What can you see in a day in Delhi? Sights of New Delhi: photos and description

Article text updated: 02/2/2019

We ended the story about the photo hunt in the Panna Nature Reserve near Khajuraho with the fact that the next morning we arrived again in Delhi. During my vacation, this was already my second visit to the capital of India. Let me remind you that for the first time we went to see the Purana Qila fortress and the Red Fort. Today our program is: spend the whole day walking around interesting places the main city of the country, and at 20:00 fly with low-cost airline Air-Asia to Goa, where relaxation will finally come - six days of “seal vacation” on the coast of the Arabian Sea.

The train from Khajuraho arrived at Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station, code NZM. Katya and I agreed in advance that we would not take the rickshaw directly from the platform - they would probably try to rip off three skins, it would be better to go “to the city”, where it would be easier to bargain.

Delhi is just waking up, fog. It's damp because of something. The crowd on the platform... Naturally, as soon as we stepped off the carriage, we were surrounded by noisy rickshaws.

- Sir, hello. Where should I take you? Cheap!.. You won't find a better offer in the capital.

- Hmm... let's go to Main Bazaar, Vivek Hotel. What's the fare?

— Only 200 rupees (3 USD).

- Sir, you are very generous. And your eyes are so kind. But my mother told me that a trip from Hazrat Nizamuddin station to Main Bazar cannot cost more than 60 rupees.

- Oh, great Shiva! Your mother probably hasn’t been to India for a long time: 200 rupees is a fair price tag.

“Oh, that’s right, but we’d better go outside and study the offers,” with our huge suitcase, driving around the puddles on the dirty platform, we head towards the exit to the city, accompanied by a persistent driver, claiming that there are no other options than agreeing to travel with him , we do not have.

Seeing that the exit gate of the station is not far away, and behind them the competitors are already happily rubbing their hands, the rickshaw gives up.

- I took yours, Sir. Let’s go for 100 rupees,” and he starts loading our suitcases into his little jalopy.

Let's sit down. The driver calmly:

- Main Bazaar? 150 rupees.

- What, uncle, are you planning to play jokes on us? - we are indignant at such petty deception, - Unload!

We go outside and for 100 rupees, in 10 minutes we get to the entrance of the Vivek Hotel, where we stayed a week ago.

They offered to rent us a room at half price, since we were moving out in the evening. They don’t bargain, even though I pretend to leave (we were going to talk with the administrator of the Relax Hotel, with whom we made such a deal in 2015, but we were too lazy to drag our suitcase there in order to save 200-300 rupees) . In general, we settled in for 750 rupees and went to have breakfast at the “Exotic” rooftop restaurant that was already familiar to us.

At this point I would like to quote lines from my diary (experienced tourists always advise writing down their emotions, thoughts and feelings on vacation - this way the report will be more vivid).

An endless stream of motorbike and pedicabs, pedestrians, the hum of human voices and incessant beeping, the smells of spices, sewage and night fires, where homeless people tried to warm themselves on a cold Delhi night. A masala tea seller is grinding seasonings, pouring out milk, there is a queue... Another seller is boiling oil in a tandoor and dipping some pies. A third opens his tuk-tuk, preparing for a long day of work. In the Krishna Roof Top Cafe, opposite ours, all the tables are occupied by hungry tourists, the cooks are fluttering like butterflies at the stove. The rag sellers are still sleeping. The roller shutters are down. I remember someone’s words from a review of a trip to India on my own: “Well, hello, my stinking one, my beloved Delhi!”

We ordered a special breakfast from our “Exotic Roof Top Restaurant” (stewed potatoes in Indian spices, toast with jam, omelette with cheese and tomatoes). I was hungry for meat, so I asked for two servings of lamb dumplings (momo). We are going to the Qutub Minar. And in the evening we will be carried away by a silver bird from Air Asia to the same lands where we will forget about work and problems, to Goa.

Review of the excursion to the Qutub Minar

The second part of the review contains a list of the main attractions of Delhi that can be seen in 1 or 2 days of excursions around the capital of India. I probably would have liked to visit the fabulously rich Akshadram temple, but at the entrance I would have to hand over all my photographic equipment - I didn’t want to risk it.

On our first trip to Delhi, we got to the Jama Masjid mosque, but it was too late, everything was closed. There you can climb the minaret for a small fee and take pictures of the surroundings, but it is not clear whether your wife will be allowed in.

There are still a bunch of temples and palaces in Delhi (see the table in Chapter No. 2), but we are already tired of them. We choose a trip to the Qutub Minar, since there is a small park around it. At least you can take a walk.

In the “India, guest reviews on the site” section there is a detailed report describing the history of this tallest brick minaret in the world (73 m), so I will not describe everything in detail. I will only note that it was built in the period from 1192 to 1220, reconstructed in the 12th, 14th and 19th centuries.

The purpose of Qutub Minar is dual: it is both a Tower of Victory and a minaret.

Opening hours of the Qutub Minar archaeological complex: from 7:00 to 17:00. Ticket price for foreign tourists: 500 rupees (7.6 USD).

We decided to get there by metro. To do this, along Main Bazar street we reach railway station“New Delhi Railway station” and go down to the metro. The first part of the review of a trip to India in 2015 contains a map of the Delhi metro with links to the capital's attractions to route lines, and tells how we tried to get there to the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid Cathedral Mosque, but in the evening, during rush hour, did not dare to enter the carriage - the passengers were like herring in a barrel. It was scary to run into pickpockets and lose documents. Then we decided to take a rickshaw (100 rupees). This time we have a day excursion, the subway cars are free.

