DELHI SIGHTSEEING - CITY INFO
New Delhi Overview

Welcome to New Delhi, the capital of India, the third largest city in the country. The sprawling city divided into Old Delhi and New Delhi, gives the feel of the old and the new, with its ancient historical monuments interspersed with soaring skyscrapers, embassies and bustling commercial complexes. The city, a major travel gate way hub has extreme climates, immense heat waves during summer and chilly coldness during winter. Delhi has some of the finest museums in the country. Its boutiques and shopping arcades offer access to a wealth of traditional and contemporary crafts, from all over the country. New Delhi was proclaimed the capital of India by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944), & is tree-lined & spacious.

Delhi has been the capital of India since Independence in 1947, but even before that, the British moved their capital here from Calcutta in 1911. For much of its history, Delhi was the centre of power of the various Muslim dynasties that ruled swathes of the subcontinent from the 12th century onwards.

Monuments & Places to visit in Delhi

Akshardham Temple :

The magnificent Akshardham Temple in Delhi has been constructed under the patronage of the Bochasanvasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and was inaugurated on November 7, 2005. The Akshardham temple complex has been built on the banks of the serene River Yamuna and lies over a sprawling 100 acres of lush manicured lawns adorned with water fountains and carved pavilions. A whopping 2 billion was spent on the construction of this grand place of worship that took about 2 years to build.

An IMAX theatre, a Swaminarayan temple and an elaborate musical fountain accessorize the massive Akshardham temple complex in Delhi, India. The architectural style is an imitation of the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
The main monument at the Akshardham temple in Delhi is about 141-foot high and houses a lovely statue of Lord Swaminarayan.


Humayun's Tomb :

This tomb, which was built by emperor Humayun's wife, took eight years to complete and is regarded as an example of the early Mughal archetecture. The emperor's wife, Begai Begum, was buried in the tomb and the structure is the first of its kind built in the centre of a well-planned garden. The combination of white marble and red sandstone was a great influence on later Mughal architecure. It is generally regarded as a prototype of the famed Taj Mahal of Agra.


Red Fort :

Another marvel of architecture is the Red Fort and it could perhaps be singled out as yet another monument, which should not escape the tourist's eyes. Known as lal qila (lal means red and qla means fort), it is laid out along the river Yamuna as an irregular octagon. It is surrounded by a wall of about 2.4 Kilometers in circumferance and is built of Red Sandstone. The Mughal king Shah Jahan transferred his capital from Agra to Delhi and the fort was completed in 1648, nine years after the king shifted to this city. The fort has two main enterances, the Delhi Gate and the Lahori Gate which faces the famed Chandni Chowk market. Shah Jahan, incidentally was also the king who built the Taj Mahal of Agra. The fort has the Diwan-e-am, where the king would grant audience to the public to listen to their problems. The other feature is the Diwan-e-Khas (khas means special) where the king would grant audience to important people. Besides this, is the Rang Mahal, the water cooled apartment for the royal ladies. In the basement of the fort is a market where several traditional Indian goods can be purchased at nominal rates. Another attraction is the Light and Sound Show held in the evenings.


Jama Masjid :

Is the country's largest mosque where thousands of Muslims offer prayers even today. It was built in 1656 and is a tribute to the values of the Mughal Kings as also their commitment to religon and prayer. It lies opposite the Red Fort and is surrounded b a large number of shops which deal in a variety of goods. The flight of stairs and its large courtyard are something to be admired. Besides this there is a variety of the choicest non-vegetarian food available in several restaurants located around the complex.


Purana Qila (Old Fort):

The ruins of the fort are located on a small hill which once stood on the banks of the river Yamuna. Legend has it that the fort marked the site of Indraprastha, the magnificent capital of the Pandavas, though the construction was carried out by Sher Shah Suri any time between 1538 to 1545 A.D. The structure houses a mosque which has a double-storeyed octagonal tower. It is said that the Mughal king Humayun fell from the tower accidentaly and died. At the foot of the hill is a lake where the Delhi Tourism has arrangements for boating.


Jantar Mantar :

Within the Connaught Place area is the Jantar Mantar observatory built by the Rajput king of Jaipur, Sawai Jai Singh in 1724. It was believed to have been built with masonary instruments for observing the movements for the stars and the planets. The samrat instrument, the largest structure in the complex which is in the shape of a right-angled triangle, is actually a huge sun-dial.


