and beautiful works of art and crafts, strewned all over the terrain that creates an illusion in themselves. To add a cherry on your cake, the museum also encourages guided tours, lectures and training programmes, reserve collection, library and a conservation laboratory.

Gandhi Smriti, housed in the Old Birla House on 5, Tees January Marg, New Delhi, is the sacred place where Mahatma Gandhi's epic Life ended on 30 January 1948. Mahatma Gandhi had lived in this house from 9 September 1947 to 30 January 1948. Thus, the hallowed house treasures many memories of the last 144 days of his life. The Old Birla House was acquired by the Government of India in 1971 and was converted into a National Memorial of the Father of the Nation and was opened to the public on August 15, 1973.

The preserves include the room where Mahatma Gandhi lived and the prayer ground where he held a mass congregation every evening. It was here where assassin’s bullets felled Gandhiji. The building and the landscape have been preserved as they were in those days.

Jantar Mantar is one of the five observatories built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler and founder of Jaipur, in India. Smaller than the one at Jaipur, it is still astonishing because of its capability to make accurate calculations of many astronomical movements. Constructed in 1724, the giant abstract masonry instruments of Jantar Mantar are the evident of the technological genius of the times in the field of astronomy. Jai Singh was a keen astronomer and a noble in the Mughal court.

He was dissatisfied by the brass and metal astronomical instruments and decided to correct and update the astronomical records with more accurate instruments. He built five Jantar Mantars in India, located at Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura. Jantar Mantar of New Delhi was built with a view to help the practicing astronomers in observing the movements of the Sun, Moon and all other planets. The relevance of this science would then be introduced to the general public.

Akshardham Temple is a marvel of architecture that is unfolding the cultural legacy of 10,000 years. The construction of this grand structure took around 5 laborious years. Today, this imposing structure, standing on the banks of serene Yamuna River near Nizamuddin Bridge in Delhi, attracts millions of tourists and devotees to its doorstep. In Nov' 2005, Akshardham Mandir was inaugurated by Dr. Abdul Kalam, the honorable President and Mr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India.

The term 'Akshardham' is derived from two words 'Akshar' and 'Dham', where 'Akshar' means the eternal and 'dham' means 'abode'. Consequently, Akshardham means the abode of the divine, the eternal. It is actually the abode of eternal values, principles and virtues that are mentioned in the scriptures (Vedas, Puranas) of the Hindu mythology. Within the temple, the 11 feet high gilded image of Bhagwan Swami Narayan appears mesmerizing to the beholder. The image is encircled by the preachers (gurus) of the culture.

Located in the heart of the city of New Delhi, the Lakshmi Narayan Temple is one of the major tourist attractions of the city. Enchantingly carved depicting some of the finest gems of Hindu theology, the Lakshmi Narayan Temple was built in 1938 by Raja Baldev Das and is situated on the western portion of Connaught Place, one of the most important areas of the city of New Delhi.

The temple has an immense historical significance as well. Built after a period of 6 years, the temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi who laid down the condition, that the temple was not to be barred for entry to anyone on the basis of caste and every individual especially the untouchables would have as much a right of entry to its sacred grounds as people from other castes. Built by the Birla family of industrialists, one of the best-known families of India, the temple is also known as the Birla Temple.

Jama Masjid near the Red Fort about 500m away, the biggest mosque in India. It was begun by Shah Jahan in 1650 and completed six years later and the whole cost about a million rupees. It is hard to imagine a building more suited to evoking the awe of the majesty of Allah in man. The mosque stands on a rocky elevation. Its huge gateway looks down at you like fastidious connoisseur from an immense platform which has steps that lead up to it.

Constructed in Sandstone and white marble, Jama Masjid can be entered from both the directions - North and the South Gates. The eastern gateway is supposed to remain open in Friday and was used by the emperor himself. Jama Masjid is cluttered by devotees who offer namaz, especially during Muslim Festival. For those who don't belong to non - Muslim community, a specified time is mentioned to enter the mosque.

The Garden Tomb Humayun's tomb lies on the Mathura road near its crossing with the Lodi Road. High rubble-built walls enclose here a square garden divided initially into four large squares separated by causeways and channels, each square divided again into smaller squares by pathways ('Chaharbagh') as in a typical Mughal garden. The lofty mausoleum is located in the centre of the enclosure and rises from a podium faced with series of cells with arched openings.