Fare: 38 rupees per person. From the Delhi Metro map mentioned above, it is clear that the most famous landmark of the Indian capital is located along one line (Jahangirpuri - Huda City Centre). Here is a list of stations on this route and their attractions:

Chandni Chowk – Red Fort and Jana Masjit;
New Delhi (railway station) – exit to Main Bazaar;
Central Secretariat – India Gate monument and Presidential Palace;
Qutub Minar is our minaret with a park.

It probably takes half an hour to travel from New Delhi station to Qutub Minar station. The subway is surprisingly clean for India: almost like in any other civilized metropolis in the Asian world (Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong or Bangkok).

Although the station is called “Qutab Minar”, it is still far from the minaret; you need to get there by rickshaw. The men first asked for 60 rupees, but quickly agreed to 30...

What can I tell you about your impressions of Qutub Minar? Nice park, ancient ruins. If it weren't for such an expensive entrance fee, I would say " perfect place”, and so, “if you come to Delhi and have half a day free, you can visit.”

Photo 1. The famous Qutub Minar in Delhi. Reviews about a self-guided tour of the capital. 1/250, 5.6, 100, 32.

Previously, it seemed to me that buildings in the Empire, Baroque, or our “Stalin” styles were too pretentious. No, in India, too, builders knew how to inflate construction costs places of worship! Look at the carvings on the minaret tower.

Photo 2. Arabic script and Islamic ornaments on the Qutub Minar in Delhi. Report on a half-day self-guided tour of the capital of India. Nikon D610 camera, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Shooting parameters: shutter speed - 1/160 sec., exposure compensation -0 EV, aperture f/9.0, ISO 100, focal length - 42 mm.

In the territory archaeological park There is not only the minaret itself, but also the ruins of various medieval buildings. It seems to me that in this case, Indian restorers have found the right balance between restoring buildings completely (when the atmosphere of antiquity is crumbling) and not leaving only the foundations (when there is nothing for a simple tourist to see).

Photo 3. The ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, the first Islamic structure built after the conquest of Delhi by Sultan Qutb ad-din Aibak, who came here from Afghanistan. 1/250, 9.0,100, 38.

Photo 4. Carved walls of the ruins of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. Self-guided trip report to Qutub Minar. 1/160, 9.0, 100, 62.

Although I said that I was going to the minaret only to take a walk in the park, when I saw the local beauty, my eyes immediately lit up and, with a camera at the ready, I walked around and looked for subjects for a photo report.

Photo 5. View of the Kutub Column from the central entrance. Report on day excursions in Delhi. 1/250, -1.33, 9.0, 100, 32.

It seems that the territory of the complex is small, but we spent two or three hours here. Split with his wife, and each explored what was interesting to him. For example, I wanted to take a closer look at the famous Iron Column, which was forged by Indian blacksmiths 1600 years ago (it was installed in 415 in honor of King Chandragupta II in the Vishnu temple in the city of Mathura).

How unpredictable life is. Probably in the 5th grade, during world history lessons, I saw a photo of this column in textbooks. Could I have imagined that in 30 years, it would be possible to buy a plane ticket for 28,000 rubles and, within 8 hours, stand at its fence, trying to make out the ancient inscriptions?..

Next to the Qutub Minar there is a foundation larger tower: Ala-i-Minar minaret. It was built by Sultan Alauddin Khilji to commemorate the conquest of the Deccan and the subjugation of all South India to his rule. To prove that he was the most powerful ruler of his time, the padishah decided to build a tower twice as high as Qutub Minar. But last years His reign was not the most successful, and when only the first 24.5 meters of the minaret were erected, the Sultan died...

Photo 18. Ruins of the Ala-i-Minar minaret. How we went to Qutub Minar. 1/200, 9.0, 100, 56.

Every time you visit similar attractions in different countries world, you are amazed how our ancestors could build such grandiose structures without having cars or lifting equipment!

Photo 19. Photo session at the foot of the ruins of the Alai Minar. A trip to Qutub Minar by “savages”. 1/250, 9.0, 100, 70.

By the way, don’t forget to take nuts with you when going on an excursion to this archaeological park. Here you can not only breathe history, but also have fun with Chip and Dale.

Photo 20. A moment of rest in the Qutub Minar complex. 1/160, -0.67, 9.0, 180, 70.

Photo 21. Palm squirrels are residents of the Qutub Minar complex. In half a day in Delhi, you can not only see ancient ruins, but also arrange a rodent photo safari. Nikon D610 camera, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G telephoto lens, Nikon TC-14E II teleconverter. Parameters: 1/2000, -0.33, 4.0, 250, 195.

The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque is striking precisely because of the carvings on the dome ceiling and on the columns.

Photo 22. Lonely dove under the dome of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. Reviews about excursions to Delhi. 1/60, -0.67, 9.0, 400, 32.

Photo 23. To take this photo, I had to put the camera on the floor, exactly in the center, and drive away tourists so as not to step on it. 1/60, +1.0, 9.0, 1400, 28.

The security guard saw my exercises with the camera and suggested taking a picture from a different angle so that both the tourists and the dome could be seen.

