Delhi A Travel Guide

Rajiv Tiwari

Description

Delhi's history is India's pride! This hot international tourist destination has fascinated travellers of all genres. It has lured many civilizations. It was destroyed many times and rebuilt. In this book, the author has discussed the history, environs, buildings, tourist spots, markets, culture and people of the Indian capital. Tourists would find it especially useful. If a tourist makes Delhi his base, he can also book connective tours to the tourist spots near the capital. This book has also covered such tourist centres as arc in the vicinity of the capital.A road map has been added to help tourists locate various tourist spots. This book is a boon to tourists of all classes. Photographs have been given to help tourists identify the monuments and places of tourist attraction. Further, information about cultural centres, markets, gardens, monuments and typical Delhi cuisines has also been given. Further, information about all tourist centres of Delhi and NCR has also been added. The addresses of hotels and hospitals have also been appended. It is a must-read for all generations. However, tourists would find it especially handy for enjoying their excursions in and around the Indian capital.

Informations

• Publié par: Diamond Books
• Date de parution: 10 septembre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9798128819703
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Delhi
A Travel Guide
 

 
eISBN: 979-81-2881-970-3
© Publisher
Publisher: Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd.
X-30, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-II
New Delhi-110020
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]
Website: www.diamondbook.in
Edition: 2010
Delhi: A Travel Guide
By - Rajiv Tiwari
Foreword
The earliest known capital city of Indraprastha was founded by the Pandavas in 1450 BC. Maya, the Danava architect, had built a splendid palace and court for them. Recent findings support the view that it was located in the Purana Qila area.
There are various views about how Delhi, the capital of Indian subcontinent, derived its name It may have come from Raja Dillu’s Dilli, 100 BC, which was located just east of Lalkot or from Dhilba, founded by the Tomar Rajputs in 736 AD. Other historians opine that it came from the medieval town of Dhillika located near the present Mehrauli.
Other cities recorded are Surajpal’s Surajkund (1024 AD) and Qila Lal Kot (1024 AD) which was built by Anangpal and Qila Rai Pithora (1170 AD) of the brave king, Prithviraj Chauhan.
In the same area, Qutub-ud-din-Aibak built his citadel and the Qutub Minar in the year 1199. He completed three storeys and his son-in-law Iltutmish, added the fourth one. It was damaged by lightning in the years 1326 and 1366. Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired the damage and added the fifth storey. It is 72 metres high.
Ala-ud-din Khilji (also Khalji) built a new capital for himself at Siri, (1302 AD). His palace of a thousand pillars saw many triumphs and tragedies. Now it is in ruins. It was Ala-ud-din Khilji who had built the magnificent tank called Hauz Khas. At that time, it had enough water to meet the needs of the city.
Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, in 1320 moved south and built the fort city of Tughlakabad on the rocky southern ridge. It had massive bastions and walls. Although strategically located, it was deserted within five years perhaps because of the shortage of water.
Muhammed Shah Tughlaq first built Adilabad, due south of Tughlakabad but soon he abandoned it. He moved north and gave his city the name of Jahanpanah (asylum of the world) in 1334 AD. Including the fortifications of the older cities, it had 13 gates. His son, Feroz Shah Tughlaq, did not want to be left behind. Hence, he created his own city called Firozabad (Kotla Feroz Shah), in the year 1351 AD. He bought and erected an eight metre tall, 27-ton glittering golden monolith from Topra, near Ambala. Encased in reeds and raw skins it was transported on a carriage of 42 wheels, with 200 men pulling the carriage with ropes. This was emperor Ashoka’s pillar and his edicts had been inscribed on it. It still stands in Kotla Feroz Shah.
Babar’s son, Humayun, in 1530 AD, built a fort on one of the oldest settlements and called it Din Panah. The Afghan chieftain, Sher Shah Suri, wrested control from Humayun and built Dilli in 1542 AD.
The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan built his fort, the Lal Qila and the well laid-out city, Shahjahanabad, in 1648 AD. It took 10 years to build the city. The city fort had 14 gates many of which still exist. This city survives as the old Delhi of today.
Finally, the British built New Delhi, south of Shahjahanabad and shifted their capital from Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1931. In the eight decades since the creation of New Delhi as the capital of British India, the city has undergone a sea change. Built initially to cater to a population of 70,000, the total urban population of Delhi now exceeds 15 million. The city has exploded in all directions beyond the confines of Lutyen’s wide, tree-lined avenues, with an exuberance that is characteristically Indian.
Several factors have contributed to this breathless pace of growth. For Northern India, independence (1947) also meant partition of the country into three parts (two countries). In 1947, many Muslim families of Delhi migrated to Pakistan while many Hindus and Sikhs from west Punjab sought refuge in the city. They were given land due west of the ridge and in the southern parts of New Delhi. Many of these also built their houses across the Yamuna and due north of Shahjahanabad,
Since then, the influx of people into the city hasn’t ceased. The manpower required by the government in the capital is itself staggering. Industrialists, entrepreneurs and migrant labourer from all over India come to Delhi in search of livelihood and success. That is why they have made it a commercial capital as well. The cultivated fields which, till recently, could be seen on the outskirts of the city, have been converted into residential colonies, fabulous shopping malls and commercial complexes.
High-rise buildings now stand neck-to-neck with Delhi’s 1,300 monuments. Villages such as Khirki, Begumpur, Hauz Khas, Sheikh Sarai and Nizamuddin, which grew around Medieval Delhi’s old capital cities, have now been engulfed by the urban sprawl. Many of them, however, retain their old-world characteristics and charms.
The line of distinction between Old Delhi and New Delhi has begun to blur. Therefore, nowadays North, South, East and West (Delhi) are more prevalent terms for the purpose demarcation. The facilities and opportunities available in Delhi have attracted Indians from far-flung corners of the country, making it a melting pot of sorts. On the other hand, the presence of diplomatic and trade missions, the growing number of multinational companies and foreign investors, and the influx of tourists and visiting professionals have given the city, a cosmopolitan look. Its southern and central parts are the two biggest beneficiaries of this socio- commercial change.
The co-existence of the past and present at many levels characterizes Delhi just like India. The assimilation of a specific cultural influence is expressed differently by people living in different parts of the city. South Delhi is undoubtedly the trend-setter; and the fashions and lifestyle introduced here become the aspirations of many across the country. There are, however, dramatic differences in localities, standards of living and adherence to traditions.
The history of Delhi tells us about a long, chequered past, read ahead to find out how much thrilling it is! which only a few cities in India can claim. Delhi is one of the most historic capitals in the world; it is also one of the greenest capitals. For visitors, it serves as a perfect introduction to the cultural wealth, complexities and dynamism of India.
Delhi is still changing!
- Rajiv Tiwari
Contents
Chapter 1 History of a City
Chapter 2 Historical Thrills of Delhi
Chapter 3 Gardens of Delhi
Chapter 4 Museums and Landmarks of Delhi
Chapter 5 Icons of Art and Culture in Delhi
Chapter 6 Religious Places of Delhi
Chapter 7 The Most Famous Monuments of Delhi
Chapter 8 NCR of Delhi
Chapter 9 Excursions around Delhi
Chapter 10 How to Reach Delhi
Chapter 11 Hotels in Delhi
Chapter 12 Shopping in Delhi and NCR
Chapter 13 Climate of Delhi
Chapter 14 Culture of Delhi
Chapter 15 Festivals and Fairs of Delhi
Chapter 16 Health and Safety Precautions for NCR
Chapter 17 Delhi and NCR: An Educational Hub
Appendix I Major Hospitals in Delhi and NCR
Appendix II Foreign Missions in India
Chapter 1
History of a City
Indraprastha
The very first city of Delhi was founded by the legendary Pandavas of the Mahabharata in around 1400 BC. It was called Indraprastha.