Safdarjung Tomb :

The Tomb of Mirza Muqim Abu’l Mansur Khan entitled Safdar Jung (A.D. 1739-54), victory of Avadh under Mohammad Shah (A.D. 1719-48) and later his Prime Minister is the last example of the Mughal tomb layout, which began with Humayun’s tomb. It is a typical example of the charbagh pattern of Mughal gardens.


Chandni Chowk :

It was the eyes and ears of the Mughal's commercial instincts and is today one of the country's best known wholesale markets for textiles, electronic goods and watches. The entire area was designed by Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan's favourite daughter and was then inhabited by the well-to-do families of the time. There is however a word of caution and that is there are several elements who are believed to be selling duplicate goods and the tourist needs to be careful about this.


Parliament House :

A marvellous piece of architecture which can be admired only from outside on account of security restrictions. Close to Rashtrapathi Bhavan, it is a domed circular structure almost a kilometer in circumference, and was designed by the famed architect Lutyens. It is the seat of the Indian Parliament and during the sessions of Parliament there is a flurry of activity in and around the structure.


Rashtrapati Bhavan :

Almost a stones' throw away from Parliament House is the Rashtrapati Bhavan which is the official residence of the President of the country. Designed by Lutyens, it was the official residence of the Viceroy when the British ruled India. With 340 rooms and an area of about 330 acres. It is an imposing structure and tourist's delight. The pillars and the porticos are an architect's marvel and so are the Durbar Hall and the Ashoka Hall within the complex. Although special permission has to be obtained to visit the complex, the Mughal Gardens within the complex are a treat for the eyes and are open to the public during certain periods of the year.


Mughal Gardens :

Situated within the Presient's Estate, these gardens boast of the finest varieties of roses in the country besides other flowers which are maintained with the utmost care and thought. The lawns of the gardens is the place where the President hosts tea parties. Besides this there are several artificial ponds where one can get to see a variety of fish and perhaps one of tthe most interesting sights are the almost romantically designed fountains illuminated with multicoloured lights.


India Gate :

Straight down the road from Rashtrapati Bhavan along a magnificent view and totally unhamnpered drive is India Gate which is primarily a memorial to the unknown soldier. Designed by Lutyens, the 42 metre high structure is a war memorial in honour of the soldiers who died during the second world war. The imposing structure from where stretch massive lush green lawns has an eternal flame (amar jawan jyoti) to honour the memory of the unknown soldiers. A popular picnic spot, one can see hoardes of people moving about the area and on the lawns on summer evenings.


Connaught Place :

One of Delhi's most popular shopping centers built as early as 1931 there is nothing that one cannot buy here and it also has several eating houses which are for a large part of the day dull. The state emporia buildings are also located in this area so are the head offices of major banks, airlines and other such things of importance to the tourist. The complex, popularly referred to as C.P. is an important meeting point for all sections of people and is something which no tourist should miss if for nothing else then for its architecture and the humdrum of everyday life.


Lotus Temple :

Is a very recent architectural marvel of the Bahai faith and is visible from several spots in south Delhi. Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi, it is lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name. It is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand. It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for meditation and obtaining peace and tranqillity.

Shopping Options in Delhi

Delhi is famous for the shopping extravaganza ranging from the traditional jewelry and handicrafts to the latest fashionable consumer goods. Shopping in Delhi is a complete satisfaction because you get choose from a wide range of options suiting every budget. The specialty of shopping in Delhi is the availability of goods from all over India. Delhi has specialized markets for different goods like Linen, leather, antiques, silks and furniture.

If you are a lover of antique and traditional goods, then you are in the right place. There are shops in Delhi dealing in traditional art and crafts items, precious stones, pottery, brassware, wood work done in rosewood and sandalwood. Delhi's old and traditional shopping market lies in Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk and Central Delhi's Connaught Place. However, there are new trendy markets in Sarojini Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Karol Bagh where you will find goods ranging from antiques to the latest fashionable items whether its apparels or the consumer durable goods.


Major Shopping Centers in Delhi :

Palika Bazar :

The underground market in Connaught Place is famous for electronic goods, leather and apparels. There are so many small shops in the markets that you have flexible options to choose from. Bargaining is very much a common feature of this market.


Dilli Haat :

Dilli Haat is located in South Delhi near the INA Market. It is famous for handicrafts and state emporiums from different states across India. The stalls from these states will give you the taste of the culture, food and tradition of different states in India. Central Cottage Industries Emporium: it is located at Janpath near Connaught Place. You can find varieties of handloom and handicrafts from these emporiums. If you are a lover such traditional art and craft works then you must visit the place.