Photo 24. This photo was taken under the supervision of a security guard at the Qutub Minar complex. But uncle is right? This makes the photo look more interesting! 1/50, -0.33, 9.0, 280, 24.

Although we had already seen enough of such carved columns while traveling through the states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, visiting Hindu and Jain temples, it was still pleasant to wander here.

Photo 25. A tourist lost in the forest of columns in the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. What to see in Delhi in half a day. 1/160, 9.0, 2500, 70.

The height of the Qutub Minar column is 73 m, the diameter at the base is 14 m, at the top – 3 m. A spiral staircase with 379 steps is installed inside. Although formally this building is a minaret from which muezzins were supposed to call the faithful to prayer, it is unlikely that in practice it served its intended purpose: from such a height who would have heard them in Medieval Delhi, filled with the noise of shopping streets, the cries of sellers and the roar of camels.

Photo 26. Qutub Minar is an iconic building of Delhi. Half-day tour of the capital of India. 1/500, -0.67, 9.0, 100, 24.

This is what this place looked like 500 years ago (if the Alai Minar had been completed).

27. Scheme of the archaeological complex Qutub Minar in Delhi. Tourist reports about self-guided tours for one day. 1/320, -0.67, 4.5, 100, 48.

After walking around the park to our heart's content, we decide to go see the Government Quarter. Again we take a rickshaw to the Qutab Minar metro station, from where we need to get to the Central Secretariat. For some reason the driver asks for our used tickets to the park. I think he is in cahoots with the controller: he will sell them to other tourists at half price, and his partner will let them into the territory. So, keep in mind that apparently you can visit the Qutub Minar for less money.

What else can you see in Delhi in half a day? Government Quarter

A twenty-minute metro ride, we get off at the Central Secretariat station and... we find ourselves in a completely different, unnatural India. There is no dirt, no smoke, no wild cacophony of smells and sounds that surround you in any city in the country.

Photo 28. View of the Presidential Palace Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. Review of a trip to the Government Quarter. 1/250, 9.0, 100, 32.

To be honest, we could not believe that such sterility could exist anywhere in India. It seems that you are walking through the set of some movie about the future, and not along a real street.

Photo 29. Visit to the Government Quarter in Delhi. What to see in one day. 1/200, +0.67, 9.0, 100, 24.

The most grandiose and recognizable building in the Government Quarter looks like this.

Photo 31. Presidential Palace Rashtrapati Bhavan. In front of it is the Jaipur Column, donated by the Maharaja of Jaipur during the construction of the palace in 1911 on the occasion of the transfer of the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. Nikon D610 camera, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G telephoto, Nikon TC-14E II extender. Settings: 1/320, 9.0, 250, 150.

At the time of the excursion, we did not know, but while preparing the article, I found out that behind the Rashtrapati Bhavan palace there is beautiful park Mughal Gardens. Visitors are allowed here during February every year.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan Presidential Palace is also famous for the fact that here tourists can watch the Changing the guard.

The Changing of the Guard ceremony lasts 30 minutes in the courtyard. It usually starts at 8:00 am summer time and 10:00 every Saturday in the winter.

The only thing is I haven't seen a single report Russian tourists about this event, and, as I understand it, to get there, you need to book tickets online in advance.

On the opposite side of the Presidential Palace Rashtrapati Bhavan is Rajpath Marg, and in the distance is the India Gate arch.

Photo 32. India Gate arch on Rajpath Avenue in Delhi. Reviews from tourists about self-guided excursions in one day. 1/640, 9.0, 450, 280.

The India Gate monument was built between 1914 and 1925. It was originally called the All Indian War Memorial. It was erected in memory of the 82,000 soldiers of the Indian army who died in the First World War in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa and in the Battle of Gallipoli, as well as in the Middle and Far East, in the Third Anglo-Afghan War.

In 1971, Indira Gandhi opened the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the India Gate in memory of the heroes of the Third Indo-Pakistan War. In general, for Indians this place is like the Alexander Garden near the walls of the Kremlin in Moscow for Russians: a sacred place.

The distance from the President's Palace to India Gate is 2.5 km. It was hot, so I was too lazy to walk. We decided not to approach the arch. We took a rickshaw to Main Bazaar, where we had to buy a new suitcase (the wheels on the old one were broken), have dinner, check out of the hotel and get to international Airport named after Indira Gandhi. In the evening we fly to Goa...

I’ll tell you how we got from Dabolim airport in Goa to Palolem Beach in the next chapter with a review of our holiday in India on our own. Now I’ll just note that in the previous photo, in the distance behind the “Gateway of India”, a small turret is visible. This is the dome on the Purana Qila fortress, the excursion to which I described in the second chapter of the report. If you plan your excursions around Delhi, keep in mind that these attractions are located very close to each other (the capital’s zoo is also there).

This concludes my story about how to spend a few hours in Delhi. I think I have just created a guide to the capital of India.

If you read the fourth chapter from the section “India. Guests”, you can find out Interesting Facts from Mikhail Shmakov about the Qutub Minar and the Government Quarter, see the interiors of the Akshardam Temple and the Lotus Temple.

The first chapter of the report from our trip to India in 2015 tells how to walk from New Delhi Station to Main Bazaar and how to find a ticket office for foreigners where you can buy travel documents on Indian train. It also tells you how to get to the domestic terminal T-1 of Indira Gandhi Airport by metro.