The central octagonal chamber containing the cenotaph is encompassed by octagonal chambers at the diagonals and arched lobbies on the sides, their openings closed with perforated screens. Three emphatic arches dominate each side, the central one being the highest. This plan is repeated on the second storey, and a 42.5m high double dome of marble surmounts the roof with pillared kiosks ('chhatris') placed around it. The structure is built with red sandstone, but white and black marble has been used to relieve the monotony, the latter largely in the borders.

National Museum of Natural History is located on Barakhamba Road, opposite Embassy of Nepal in FICCI building easily recognized by a large model of dinosaur. Established as an institution to promote awareness on the natural heritage of India, the National Museum of Natural History is the only place in the capital to give detailed information about country's rich flora and fauna and other environmental issues through exhibits. Educating while entertaining, the museum has theme based galleries and hands-on activity areas.

The first gallery of the museum presents an introduction to the origin and evolution of life and presents the variety and diversity of the flora and fauna of India. It has sections presenting plants and animals in their natural habitat, information about endangered animals, patterns, adaptation and life cycle of terrestrial, aerial and aquatic animals and pollination process in different types of flowers. The next gallery of the museum gives an overview of the major ecosystem of the world, issues concerning environmental hazards, food chains, and inter-relationship between man, flora and fauna.

Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum is located in a sprawling yet simple white bungalow where the great leader Mrs. Gandhi lived as prime minister of India. It was here in the gardens of this bungalow that her two bodyguards assassinated her on October 31st 1984. The bungalow was later converted into a memorial museum.

Though the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum has limited display but still it has a beautiful collection of photographs covering the Nationalist movement and personal and public life of Nehru-Gandhi family. The collection gives a visual narration of her life from childhood to her last days. Apart from some personal belongings of Mrs. Gandhi, one can also view her still laid out simple drawing room and study room through the large glass. The museum conserves her blood stained sari, which she wore on the day she was assassinated.

ISKCON Temple of Delhi is located at Raja Dhirshain Marg, Sant Nagar near the East of Kailash locality. It is one of the 40 temples in India that belongs to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, dedicated to Lord Krishna. A part of the Hare Krishna Movement started by Acharya Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the devotees and followers of the Hare Rama Hare Krishna cult built this temple in 1998 to disseminate the message of the Bhagwad Gita.
Location : Raja Dhirshain Marg, Sant Nagar near the East of Kailash locality
Famour for : Radha-Krishna Temple and Hare Krishna Temple
Time to Visit : Open on all days
Preferred Timings : Morning Prayer time (4.30 am, 7.15 am, 7.45 am) and evening Prayer time (12.30 pm, 7.00 pm, 7.45 pm). The main prayer hall closes from 12.00 pm to 4.00 pm.

Chandni Chowk, or 'Moonlight Square' is the most famous and historic street of Delhi, built around 300 years ago when the walled city of Shahjahanabad was established in the 17th century. The 'Trafalgar Square' of Delhi, Chandni Chowk Delhi is widely known for its century old heritage and meeting point of different cultures and traditions over the centuries. At present the street is a busy thoroughfare with its traditional framework of several 'Kuchas and Katras' (alleys) housing traditional Havelis, innumerable places of worship, popular specialized markets and century-old eating joints, known for their specialties not only in the capital but worldwide.

Lodi Garden is located on the main Lodi Road, about a kilometer east of Safdarjang's tomb. Beautifully landscaped and well laid out with small water bodies, fountains and a jogging track, the gardens are very popular with people of all ages in the capital. Re-landscaped by JA Stein and Garrett Eckbo in 1968, the Lodi garden also house the National Bonsai Park that has a fine selection of bonsais. However, the main attractions are the ancient monuments belonging to the Sayyid and Lodi periods around which the garden was laid out in 1936 by relocating the then existing village.

The Lodi Garden has many species of trees, a Rose Garden, and a Green House, where plants are stored. The garden is at its best during the months of February and March, when winter flowers are in full bloom. Many species of birds can be seen in Lodi Gardens throughout the year.