Hauz Khas Village :

It is a big market of consumer durable goods. Fashionable garments, antiques and furniture can also be had from the shops in Hauz Khas Village.


Karol Bagh :

It is located in Central Delhi and is famous for clothes, jewelry, electronic items and other consumer durable goods. The market is an old shopping center of Delhi and has come a long way with new showrooms and food plazas all through the market.


Lajpat Nagar Market :

The central market in Lajpat Nagar is famous for its cheap and best readymade apparels.


Sarojini Nagar :

The market is famous for its designer and latest fashion clothes along with handicrafts and other consumer durable goods. It is located in South Delhi, near Chanakya Puri. Sarojini Nagar is famous among young generation because of its trendy clothes and fashionable items.


South Extension :

Located in South Delhi, South Extension market is famous for exclusive showrooms of Indian and International brands. South Extension has been divided into South EX I and South Ex II on either side of the Ring Road.




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Our Testimonial

Dear State Express Staff,
The trip was very good: wonderful places, nice and comfortable hotels, very good driver and excellent service in Varanasi. We are pleased to thank you for everything. Surely we'll recommend your company to our friends and relatives.

Kind regards
Flavia and Giulio

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Sharat Chandra,
We would like to appreciate Vipin Chauhan and his team (Ramniwas and Bhagwant), they are doing excellent job and we never came across any kind of issue with their coordination and they have shown great responsibility. Would look forward the same kind of support from State Express team

For Franklin Templeton Investments
Thanks & regards,
Govind.
  --------------------------------------------------

Mr. Chauhan,
From February 3 to February 9 we had a very outstanding driver, Mr. Ramesh, to help us visit the Golden Triangle in India. He was very pleasant and personable, as well as knowledgeable and helpful. We were extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to have such an exceptional person as our driver. Mr. Ramesh demonstrated outstanding driving skills, consequently, we felt quite safe with him behind the wheel. He has an intuitive ability to predict what other drivers are about to do, which results in his being a careful, defensive driver. Mr. Ramesh tried very hard to anticipate and accommodate our needs and wants and still stay on track with our schedule. In addition to all of this, he speaks and understands the English language very well, which made our time with him very interesting, valuable and easy. We simply want you to know that Mr. Ramesh did an excellent job during the week he was our driver.

Sincerely,
Karen and Ed Day – USA

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Vipin
It was really nice for you to arrange an excellent transport arrangement for us. Your driver Mr. Sonu was also very cordial and helpful. Hope to be in touch in future too

Best Regards,
Harish Kumar M.R
Parekh Integrated Services Pvt. Ltd.,
Chennai, India.

  --------------------------------------------------

Rishi, We have finally returned home after our long trip in North and South India. Thank you for organising the trip. It was well planned and everything went smoothly. Special thanks to Vijay our driver for making the journey safe.

Regards
Sumathy

  --------------------------------------------------

Namaste
we would like to thanks our dear driver for the great job he did during our journey in Rajasthan thanks to his big professionalism, safe driving, punctuality, and very accurate suggestions, he brought us positive feelings for the second part of our Indian adventure. A big thank you SANJAY!!! All the best should we know someone coming to India we'll for sure ship him some good Italian cheese.

Selen & Adrien

  --------------------------------------------------

I'd like to give you a brief feedback of our tour you organized to Agra and Rajasthan from December 28 to January 5. First of all, we want to thank you and especially our driver, Dalip Singh, for his kindness and professionalism.

Gaetano Russo

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear we want to thank you again for the wonderful holiday you offered us. we will recommend your agency to our friends and once again thanks to our driver anand and tell him that we had a great time with him, we enjoyed his company and still mention him every time we speak about India,

Best Regards
Lilli Cappai

  --------------------------------------------------

Hello Vipin, Sharat
I wanted to thank State Express for making excellent arrangements for my parent’s recent trip. The journey was smooth, safe and without any glitches. Please also convey our thanks to the driver Bunty for making this journey happen safely and completing the itinerary. We’ll definitely not hesitate in recommending your services to family and friends. Thanks again to the State Express team.

Regards Kalpana

  --------------------------------------------------

We just want to tell you how satisfied we have been with your planning of our trip in India last week. We also want to tell you how satisfied we had been with the driver (Shivdayal). He was always very helpful to us on our trip. He drove very carefully and we always felt very safe with him. The car was clean every day, he was very punctual and we enjoyed his company very much. We would like to recommend him to other travelers, especially families traveling with kids.