Basically, you now have a ready-made plan for how to spend half a day, a day or two during your holiday in Delhi. If you think that the information was useful for organizing your trip, I would be grateful if you share the link to the article on social networks.

And now, see you in the thirteenth chapter. In it I will tell you where in India you can relax by the sea, what the pros and cons of each resort are, and how we liked it in South Goa.

As soon as the plane touches the ground at Delhi airport, the sticky Indian air seems to force its way through the windows. It seems that the crew commander opened his windows for ventilation. Delhi is often foggy in winter. And fogs mixed with Delhi smog are not the best picture for a photo:(
As soon as you step off the ramp, you immediately find yourself in a viscous cool cloud. Temperature at night - up to plus 10. Cool. And when you are being carried by a rickshaw, the cold from the movement penetrates through you, forcing you to wrap yourself in all kinds of jackets, blankets, blankets, which you prudently took “just in case.”

Usually they don’t stay in Delhi for more than three days and go on to explore “Mama India”. Any trip for a foreigner to Delhi begins from the airport named after Indira Gandhi. Delhi airport like others air gate in major Indian cities, very large, clean, comfortable and beautiful. If this is your first time here and you are not met by a taxi, then you need to go to the center of Delhi by metro. And you definitely need to visit the center of Delhi. Take the Aeroexpress, which runs every 15 minutes from the airport to the railway station - New Delhi metro station.

The Delhi metro is very clean and easy to navigate. We traveled to Delhi exclusively by metro - very convenient and inexpensive. When entering any of the stations, you need to buy a token at the window. You have to stand in line, which suddenly stops for a couple of minutes because the token seller is leisurely chatting with someone on the phone. But you can use the “white man’s” right. Walk, proudly raising your head to the front of the line, and almost always they will give you a seat at the window, like a tourist. The locals themselves showed us this trick.
You buy a token, apply it to the turnstile, go through a police inspection (at each station, the bags and clothes of passengers are carefully checked - security measures against terrorists). Then, when you exit at the station you need, throw the token into the turnstile - it opens your way out of the metro further. Tokens have different prices and depend on the travel distance. Therefore, clearly tell the ticket agent the station you will be going to. He will do some kind of manipulation with his hands that only he understands and gives you a token to the desired station. We tried to check how it works and called the station, which used to be where we had to get off. As a result, the turnstile did not open, a metro worker scolded us and we had to pay extra to exit the metro.

When leaving the subway, don’t be afraid. You will immediately find yourself surrounded by people, smells and sounds. A real “bazaar-station”! Courageously, without listening to anyone, exit the metro towards the station and, seeing huge bridge across the path - climb it. Pass over all the railway tracks (there are a lot of them!!!) and eventually come out to the main entrance and exit to the station.
If this is not your first time in India, then everything will be clear to you. In the atmosphere of the Indian “bazaar-station” the main thing is to “turn on full shanti”. Then the beggars will not be noticeable, and the intrusive “assistant scammers” from the locals will also retreat under your stern gaze.

Understand that any local who approaches you at the Myen bazaar sees you as a wallet with money. You definitely have more money than him - you even had enough for a ticket from Moscow to India. This logic is ironclad for all merchants and beggars, so they will do their best to lure money from you. They will start talking, ask about your name and country, and then say that they will help you find what you are looking for completely free of charge - a store, an airline ticket office, an entrance to the metro. And they will definitely not take you into a gateway where they will rob you, but definitely into some agency or store, where managers and the owner will immediately pounce on you - “sit down, drink coffee, buy something.” We personally, because of my naive faith in universal human goodness, ended up in Delhi twice. Naturally, at the last moment, seeing a divorce, I was indisputable and turned around and left, but time was slightly lost. Although, if you see the positive side in everything, then, on the contrary, experience and knowledge about this type of Indian “friendship” were acquired. People who supposedly accidentally come across your path and volunteer to help “just like that” are called “helpers.” This is their business - to bring foreign onlookers into travel agencies, shops, restaurants, hotels and receive a “baksheesh kickback” from the owner for this.

All independent travelers settle in Main Bazaar. Living in Main Bazaar is also convenient due to the proximity of the Delhi railway station. From here, webs of railway tracks spread across the entire vast continent. Main Bazaar is a street in the center of Delhi, stretching from the New Delhi railway station to the Rama Krishna Ashram metro station. Its length is only a couple of kilometers, every meter of which is densely filled with cheap hotels, restaurants, shops, souvenir shops, people, auto-rickshaws and cows. It's such a real noisy India here. But after understanding the chaos of Main Bazaar, you will no longer be afraid of either Mumbai or other Indian metropolises. This chaos is understandable. Not to explain, but to understand.

With the arrival of night, the Main Bazaar transforms and becomes similar in its illumination to the districts of Hong Kong or Miami. Signs of bars and restaurants invite tourists to come over for a bottle of beer or a glass of rum. By the way, alcohol at Myen Bazaar also has its own story.
The retail liquor license here is very expensive. Therefore, the owners of establishments are cunning. Beer will be poured into a closed paper glass from a Coke bottle, and rum may be served in a kettle. Allegedly, you are drinking tea from their teapot, and not rum!

