Delhi tourist attractions include Baha’i Lotus Temple, India Gate, Red Fort, Dilli Haat market, and the Akshardham temple.
Baha’i Lotus Temple (www.bahaihouseofworship.in) is a house of worship for the Bahá’í religion, completed in 1986, and today, one of the most visited and photographed buildings in India.
The temple was built in Expressionist style, with one of its most significant features being that it is shaped to resemble a lotus flower.
The lotus flower inspired design is finalized by 27 marble-coated “flower leaves“, which are arranged in groups of three, so that the building has nine sides.
India Gate (All India War Memorial), meanwhile, is India’s best-known war memorial, and also one of the most famous landmarks of Delhi.
The memorial, which was completed in 1931, was built to commemorate Indians who died in the battles of the first World War.
In 1971, a monument of the Unknown Soldier was added to the India Gate.
Of the Delhi tourist attraction, Red fortress, completed in 1639, was built by Emperor Shah Jahan, who used it as the main Imperial Palace.
The fortress is located on the eastern edges of the Medieval city ofShahjahanabad, today’s suburb of modern Delhi.
Name for the fortress comes from its massive, 2.5 km (1.55 mile) longred sandstone wall, which dominates the fortress facade.
In terms of architecture, the fortress is a combination of Persian, European, and Indian styles, and as such, an interesting overview of the influences that provide a background to the modern India.
Red Fort is also the largest building in Old Delhi.
Dilli Haat market (delhitourism.nic.in/dilli_haat) is a food and craft bazaar, located centrally in Delhi.
A special feature at the Dilli Haat is that the marketplace has stalls representing each state of India, so you can see the entire spectrum of India represented here.
Traders that sell in the marketplace mostly change every 15 days, with products that are sold here ranging from…
- camel leather footwear to Indian jewelry, and
- from silk fabrics to wool garments.
Finally, Akshardham Temple (akshardham.com) is the world’s largest Hinduism temple complex, completed in 2005.
The temple complex includes…
- a massive central monument, carved entirely out of stone,
- exhibition areas about the history of India,
- an IMAX movie theater,
- a musical fountain, and
- vast, park-like gardens.
Highlight of the temple is its central monument, built out of pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble.
Featured in this massive central monument are, for example…
- 20,000 paintings & sculptures of Hinduism gods, and
- 148 elephant statues, made to scale.