A startling combination of history, culture, cuisine, street life and commerce, Delhi keeps its visitors thoroughly engaged. You may be overwhelmed by the chaos at first but as this state gradually sheds its layers, you will find there are many fun-filled places to see in Delhi that will take your breath away.
1. Humayun’s Tomb
Maqbera e Humayun or the Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi is a major historical site in India and also one of the best places to visit in north Delhi. It is the tomb of the famous Mughal emperor of India Humayun. It was commissioned by the first wife of Humayun who was the chief consort as well, Empress Bega Begum in 1569-70. The design of the tomb was born in the heart of Mirak Mirza Ghiyas- a persial architect invited by Bega Begum herself. Located in Nizamuddin East in Delhi, the tomb is known as the first garden tomb found on the Indian subcontinent, placed very close to the Dina-panah citadel. It is known to be one of the best places to visit in Delhi during summers as it also has a walled garden within its enclosure.
2. Hauz Khas
Hauz Khas is a beautiful neighbourhood of South Delhi and is one of the major tourist places in Delhi. The pulse of Hauz Khas is known to be the historically important Hauz Khaz Complex. It exhibits both rural and urban atmosphere and also known as mehak ka chota quila. The location is surrounded by Green Park to the west and Gulmohar Park towards the north. It had witnessed different diplomatic missions like the Albania, Iraq, Guines, Burundi, Macedonia Missions and more.
3. Qutab Minar
A valuable, protected structure of India is Qutub Minar, Delhi which has been considered to be a highly important historical attraction existing currently in India. It is a part of the Qutub Complex which was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is also one of the famous places to visit in north Delhi. The structure is situated in the Mehrauli area of Delhi. Qutub Minar Metro Station located at a distance of about 3km will be the easiest access to reach the amazing architectural brilliance. Qutub Minar is made of red sandstone and marble making its height up to 73 meters and gives a tower like structure to it which is consisted of five stories and its diameter is 14.3 meters at the base and it becomes 2.7 meters at the top.
Another main feature of it is the spiral staircase of 379 steps. It has been saying that the design of the tower had its origin from the Minaret of Jam located in Western Afghanistan. Qutub Minar’s founder was the legendary Qutub al-Din Aibak who was behind the existence of the Delhi Sultanate. The construction of the structure was started in 1192 and it was completed by Aibak’s successor Iltumish in 1220. But after some decades, its top storey was destructed by a lightning and later Firoz Shah Tughlaq renovated the damaged storey and constructed one more.
4. Red Fort
A brilliant architectural beauty is a historical fort in Delhi, Red Fort which was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty for more than 200 years. The Mughal families lived there until 1857. A golden feather in the crown of Delhi is the fort and it houses several museums in it. Though it was the house of the Mughal emperors, it was also the political and cultural center of the Mughal state and this was the place where a lot of significant events happened.
5. Akshardham Temple
Among the temples in Delhi, Akshardham Temple or Swaminarayan Akshardham Complex is amazingly famous as it is known to be a spiritual and cultural campus in Delhi and also one of the famous places to visit in east Delhi. This complex showcases the traditional Hindu and Indian culture, spirituality and architecture. Tourists from all over the world come to Delhi will visit the temple to understand the spiritual facts of India. The temple was opened in 2005 by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. It is one of the most religious places to visit in Delhi with family.
6. Jantar Mantar
Among the five major Jantar Mantar constructed by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur, the one in which Delhi has an equal reputation as of the Jaipur one. At Delhi Jantar Mantar, there are 13 architectural astronomy instruments. It is one of the most visited tourist places in Delhi in summers and it was designed in order to compile the astronomical tables and to predict the movement and timings of the sun, the moon and the planets. Situated on the Parliament Street, south of Connaught Circus in New Delhi, the Observatory possesses masonry built astronomical instruments.
7. Jama Masjid
The people of Delhi consider the Masjid-I Jahan Numa close to them, hence call it fondly as the Jama Masjid of Delhi. It is one of the largest mosques in India which was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1656. During that time, the construction of the mosque took around 1 million rupees. Imam from Bukhara inaugurated the building after its completion. The mosque is protected by three great gates and four towers. Also, there are two 40 meter high minarets created on red sandstone and white marble standing.
8. Waste to Wonder Park
As the name suggests, this park is created out of industrial and various other waste materials and it will indeed leave you speechless with wonder. Housing the replicas of the seven classical wonders of the world, this is one of the famous attractions in Delhi. If you are wondering where you can take your kids for some enrichment, then do visit the Waste to Wonder Park as it is one of the best places to visit in north Delhi.
The Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum, and India’s very own Taj Mahal along with the other wonders are exquisitely built out of pipes, metallic sheets, scrap angles, and various other waste materials. The park entirely built with the motive of conserving the environment also uses solar and wind energy for lighting purposes during the evening.
9. Garden of Five Senses
A park sprawling across 20 acres of land is the Garden of Five Senses in Delhi located in Saidul Ajaib village near the Mehrauli heritage area. It was a project done by Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation at a cost of 10.5 crores. It took three years approximately to come into existence and was inaugurated in 2003. It is built on a rocky terrain with different thematic areas in the garden including a separate section on the lines of Mughal Gardens.
Along with that, there are pools of water lilies, bamboo courts, herb gardens, solar energy park etc. The garden was established with the aim of stimulating our five senses with the beauty of the Serenity and the attractions around the garden will let us experience all the senses by touching, smelling, hearing and seeing. This garden is also an important venue for cultural events as different programs have been conducted here round the year. Food festivals, the Garden tourism festival, Dandiya festivals and so on are organized and conducted here.
10. Purana Qila
Old Fort is the English meaning of Purana Qila, one of the oldest and important forts in Delhi. Purana Qila in Delhi existing in the current form was built by Sher Shah Suri who is believed to be the founder of the Sur Empire. He has erected the citadel of Purana Qila along with a spacious city area around it. It was said that even during the death of 1545, the fort was incomplete and perhaps it was completed by Islam Shah, the son of Sher Shah.
The city is dotted with spellbinding mosques, forts, and monuments left over from the Mughal rulers that once occupied the city. The contrast between rambling Old Delhi is immense, and interesting. When are you planning your visit to this royal state.