As for housing, there is something for every taste and quite cheap. In the middle of the Main Bazaar, opposite the Vivek hotel, there is a pleasant restaurant called Diamond. Is this one of the three restaurants? which we checked while eating at Main Bazaar. The owner of Diamond speaks good Russian and this is a huge plus. We discussed politics and economics with him, and just talked about life. The cafe is clean and cozy, the prices are inexpensive, the menu is extensive. Beer is not on the menu, but it is actually available. Only in Coca-Cola glasses!

If you are not too strapped for money, you can go to one of the most expensive restaurants on the street - “Metropolis”, located on the roof of the hotel of the same name, not far from the Krishna Rama metro station. This restaurant is interesting because it has been here since 1928! There are wooden tables and chairs, uncharacteristic for India, a clean interior, green hedges and a smiling, respectable waiter. Prices are not exorbitant, but for India they are considered above average. For breakfast of two omelettes, two bottles of beer, two cups of cappuccino and very tasty and proper pizza, we paid 1276 rupees, which is approximately 1500 rubles.

Well, it’s better to have dinner at one of the “roof restaurants” - restaurants located on the roofs tall buildings hotels. From here you can see the most interesting view of all the bustle of the evening and glowing Main Bazaar - sounds, smells, bright colors.

As for the cultural and excursion program, it is, at a minimum, standard in Delhi. Must-sees: Ashkardam Temple, Lotus Temple, India Gate and Parliament Square, Qutub Minar complex.

First on our list is Ashkardam. Grandiose temple complex, included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest hindu temple in the world. Interestingly, it was built solely on donations from ordinary Hindus. They collected it all over India and collected 500 million US dollars in 5 years! The opening of the temple took place in 2005. More than 7,000 craftsmen built the temple! The height of the temple is 42 m, width and length are 94 and 106 meters. It is decorated with 234 columns, 9 domes and more than 20 thousand figures. Along the perimeter of the building there are figures of 148 elephants.
Getting to Ashkardam is easy - the station of the same name on the blue metro line. At the exit from the metro you will be greeted by numerous rickshaws offering to take you to the temple. Don't even look at them! It takes no more than 5 minutes to walk from the metro to the entrance to the Ashkardama complex. We didn’t know this and bargained with a rickshaw for 20 rupees, for which he honestly unscrewed the pedals, sweated and took us along a long path in 15 minutes to the temple.

Naturally, entry to Ashkardam is free. There is a huge queue at the entrance to the complex. First you need to put cameras, phones and bags of any size in the storage room. Any photography is prohibited here. Therefore, all photos are from the Internet, from the official website of the temple http://akshardham.com/. Then stand in line for control and inspection. The security system here is very serious. And only after that, half an hour later, you enter the territory.
Of course, it is very beautiful here. And very grandiose. And it’s very incomprehensible for a “non-Indian”. Hindu stories are skillfully carved into the gilded facing stones inside the temple. Hindus carefully read the explanations in Hindu, look at the images of gods and pictures of their lives. We received the most vivid emotion and joy from the evening music and fountain laser and light show, which takes place every day in a huge open amphitheater. The amphitheater seats several thousand people, who are seated on stone steps. The show costs only 80 rupees and lasts 24 minutes! I have never seen such a brightly colorful show in my life. On the walls of the temple, instructive pictures from the life of Indian gods are projected with a mix of dancing fountains, lasers playing on water, sound, smoke, fire and children's dances. I don’t know how to describe all this and tell you - I can’t. Therefore, it is better to watch a fragment of the show on video and photos on the temple website. Website http://akshardham.com/explore/water-show/

After Ashkardam, another famous temple, the Lotus Temple, seems very ascetic and devoid of any material wealth. Nevertheless, this is one of the most interesting and famous temples in the world. After all, they visit it every year more tourists than the Taj Mahal or the Eiffel Tower. This is the main shrine of the Bahai religion.
Its founder Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892) is revered as the last in a series of "manifestations of God", which, in addition to Bahá'u'lláh himself, includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zarathustra, Krishna, Jesus Christ, and Muhammad. World Center Baha'iism is located in Haifa. The Baha'i teachings are based on the oneness of God, the oneness of religions and the oneness of humanity.

It was in Delhi in 1986 that the main Baha'i temple in Asia was built in 8 years, becoming one of the symbols of India. According to their religion, there should be no images on the walls of the temple, there should be no sculptures on the temple grounds, and there should be no altars inside the temple. The point is, any person, of any faith, can go inside the temple and pray to their God. For this purpose, benches are provided inside. In total, the main hall of the temple can accommodate 2,500 people.
The temple itself is made in the form of a huge lotus flower with 27 petals. lined with marble and united by three petals, this gave the temple a nine-sided rounded shape. The nine doors of the Lotus Temple lead to the main hall, which is about 40 meters high. Lotus Temple website http://www.bahaihouseofworship.in/

The Lotus Temple is a 10 minute leisurely walk from the metro station. There is a large green area around the temple, where, as usual for India, Hindus sleep on all the lawns and benches in the heat of the day. Moreover, these are not the poor - the poor have no time to sleep, they are looking for food. And quite decent-looking men sleep on the grass, while away their lunch break at work.
Before entering the temple, you must take off your shoes and put them in a storage room. We were prepared for this in advance and put the shoes in our backpack, taking out socks from there. Still, it is better to walk in disposable socks along the temple paths than to step barefoot after millions of dirty feet. If you want to go to temples in India, don’t forget to take socks with you!