Yours sincerely,
Hanne Risbjerg Moller & Peter Nørgaard Larsen, Denmark.

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr.Sanjeev,
first of all excuse for such a late email. I really wanted to thank you for everything you did for me during amazing stay in India. Your team of people, every single one from manager met me at the airport to driver on the first day, to our driver for the whole week. All of them amazing!!! I really enjoy this trip, despite my health problems on the first days. It was really amazing experience, beautiful country, amazing people realy really something special. I would be more than honoured if i can meet you one day, invite you to a dinner or lunch, so please contact me if arriving in Moscow or maybe Slovenia i would be glad to meet you. Thank you very much again for making this holiday so nice. I made some realy nice photos during a stay and i can send them to you if you need them you can use them on your web page or any either way.

Thanks again for everything Dime

  --------------------------------------------------

Hi
My name is Søren Milling, and I had the plessure to travel with your company and one of your drivers in January. It was a perfect trip through Rajasthan. The driver was Babbu or Pappu maybe. Anyway, I promised him to send some pictures. As he doesn’t have an email, I hope that you will give him a copy of the pictures.

Thank you. And give my thanks an apreciation to Babbu (Pappu)

Best regards
Søren Milling


  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Sanjeev,
Me and my friend would like to thank you for the great service rendered in India. We were positively impressed of your arrangements in every detail. The driver in particular is a very efficient and customer caring person, who was even able to understand our needs before we expressed by a verbal request. Always kind and professional, he drives in a very safety and precise way. He constantly took good care of ourself and sometimes was even buying for us water, ice to keep it fresh, beer, fruits or sometimes was providing some small change to let us use the public toilet or enter the monuments when the ticket counter was unable to change money. I know that during the trip he was also not in a good shape and had fever, but still he took medicines and was always on time to pick us up and drive us whenever we asked to be. Travelling with such a devoted driver is easier and smooth. I would extend you my sincere compliments. Also the choice of Hotels was perfectly in line with our needs and expectations.

ROBERTA GRAZIANI


  --------------------------------------------------

My tour in Rajasthan is over and it was a great tour. Everything was OK, our driver was perfect and we could enjoy Rajasthan with its palaces, fortresses and temples in full glory. Really fantastic. Many thanks to you and your organization, I will be happy to give your name to some of my friends willing to visit India.

Nicola Saredo

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr Chauhan
Thank You for your transport servives rendered by your company during our visit to New Delhi in Mid April for confrence. We are please with the quality of service your company provided. We appreciate your responsivness and yoor drivers were very helpful and professional. We do look forward business opportunities with you.

Asha Choolani

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear State Express Staff,
The trip was very good: wonderful places, nice and comfortable hotels, very good driver and excellent service in Varanasi. We are pleased to thank you for everything. Surely we'll recommend your company to our friends and relatives.

Kind regards
Flavia and Giulio

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Sharat Chandra,
We would like to appreciate Vipin Chauhan and his team (Ramniwas and Bhagwant), they are doing excellent job and we never came across any kind of issue with their coordination and they have shown great responsibility. Would look forward the same kind of support from State Express team

For Franklin Templeton Investments
Thanks & regards,
Govind.
  --------------------------------------------------

Mr. Chauhan,
From February 3 to February 9 we had a very outstanding driver, Mr. Ramesh, to help us visit the Golden Triangle in India. He was very pleasant and personable, as well as knowledgeable and helpful. We were extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to have such an exceptional person as our driver. Mr. Ramesh demonstrated outstanding driving skills, consequently, we felt quite safe with him behind the wheel. He has an intuitive ability to predict what other drivers are about to do, which results in his being a careful, defensive driver. Mr. Ramesh tried very hard to anticipate and accommodate our needs and wants and still stay on track with our schedule. In addition to all of this, he speaks and understands the English language very well, which made our time with him very interesting, valuable and easy. We simply want you to know that Mr. Ramesh did an excellent job during the week he was our driver.

Sincerely,
Karen and Ed Day – USA

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Vipin
It was really nice for you to arrange an excellent transport arrangement for us. Your driver Mr. Sonu was also very cordial and helpful. Hope to be in touch in future too

Best Regards,
Harish Kumar M.R
Parekh Integrated Services Pvt. Ltd.,
Chennai, India.

  --------------------------------------------------

Rishi, We have finally returned home after our long trip in North and South India. Thank you for organising the trip. It was well planned and everything went smoothly. Special thanks to Vijay our driver for making the journey safe.

