Top 14 Attractions in Delhi

Another one of Shah Jahan's architectural masterpieces is the Red Fort (Lal Qila). "If there is paradise on the face of this earth, this is it." The emperor had these words inscribed on the white marble pavilion, Diwan E-Khas, of the Red Fort. Though this ornately decorated hall, which was meant for a private audience, is one of the more celebrated areas in the fort, having housed the famed Peacock Throne till Nadir Shah plundered it in 1739, it is the magnificent palace, the Red Fort itself, which is absolutely breathtaking ...

Read more about the Red Fort

Another landmark of Lutyen's Delhi is the majestic stone archway set on the eastern end of Rajpath – India Gate. Everything about and around India Gate is grand. From the enormous road that circles it, the lovely lawns flanking it, and the 42-meter high archway itself, made of red stone with 'India' written on both sides.  This stunning war memorial was built to commemorate the soldiers who died during World War I and the Afghan wars ...

Read more about the India Gate

Towering high over an assortment of Afghan architectural marvels is the iconic Qutub Minar. Built by Qutub-Ud-Din-Aibak in 1199, with three more stories added later by his son-in-law, the Qutub Minar is a monument to give calls for prayer a 72.5-meter high tribute to Islamic architecture. It's a striking red and buff sandstone structure, with intricate carvings and inscribed verses from the Koran ...

Read more about the Qutub Minar

A fortress, whose crumbling ruins still exist today, dominated the center of the sixth city, Dinpanah. Purana Qila's main highlights are two buildings within its massive walls: Qila-I-Kuhna Masjid and the Sher Mandal. Sher Shah, who was in power briefly after displacing Humayun, built the former in 1541 in Afghan style.

It is an elegant construction in black and white marble, red sandstone and adorned with graceful arches ...

Read more about the Purana Qila

Nizamuddin is situated in a busy area and the change from the modern frenzy of the outside to when you enter this village from the Middle Ages, with its winding alleys and old buildings, is distinct. Dominating this area is Hazrat Nizamuddin Darga, one of the greatest Sufi shrines. This marble tomb was built for Sheikh Nizamuddin Auliya, the fourth saint of he Chishtiya order, in 1325. It has been renovated several times and the actual tomb is enveloped by lattice screens, arches, a marble rail and covered by a mother-of-pearl canopy ...

Read more about the Nizamuddin Dargah

The beautiful red and white sandstone building was built in 1570 by Haji Begum, Emperor Humayun's senior wife, and has the distinction of being the first garden tomb in the subcontinent. Built in the Persian charbagh, quartered garden, style, the central tomb is surrounded by four squares separated by water pathways forming this typical Mughal garden. The building is topped with a soaring double dome, rising to a height of 38 meters ...

Read more about the Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's tomb was the first Mughal garden tomb in the country and Safdarjung's was the last. The history surrounding its construction is one of dying glory when Nadir Shah looted the city and the Mughal Empire's might and power had dwindled to almost nothing. Many consider its design to be symbolic of the over extravagance and degeneracy that had become a part of the later Mughal era ...

Read more about the Safdurjung's Tomb

Hauz Khas is a fashionable area with some of the most chic boutiques and restaurants in the city. It is also one of the most historic areas, deriving its name from the Royal Reservoir that was excavated in 1300 A.D to supply water to Alauddin Khilji's capital, Siri. The picturesque ruins comprising a madrasa (Islamic school), which was built by Feroz Shah Tuglaq, and his tomb, are stunning ...

Read more about the Hauz Khas Ruins

Built by the Tughlaqs in a short span from AD 1321-25, this imposing fort may be crumbling, but its soaring walls, massive bastions and huge towers are absolutely magnificent. It's lovely at night when it's lit up and the soft glow gives it a haunting beauty. Steeped in tales of conspiracy, curses and political unrest, this fort built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq to protect his people from the Mongols, is one of the most captivating sights in the city ...

Read more about the Tughlaqabad Fort

Jama Masjid is the principal and largest mosque of Old Delhi. It is also arguably the most famous one in India. This impressive and elegant structure was built on the Bho Jhala hill.  Jama Masjid's mosque rises on the west side of a walled courtyard, accessible via a flight of steps ascending from three sides and three double-story gateways ...

Read more about the Jama Masjid

The Digambar Jain Temple, a place of worship for adherents of the Jain faith, is a tranquil oasis amid the chaos and is the oldest Jain temple in Delhi, its simplicity being its main attraction. A bird hospital is attached to it where sick and injured birds are taken care of, though the odors can be quite overwhelming! The Gauri Shankar Temple, fringed with heaps of marigolds sold to people going in to pray, has an 800-year old lingam, a stylized phallus worshipped as a symbol of the Hindu Lord Shiva ...

Read more about the Digambar Jain Temple

Built between 1921 and 1929, this palatial structure, designed as the Viceroy's official residence but now home to the Indian President, incorporates its distinctly British style Indo-Islamic, and Buddhist design elements. The most visible feature is the drum-mounted Buddhist-style dome. The building contains 340 rooms and is built on 330 acres of land, including a private garden. Classical columns with bells carved into them grace the front entrance. The apparent symbolism behind this is that Lutyens felt the bells being silent meant that British rule would never end ...

Read more about the Rashtrapati Bhavan

Built in the shape of a lotus - a symbol of beauty and purity, and made of white marble, the Bahá'í Temple has left an indelible mark on the city's landscape. The Lotus Temple was completed in 1986, constructed by the followers of the Bahá'í faith. It is shaped like a lotus with 27 marble petals, emerging from nine pools and walkways, which symbolize the nine Bahá'í spiritual paths. Anyone can enter, regardless of caste or creed, and pray, meditate or simply savor the beauty of this place ...

Read more about the Bahá'í Temple

The Rajpath is a New Delhi street, built as King's Way during the British Raj, and that is now used for many parades and ceremonies. This grand avenue runs between Rashtrapati Bhavan in the west and India Gate and the east's National Stadium. Flanked by manicured lawns and fountains, this is where the annual Republic Day Parade is held every year on January 26. Considered one of India's most important avenues, the Republic Day parade in New Delhi is held here annually on January 26 ...

Read more about the Rajpath