At the entrance to the main hall, volunteers distribute the flow of people - men in some queues, women in others. Before opening the doors to the temple, volunteers say something in Hindu and English, adding to the mystery and grandeur of the moment. And here we are inside. Marble makes it cool, even very cool. The cold marble benches do not encourage long prayers. We sat for about ten minutes, prayed, and then the volunteers were already asking to leave - followed by another portion of pilgrims. Of course, it is an interesting feeling to pray side by side with one God with representatives of different religions and cultures. Everyone pray as best they can. And God hears everyone, regardless of language.

And in the middle of the complex square stands the famous iron column. This column is the first picture in my childhood mind about India. My father had some kind of book about world wonders, and as a child I loved to look at photos of distant countries and read about their mysteries. India was represented in this book by the iron column in Delhi. The column in Delhi, cartoons about Mowgli, Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the Golden Antelope and pirate novels in which ships moored in the harbors of Calcutta and Bombay - this is my childhood picture of India. And I would never have thought that now this continent would become a second home for me, that here I would feel at home. So, when I saw the iron column in reality, I rejoiced at it like a good old friend.

Surely you have heard about this column. Its height is seven meters and its weight is six and a half tons. The column has become widely famous because over the 1600 years of its existence it has practically avoided corrosion and is considered to be made from a single piece of iron of the highest quality.
The column was erected in 415 in honor of King Chandragupta II. But the process of making the monument has not yet been clearly resolved by scientists. There are even versions about its alien origin and that it consists entirely of meteorite iron. Crowds of pilgrims have flocked to the column since ancient times - it is believed that if you stand with your back to the column and wrap your arms around it from behind, this will bring happiness. To prevent vandalism, a fence was built around the column in 1997.
After taking plenty of photographs with the column, minaret and dozens of Indians, we return to the hotel. The day in the capital of India was rich in emotions and quite comfortable in sensations:)

Compiled from my own experience and personal preferences about the city’s attractions, I hope it will help everyone who wants to get to know Delhi better and perhaps return here more than once.
So, let's begin.

First day in Delhi –
The most important rule in India is not to rush anywhere, unless of course you are late for your flight.

You can take a leisurely walk along Purana Qila in just over an hour and literally 100 meters away is zoo. Entrance 100 rupees. Spend at least two hours at the zoo. Next to the zoo, near the very walls of Purana Qila, there is a small pond where you can enjoy a boat ride. Take a ride, why not? There are several inexpensive ones between the Purana Qila gate and the entrance to the zoo - just in time for lunch.

After Feroz Shah Kotla, head straight to Red Fort, you can get there by auto-rickshaw in 10 minutes (about 60 rupees). I will not give here references to the Red Fort, the seventh capital of Delhi founded by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan - quite a lot has been said about this place.
After lunch, I would like to advise you to definitely go to the main mosque not only of Delhi, but also of India - this is the Jama Masjit mosque. At the entrance you will need 200 rupees for the right to bring a camera or mobile phone with a camera. Also be sure to climb the minaret; from a height of 60 meters you will have an impressive view of Old Delhi. Entrance to the minaret is 100 rupees.
Not far from Jama Masjit (300 meters on foot) there is the Chauri Bazar metro station. From Chauri Bazar go to Qutub Minar(Qutub Minar metro station, 5 minutes ride by auto-rickshaw from the station, about 40 rupees), entrance to the territory of the historical complex is 150 rupees.

After Qutub Minar, I would probably advise moving to Akshardham(Akshardham metro station). Entrance to Akshardham is free; before entering you will need to leave a camera, mobile phone, cigarettes, lighter, and flash drive in the storage room. Closed on Monday.

It is clear that in 3 days it is impossible to see and feel a beautiful city, for this, even a year will probably not be enough, but if you have time, I could add a few more places to this, and first of all, of course
Mehrauli- “enchanted park”

Georgy Melnikov

Today is our first day of group sightseeing.
True, the situation in the city turned out to be tense. The cause of popular unrest was another precedent - a young girl was raped and killed. Spontaneously, here and there, rallies and protests arise, resulting in the death of people.

Police cordoned off the streets in the city center where ministry buildings are located. Several metro stations are closed. Police are urging people not to come to the center. However, early in the morning, several hundred people gathered for a protest demonstration in the Jantar Mantar area.

One of the posters read “We don’t want your condolences! We don't want your fake feelings! We demand immediate strengthening of laws against sexual violence."

In general, due to the growing unrest. Our tour leader decided to change plans for today. We will act depending on the situation.

We take the metro to Rajiv Chowk station.

The local currency is Indian rupees. To make it easier to navigate prices, you can simply divide the price in rupees in half, and we get the ruble. For example, 100 rupees = 50 rubles (to be precise, 5.73 per this moment. You can find out the exact course).

Through the dirty, crowded shopping arcades we walk towards Jama Masjid. This is the Delhi Cathedral Mosque - the most important in Old Delhi. Laid out around the same time as the construction of the Taj Mahal.

The courtyard of the mosque can accommodate up to 25 thousand believers at any given time. One of the relics is a copy of the Koran written on deer skin.
The construction of the mosque was the result of the efforts of more than 5,000 workers over six years.

Entrance 300 rupees, camera 100, slippers 100.

Then we walk past the market, squeezing through endless streams of people.

By the way, in India they shave right on the streets, with a straight razor.

