New Delhi

New Delhi is the capital of India and has a lot to offer the tourist. It is a good place to start your tour of India since New Delhi is a major airline gateway into the country. Delhi is an ancient city and has been the capital of India off and on for hundreds of years. During their rule, the British made Delhi their capital in 1911. New Delhi and Old Delhi are contiguous and are one huge sprawling city. However, many of the main tourist sites are grouped in relative proximity to one another, some in New Delhi and others in Old Delhi. For a map of places we visited in India, click here.

A street scene in Delhi, with an auto rickshaw passing street dwellers. Poverty is found everywhere.

Almost anywhere you go, you will see decaying ruins of tombs, temples, mosques, other monuments and overwhelming poverty. Here are a few highlights, and the main things we saw over two days:

Humayun’s Tomb. Humayun was the 2^nd Mughal (Islamic) emperor and reigned during the early 1500’s. If the tomb’s shape looks familiar, it’s for good reason. This tomb was the forerunner of the Taj Mahal. The site is large, with a well manicured landscape and a number of other interesting buildings. For more information, see my detailed post on Humayun’s Tomb here.

Humayun’s Tomb. The symmetry and structure are similar to the Taj Mahal.

Purana Qila (or Old Red Fort). This site became the capital of Mughal India in 1526 during the Emperor Humayun’s reign. There are massive walls surrounding the site, just like at the Red Fort (see below). Inside, there are only a few buildings remaining, although the gardens and landscaping also add to the atmosphere.

The main gate into Purana Qila.

The Sher Mendal in Purana Qila. Humayun used this building as a library. In 1556, he heard the call to prayer, and in a hurry, he fell and sustained major injuries while on his way down the stairs. He died 3 days later.

The Red Fort. This fort dates from the early 1600’s and was founded by Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal. The wall surrounding the fort is 18 meters high (60 ft).

The massive walls and western entrance into the Red Fort.

The entrance to the Emperor’s reception hall in the Red Fort.

There are a number of interesting structures inside such as temples, reception rooms and out-of-place barracks built by the British during their occupation of India in the mid 1800’s. Note that there is also a “Red Fort” in Agra. Both are interesting, but I found the Red Fort in Agra perhaps a little bit more intriguing with more of the original architecture in tact.

Chandni Chowk. On the western border of the Red Fort is this chaotic market area. If you want to get a feel for the “real” India, take a rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk, a busy marketplace with bazaars that seem to be mainly frequented by locals. Our car driver negotiated a couple of bicycle rickshaw rides for us and this was a great way to tour the bazaars.

Our rickshaw driver in Chandni Chowk.

We loved just observing the bustle of everyday life and also found some good spice shops here. There was a large weekend market going on while we were there. I could scarcely believe the volume of goods – shoes, clothes, handbags and other items that were on display!

A street scene in Chandni Chowk.

Qutb Minar. I love historical sights and Qutb Minar does not disappoint. The structures (tombs, monuments and mosques) located here date from the late 1100’s. Although the site is known as Qutb Minar, the name refers specifically to the landmark tower and minaret (named after Sultan Qutb-ud-din). There are signs posted in English at most of the major structures.

A view of some of the ruins of Qutb Minar.

The Qutb Minar Tower.

Mehrauli Archeological Park. Near Qutb Minar is a spread out, park-like area with numerous tombs, palace buildings, mosques, and other structures. This site is largely off the tourist radar. The historical buildings are connected via a system of well-marked trails. If you have the time and are visiting Qutb Minar, it’s worth another hour or two to visit this nearby Park.

The exterior porch of the Jamali-Kamali Mosque in Mehrauli Park.

An elaborate well (Rajon-ki-Baoli) in Mehrauli Park.

In addition to the above, you can also do a “drive by” of Delhi’s modern government buildings, commemorative arches, memorials, and other locations such as upscale Connaught Place (with stately buildings, shops and restaurants).

The memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement (from British rule).

India Gate, which pays tribute to India’s soldiers who have sacrificed their lives in several of India’s conflicts.

Getting Around. We just hired a driver for the day. A good local agency to work with is Kumar Tourist Taxi Service. It is also possible to hire taxis from location to location, or autorickshaws. Delhi does have a metro (subway) system as well. There is LOTS of traffic, so it will take time to get from one sight to another. Don’t try to do too much in one day. We were able to accomplish the above in two full days.

Where to Stay. We stayed at the 76 Friends Colony B&B located in South New Delhi. The host was very friendly and the rooms were large and pleasant. They can also arrange transportation for you if desired; however, their rates were relatively high compared to Kumar’s (above).

Humayun’s Tomb and the lovely surrounding grounds.

In New Delhi, India, on the eastern side of the city, near the Yamuna River is Humayan’s Tomb.

New Delhi is in north central India.

It is a short walk from the Oberoi Hotel, one of the finest hotels in the city (I thoroughly enjoyed the excellent service and room–stay there if you can).

Location of Oberoi Hotel, Humayun’s Tomb, and Purana Qila.

Humayun was 2^ndMughal (meaning Muslim, also spelled Moghul or Mugal) emperor. The Mughal emperors were generally able military leaders and were accomplished in many of the arts and sciences. Although Humayun was considered less of an effective military commander than his father (Babur, the first Mughal emperor), he did have a passion for astronomy and astrology and organized the empire’s administrative matters based on the planets (for example, Tuesday, governed by Mars, was given to matters of justice). His reign spanned 25 years, although 15 of the 25 years were spent in exile, including time in Persia, a culture which was to have great influence on the architecture of the Mughal Empire. Humayun returned to the throne in 1555 with the help of a Persian army, but his return was short-lived—he died less than a year later.

The similarity in style to the Taj Mahal is unmistakable.

The tomb was built in 1569 for Humayun by his widow, Haji Begum. It was the first mausoleum built for a Mughal emperor, and became the model for the incredible Taj Mahal, built about a century later, located 130 miles south in Agra, also on the Yamuna River (see my post on the Taj Mahal).

Note the fine stonework on Humayun’s Tomb.

The mausoleum is constructed of red quartzite, red sandstone and white marble inlay. The style of dome was influenced by Persian architecture and was an engineering feat for its time due to the height and shape. It was the first dome of its type in India (known as Hindustan) at the time. The dome is made of marble, and is a double dome, the interior dome being lower and more in line with the other interior heights. The influence of the Persian architecture is also evident in the 3 great arches on each side of the mausoleum.

On the well-manicured grounds there are several other smaller tombs and mosques dating from the same time period.

Isa Khan’s Tomb, on the grounds of Humayun’s Tomb (built in 1547).

Afsarwala Mosque & Afsarwala Tomb on the grounds of Humayun’s Tomb (built in 1560).

Purana Qila

Humayun also founded a city, now known as Purana Qila (Old Fort), about 5km north from where his tomb is located. Sher Shah, who deposed Humayun for 15 years, built a city on the foundations of Purana Qila. In addition to the walls, there is a mosque built by Sher Shah which is still standing. I did not have time to visit this site other than take a picture from the outside.