Purana Qila is considered as Pandava (Indraprastha) Fort
The present site of the Purana Qila has been referred to in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, which states that the Pandavas had founded a city named Indraprastha beside the Yamuna river. It is the first city of Delhi and was the capital of the Pandavas during the course of the great war of Mahabharata.
It is believed that Purana Qila was probably the palace or citadel of Indraprastha and the city had been extended over the plain in a radius of 0.25 kilometers. Pieces of pottery known as Painted Grey Ware and relics dated to around 1000 BC were found at this location. Excavations in 1955 in the southern area of Purana Qila support this claim, for these characteristics have been noticed at several sites associated with the story of the Mahabharata.
There is one more reason to believe that Purana Qila has been built on the remains of Indraprastha. It is the fact that there was a village by the name of Indrapat around the fort walls till 1913.
Lal Kot and Qila Rai Pithora
Lal Kot was the first Medieval city of Delhi founded by Raja Anang Pal. Qila Rai Pithora was the second one; later Prithviraj Chauhan had renamed it Lal Kot.
It happened in what the historians call the early Medieval period of India (11-12 century AD), when the much travelled Rajputs were floating restlessly around, looking for a home. Finally, they took shelter in the Rajputana area. Here again, the strategic location of Delhi came to play-it was the doorway to both the fertile Punjab, the fabled land of the five rivers and the fertile Indo-Gangetic (northern) plain.
The first Rajputs to hit Delhi were the Tomars. The city of Delhi, Lal Kot, was built in 1060 AD by Raja Anang Pal, one of the earliest Tomar rulers to settle in Delhi. The popular tourist resort, Surajkund, near Delhi, was also built by an earlier Tomar ruler, Raja Suraj Pal, in around 736 AD. You can still see parts of Lal Kot scattered around Mehrauli and in the Qutub Minar complex. However, the Tomar rule was pretty short-lived. Soon, the Chauhan Rajputs under the command of Prithviraj Chauhan, seized control of Lal Kot in the 12th century. He renamed the city Qila Rai Pithora. Prithviraj had massive ramparts built around this city. At one time, it had 13 gates. Now, only fragments survive of that immense structure-the Hauz Rani, Barhka and Budaun gates.
All this was happening against a very troubled backdrop in Indian history. There was no clear central authority in sight and each petty ruler was trying to rea