There is a road nearby. There is a constant hum in my ears from passing cars and tuk-tuks. India has a special way of driving. The rules there are quite strange. This is not to say that they do not exist. I didn't notice a single accident! But when you look at this chaotic swarm of scurrying cars, endlessly honking and drivers talking to each other at full speed, it seems unreal that they manage not to collide! Their ride is devoid of any conventional understanding traffic. When you get on the road, it’s as if you become a part of a single living organism, growling, smoking, beeping and talking.

To our right is the Red Fort - one of the most famous landmarks of old Delhi (pictured behind Daniel). But, unfortunately, the entrance to Red Fort is closed today. Therefore, it was decided to postpone visiting him until we return to Delhi at the end of our trip.

But the Sikh temple Gurudwara Sis Ganj was opened.

Sikhism is the eighth largest religion in the world. The form of worship of God in Sikhism is meditation. No other deities, demons, spirits, except God, according to the Sikh religion, are worthy of worship.
You are supposed to enter all such establishments in India barefoot, or at least in socks. At first it causes discomfort, looking at the beggar parishioners standing nearby. But over time you get used to it. So, they asked me to put on a bandana.

We came to see how flatbreads were prepared for the poor; they were distributed free of charge.

Upon return from sightseeing tour, Chatrasal advised us to have dinner on the second floor at a cafe on the Karol Bagh market street. The food here is very tasty and inexpensive. And on the ground floor there is a confectionery shop: the chocolate cookies are simply amazing!

It's time to go back to the hotel (we stayed in Sunrise Hotel Delhi), collect things. At 20:00 we are scheduled to leave for the Delhi railway station, from where at 10 pm we depart for the city of Bikaner.

The station, like everywhere else, is full of people. The train schedule is completely out of order! The train may be several hours late! While waiting, people usually sit right on the pylon, in the station hall, where they have to lay down bedding and rags, and sit on large bags. Usually Hindus collect their belongings in a large scarf, making a 1.5 x 1.5 meter knot out of it, and wear the whole bandura on their heads.

The sleepers are sprinkled with white disinfectant. But this doesn’t make things any calmer; rats, the main carrier of the infection, are scurrying around everywhere.

Before the trip, I was frightened by extreme poverty, dirt and cholera. Honestly, I was preparing for a much more deplorable picture. But, perhaps because I have traveled through many Asian countries, India did not scare me. Of course, in this regard, it is worse than many other places, and a person who has lived all his life in pure Europe will simply be shocked when he finds himself here. On the platform you can simultaneously see a sacred animal, a cow, eating garbage, a flock of monkeys looking for somewhere to steal food, and Indian poor people sleeping in the corner.

Our train has finally arrived. Chatrasal announced our seats. The inside of the carriage is very similar to our reserved seat, but with an incredible amount of garbage and dirt. Hindus don't bother using garbage cans. They throw waste directly on the floor.

In the carriage we sat next to Ask, a 20-year-old guy from Denmark. Tall blond with the manners of an aristocrat. Yesterday at dinner Katya noticed how he deftly and gracefully handles cutlery, behaves restrainedly and majestically at the table, as if we were at dinner in Buckingham Palace. At some point it seemed to us that this sophisticated, well-groomed guy would not stand the test of Indian reality, but how wrong we were! Ask turned out to be a poor performer on such trips. By the age of 20, he had already traveled the entire Trans-Siberian Railway by train, visited China, the USA and many other countries.

This is how they clean the car. A man crawls on all fours and scoops out trash.

After having dinner with the Subway sandwiches we had saved in advance, we went to bed.

In this article you will find out what attractions there are in Delhi and whether they are worth spending time on. I will also talk about how to spend your day profitably.

We will be passing through Delhi, so I decided to plan in advance a list of places to visit to make it easier to navigate the place.

I know that many may say that it’s not interesting, you need your vacation to be spontaneous, but if you don’t have much time, then it’s better to prepare in advance. And you can change plans at any time.

To begin with, I downloaded applications with maps of India on my phone ( Google Maps, Maps.me - choose any to your taste) and marked on the map all the cities and hotels that I booked. After this, I go to a specific city (in this case, Delhi), mark the attractions on the map, and after that I look at what is located near the hotel, in what order it is better to visit them, and be sure to watch reviews (videos on Youtube, tripadvisor, for example) . This helps to sweep away the unnecessary and leave time for just a walk around the city.

I’ll show you with my example how you can plan your day.

We arrive in Delhi on 01/01. at lunchtime and check into the Yes Please Guest House, it is located near main street in Delhi - Main Bazar. It’s also not far from the railway station, from which we will go to Agra on 02.01.

Our task for maximum 01/01:

Check into a hotel

Find a storage room to put your winter things in (since we plan to travel with backpacks),

Good to eat

Take a walk around Main Bazar and buy your husband a travel backpack with the size of hand luggage,

See the city briefly.

So our day begins with the fact that we arrive at Delhi airport, take the metro and get to Main Bazaar.

After that, we check into the hotel, and now it’s already 13:00...

And after that we still have time to attractions.

First I'll tell you about the most popular attractions in Delhi:

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib.

In short, it can be called a Sikh temple with an artificial lake where you can walk barefoot. But in winter it will be cool.

Sikhism is one of the Indian religious movements. It was built of snow-white marble and topped with gilded domes made from plates of gold.

The temple dining room is a public catering place and anyone can eat here completely free of charge three times a day.

Women and men need a head covering (scarf, not cap).

Read more about the temple and the history of its creation.

