(New) Delhi

Old Delhi:

The Chandni Chowk is the main street in the Islamic Old Delhi which is rather rough, traditional and charming. It has a maze of small streets, squares and alleys. The main attraction of this city district and perhaps the entire city is the Red Fort or Lal Qila.

South of the fort you can still see remnants of what once was the city wall of Shahjahanabad. Kashmiri gate played an important role when the British in 1857 regained Delhi after a failed Indian uprising. Other "must-see's" are the big Jami Mashid mosque and Raj Ghat.

The Red Fort

Construction of the red sandstone fortress began as a palace in 1638 for the Mogul emperor Shah Jahan. Ten years later it would be ready. Located on the Yamuna river, it is on the east side of Old Delhi. The complex is surrounded by a high wall of 2 km long and a deep canal (which has been dry since the 19th century).

Once there were unstable wooden bridges over it - now a stone bridge. What is now an empty sandstone shell was in the 17th century a high palace where the shah sat on an elephant parade. The heyday of the Mogul Empire was short-lived in Delhi - son Aurangzeb (who imprisoned his father in his own palace) was the first and last Islamic emperor of the city.

The Lahore gate is the main gate leading to a bazaar with numerous (souvenir) shops and the Nabat Khana, the place where musicians played for the Shah. You can view the spaces where the Emperor held his audience and received guests, the hammams (baths) and where the Empress had her refuge. The palace is one of the most famous landmarks in Delhi, and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

During British colonial times it was a military headquarters. Nowadays, the place where the Prime Minister gives a speech every August 15 (Independence Day).

Jami Mashid

The Friday Mosque of Delhi is the largest, most famous and most important mosque in India. The construction of the complex took 14 years to complete and finished in the year 1658. It was the last architectural deluxe under the leadership of Mogel Shah Jahan.

The mosque is built of sandstone and white marble. It contains three gates, four towers and two minarets where you can climb one for a perfect view of Delhi.

No less than 20,000 believers can gather in the courtyard for prayer.

Raj Ghat

Just south of the Red Fort on the banks of the Yamuna river is a modest square platform of black marble. It was here that Mahatma Ghandi was cremated after his execution in 1948.

Meanwhile, a park has been built (National Ghandi Museum) on the spot where Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Ghandi and grandsons Sanjay and Rahiv are cremated.

New Delhi:

Because New Delhi is a planned British city, the city has a striking British colonial appearance; this in relation to the much larger and older Delhi. The city also owns some large parks by British example. The result of the colonial legacy is that the capital of India is least like an Indian city in terms of architecture and urban planning.

Many buildings date from colonial times, including the Rashtrapati Bhavan. This official residence of the president lies at the end of the broad boulevard Rajpath (Kings-Road) where the India Gate is located.

This 42-meter-high memorial arch honors the 90,000 Indian solates that during WWII were killed. Other sights include the Ghandi Smriti (where Mahatma Ghandi was shot dead), Humayun's tomb, Indira Ghandi Memorial Museum and Purana Qila (the place where the mythical city Indraprastha once stood). 

Other attractions:

• The Connaught Place.

There is archaeological evidence that in and around contemporary Delhi was already living there 2500 years ago. It is assumed that this was also the place where the romanticized city Indraprastha must have been located some 3000 years ago, even though it can still not be demonstrated.

The city that consists of at least 8 cities has always played a vital role in Indian history. Centrally and strategically located on the large plains between India and Central Asia, the city always did good business in the field of commerce. New Delhi was founded in 1912 by the British to serve as the new capital of British India. The city was officially completed in 1929 and was put into use as capital in 1931.

From 1912 to 1931 Delhi functioned as a temporary capital; until 1912 Calcutta was the capital. The Mogol Emperor Shah Jahan had the 7th city built in the 17th century - a district that is well preserved and now promoted as Old Delhi. He exchanged Agra for Delhi. Delhi also became the Indian capital when the British disappeared in 1948. Delhi is a city of millions and still attracts people looking for a better life, a job and a future.