Regards
Sumathy

  --------------------------------------------------

Namaste
we would like to thanks our dear driver for the great job he did during our journey in Rajasthan thanks to his big professionalism, safe driving, punctuality, and very accurate suggestions, he brought us positive feelings for the second part of our Indian adventure. A big thank you SANJAY!!! All the best should we know someone coming to India we'll for sure ship him some good Italian cheese.

Selen & Adrien
selen.yildirim@hotmail.com
  --------------------------------------------------

I'd like to give you a brief feedback of our tour you organized to Agra and Rajasthan from December 28 to January 5. First of all, we want to thank you and especially our driver, Dalip Singh, for his kindness and professionalism.

Gaetano Russo
russgae@tiscali.it
  --------------------------------------------------

Dear we want to thank you again for the wonderful holiday you offered us. we will recommend your agency to our friends and once again thanks to our driver anand and tell him that we had a great time with him, we enjoyed his company and still mention him every time we speak about India,

Best Regards
Lilli Cappai

  --------------------------------------------------

Hello Vipin, Sharat
I wanted to thank State Express for making excellent arrangements for my parent’s recent trip. The journey was smooth, safe and without any glitches. Please also convey our thanks to the driver Bunty for making this journey happen safely and completing the itinerary. We’ll definitely not hesitate in recommending your services to family and friends. Thanks again to the State Express team.

Regards Kalpana

  --------------------------------------------------

We just want to tell you how satisfied we have been with your planning of our trip in India last week. We also want to tell you how satisfied we had been with the driver (Shivdayal). He was always very helpful to us on our trip. He drove very carefully and we always felt very safe with him. The car was clean every day, he was very punctual and we enjoyed his company very much. We would like to recommend him to other travelers, especially families traveling with kids.

Yours sincerely,
Hanne Risbjerg Moller & Peter Nørgaard Larsen, Denmark.

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr.Sanjeev,
first of all excuse for such a late email. I really wanted to thank you for everything you did for me during amazing stay in India. Your team of people, every single one from manager met me at the airport to driver on the first day, to our driver for the whole week. All of them amazing!!! I really enjoy this trip, despite my health problems on the first days. It was really amazing experience, beautiful country, amazing people realy really something special. I would be more than honoured if i can meet you one day, invite you to a dinner or lunch, so please contact me if arriving in Moscow or maybe Slovenia i would be glad to meet you. Thank you very much again for making this holiday so nice. I made some realy nice photos during a stay and i can send them to you if you need them you can use them on your web page or any either way.

Thanks again for everything Dime

  --------------------------------------------------

Hi
My name is Søren Milling, and I had the plessure to travel with your company and one of your drivers in January. It was a perfect trip through Rajasthan. The driver was Babbu or Pappu maybe. Anyway, I promised him to send some pictures. As he doesn’t have an email, I hope that you will give him a copy of the pictures.

Thank you. And give my thanks an apreciation to Babbu (Pappu)

Best regards
Søren Milling


  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Sanjeev,
Me and my friend would like to thank you for the great service rendered in India. We were positively impressed of your arrangements in every detail. The driver in particular is a very efficient and customer caring person, who was even able to understand our needs before we expressed by a verbal request. Always kind and professional, he drives in a very safety and precise way. He constantly took good care of ourself and sometimes was even buying for us water, ice to keep it fresh, beer, fruits or sometimes was providing some small change to let us use the public toilet or enter the monuments when the ticket counter was unable to change money. I know that during the trip he was also not in a good shape and had fever, but still he took medicines and was always on time to pick us up and drive us whenever we asked to be. Travelling with such a devoted driver is easier and smooth. I would extend you my sincere compliments. Also the choice of Hotels was perfectly in line with our needs and expectations.

ROBERTA GRAZIANI


  --------------------------------------------------

My tour in Rajasthan is over and it was a great tour. Everything was OK, our driver was perfect and we could enjoy Rajasthan with its palaces, fortresses and temples in full glory. Really fantastic. Many thanks to you and your organization, I will be happy to give your name to some of my friends willing to visit India.

Nicola Saredo

  --------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr Chauhan
Thank You for your transport servives rendered by your company during our visit to New Delhi in Mid April for confrence. We are please with the quality of service your company provided. We appreciate your responsivness and yoor drivers were very helpful and professional. We do look forward business opportunities with you.

Asha Choolani

  --------------------------------------------------