Opening hours: 0:00 – 23:45

Address: Ashoka Road | Connaught Place,Next to Grand Post Office, New Delhi 110001, India

2. Akshardham Swaminarayan Akshardham.

New building. This Hindu temple complex in Delhi was opened in 2005. Main temple, built from pink stone, is a masterpiece Indian architecture. Skillful stone carving cannot leave you indifferent. The interior decoration of the temple, made of white marble, is stunning with its beauty and grace. Listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

The entrance is free. You can also come to the fountain show in the evening (80 rupees per person).

3. Humayun's Tomb.

The complex is a large and well-groomed garden and park area, with numerous water channels, where several tombs are located. The central and most impressive place of the complex is the tomb-mausoleum of Hamayun - an octagonal building built of pink sandstone and topped with a huge dome of white marble.

The tomb was built by order of the widow of the padishah Hamida Banu Begum in 1562. Her husband, Humayun, the second emperor from the Mughal dynasty, devoted his entire life to annexing Northern India to his possessions. Similar to the palaces in Samarkand and Bukhara.

Entrance for tourists is 500 rupees, large area, beautiful, well-groomed. The complex is open until 19:00.

Address: East Nizamudhin | Opp Nizamuddin Mosque, New Delhi 110013, India

4. Qutub Minar Qutub Minar

The main attraction of the complex is the 72-meter minaret Qutub Minar, which amazes with its size, grandeur, beauty and unusual carved ornaments.

Address: Aurobindo Marg | Mahrauli, New Delhi 110030, India

5. Lodi Gardens

A great place to take a break from the city bustle, noise and dust that is familiar to Delhi. An island of peace and tranquility hides from car signals and smog and allows you to enjoy the beauty, nature, and greenery.

The wife of the British king, Lady Wellington, decided to create a beautiful park in this place of slums in 1936. Since then, this park, called Lodi Gardens, has been a kingdom of love, relaxation, chipmunks, parrots and eagles. The park is full of various mausoleums.

Address: Lodi Road, New Delhi 110002, India

6. Rashtrapati Bhavan

Located near India Gate. This is a complex of government buildings and parliament. Nice architecture beautiful view at India Gate. You cannot approach the buildings directly, and you cannot go to the parliament either. Government Quarter is a completely different world. Silence, peace, absence local population. It seems that you are in the 19th century, Great Britain is an empire, and India is a colony. The hill offers a beautiful view of the India Gate.

Opening hours: 10:00 – 16:00

Address: Rajpath, New Delhi 110004, India.

7. India Gate

This is the Gateway of India. India Gate is located in the center of the capital of India - New Delhi. India Gate reminds us of the events of the First World War, in which about 90,000 Indian soldiers died. The wide lawns are a great place for a walk.

Opening hours: 9:00 – 17:00

Near Connaught Place New Delhi, New Delhi 110001, India

8. Gandhi Smriti

This place is not a must visit, but if you respect the history and struggle for independence of India, then it is worth visiting a place of life last days Gandhi. Very well maintained area, calm environment, plan to relax in the middle of the day. Admission is free, you just need to register at the entrance.

On the ground floor is the room where Gandhi lived. His whole life is shown in stories and such small doll-like structures, very beautifully and accessiblely furnished. It will be understandable even for children and those who do not speak English/Indian languages.
On the second floor it is even more fascinating: modern audio/video exhibits, everything is designed so that you can touch them, try them, and at the same time there will be a certain effect) kaleidoscopes, plays of light, music, harps.

You can get there by metro, the nearest station is Lok Kalyan Marg, yellow line.

Opening hours: 10:00 – 17:00

5 Tees January Marg , New Delhi 110011, India

9. Bahai Lotus Temple Bahai Lotus Temple

Baha'i is a relatively new religious teaching (it originated in the 2nd half of the 19th century), the main theme of which is the unity of God, humanity and all religions. It is not surprising that one of the Baha'i temples was built in Delhi, the capital of India, a country in which Christians and Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, Hare Krishnas and Sikhs, and many others coexist quite peacefully. The Lotus Temple is relatively new, it was built in 1986, and has an unusual architectural design in the form of huge lotus petals - somewhat reminiscent of the Opera House building in Sydney.

The snow-white marble building of the temple has the shape of a lotus flower - a very unusual, modern and original architectural solution. To get into the temple you need to take off your shoes and stand in line to enter, and then listen to a short instruction in Hindi and English.

Visiting the temple is free. Inside the temple, everything is very simple and concise - rows of benches where you can sit, pray, think and meditate. Next to the temple there is a large, beautiful park.

Opening hours: 9:30 – 17:30 (Monday - closed)

Address: Lotus Temple Rd | Shambhu Dayal Bagh, Bahapur, Shambhu Dayal Bagh, Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019, India

The Gandhi Museum, Lodi Gardens, Gateway of India and Hamayun's Tomb are all relatively close by so you can visit them all together.
Entrance to almost all attractions costs from 500 rupees, they are poorly cared for (little is restored), so calculate the attractions and the advisability of visiting in advance.
Qutub Minar is the farthest from Main Bazaar (15 km), if you are staying there, plan your trip to it separately.

In general, if you have as little time as we do, don’t rush anywhere, you won’t find anything epoch-making in Delhi.

I have highlighted for myself to visit: Qutub Minar, Sikh Temple and Akshardham in the evening (fountain show).