6 Most Attractive Tourist Destinations In Delhi

The question which you are likely to face while exploring Delhi is not if there are enough tourist places, but rather, which of them should you select for a sightseeing tour? It is rich in heritage, culture, bustling markets, swanky neighbourhoods and gardens, should you want to see the greener side of this capital city of India.

The city is also one of contrasts, in almost any way you think. One fine morning, you may find yourself wading through a sea of humanity at Chandni Chowk, and in the evening, enjoying the solitude of Lodhi Gardens, a famous tourist attraction that is an island of peace. What is certain is that a dull moment is hard to come by, there is so much on offer! It is crowded, and often chaotic, but that is the essential character of the city, and with time, you learn to fall in love with it. In this blog, we bring you the best 6 places to visit in Delhi in 2021 which show you the city in all its colours and flavours.

# The Purana Qila

The Purana Qila: or Old Fort, was the citadel of the second of the great Mughal emperors. Humayun (1530-40 and 1555-56), and once stood on the banks of the river Yamuna. Its majestic, crumbling walls lie to the east of the Mathura Road.

The fort is believed to mark the site of Indraprastha, the magnificent capital built by the Pandava brothers, the heroes of the Mahabharata epic.

There was a village called Inderpat, a derivation of Indra-prastha, actually inside the walls until the British moved it out at the time of the construction of New Delhi. During excavations a kind of pottery called Painted Grey Ware. dating from around 1000 ac, was found in the fort.

Humayun built his capital of Din Panah here. The citadel we see today, however, was the work of Sher Shah Suri (1540-45), an able ruler of Afghan descent, who rebelled against Humayun and forced him to flee the country.

During his brief reign Sher Shah reformed the administration and built the Grand Trunk Road. now called Sher Shah Suri Marg. still the country’s main arterial route. His successors were not so competent, and Humayun managed to regain his kingdom.

# Pragati Maidan

North of the Purana Qila: Pragati Maidan hosts the international trade fair each November. and numerous other fairs throughout the year. It also has a fun fair called Appu Ghar, after Appu the Elephant who was the mascot of the Asian Games in 1982. On the other side of the road are the domes of India’s Supreme Court.

# Matka Shah

Near the junction of the Mathura Road and Bhairon Marg. next to the museum, is the shrine of a Muslim saint, known as Matka Shah. From the road you can see trees festooned with large, round clay water-pots called matkas. The saint’s tomb stands here on a small hill which, in the 13th century, was on the banks of the Yamuna.

The saint attracted a following and the Sultan Balban is said to have tested him by sending him mud and iron as a gift of food. The saint’s prayers turned the iron into chickpeas and the mud into jaggery (sugar derived from date palm sap).

The water in his matka turned miraculously to milk and all the assembled populace were fed. Nowadays visitors come to the tomb for help and if their wishes are granted they return with a matka, chickpeas, sugar and milk as thanks.

# International Doll Museum

At the northern end of the Mathura Road is a major road junction. The turning to the north is Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, India’s Fleet Street. Here are the offices of two of the country’s leading dailies. The Times of India and the Indian Express and their Hindi language publications, the Navbharat Times and the Jansatta. Here too, in Nehru House, is Shankar’s International Doll Museum.

Just north of the newspaper offices is a turning into a large parking area by the walls of Feroze Shah Kotla, the fifth city of Delhi. built by Feroze Shah Tughlaq (1351-88). Its citadel once lay on the banks of the Yamuna. Unfortunately, little remains of the splendour of Feroze Shah’s capital, as much of the more useful stone was carted off in the 17th century to build what is now known as Old Delhi.

# Jama Masjid

Nearby is the Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques of the Sultanate period, built in 1354. It stands on a base in which there are a number of cells. Amir Timur, the Tamerlane or Tamburlaine of English literature, and an ancestor of the Mughals, prayed in the mosque after plundering the city in 1398. He returned to Samarkand soon after, his caravan loaded down with goods and captives, including skilled craftsmen to help build his capital.

The southern quadrangle of Feroze Shah Kotla is occupied by the village of Vikramnagar. The village appears to have been in its place under the walls for centuries. In fact, most of the inhabitants are refugee families from Pakistan who came to Delhi in 1947 and are still waiting to be given permanent accommodation by the government. To the north of the ruins are the famous Feroze Shah Kotla cricket grounds. where most test matches in Delhi are played, and the Ambedkar stadium.

# Khuni Darwaza

In the centre of Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. just north of the entrance to the ruins and opposite the Maulana Mad Medical College, stands the Khuni Darwaza, or Bloody Gate. It was here that Lieutenant Hodson shot dead two sons of the last Mughal, Bahadur Shah Zafar, in 1858.