New Delhi Walking Tour

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1 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 - New Delhi Walking Tour New Delhi is India's capital and one the most famous tourist destinations in the country. There are some amazing temples and mosques, unique parks and gardens, and spectacular museums to be visited in this city. This walking tour will lead you to some of the most famous tourist attractions in New Delhi. Guide Location: India» Delhi # of Attractions: 6 Tour Duration: 3 hour(s) Travel Distance: 6.4 km Please note: This walk is also featured in the ios app "Delhi Map and Walks" on itunes App Store and the Android app "Delhi Map and Walks" on Google Play. The apps provide GPS navigation to guide you from one tour stop to the next, so you will never be lost. The apps offer additional walking tours in Delhi. Check them out! GPSmyCity offers self-guided walking tours in over 1,000 city around the world. Please visit gpsmycity.com for more walking tour offers. List of attractions included in this self-guided walking tour: A) Lodi Gardens B) Tibet House Museum C) Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Tomb (Dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya) D) Kalan Masjid E) Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana's Tomb F) Humayun's Tomb Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 1 -

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3 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 - A) Lodi Gardens (must see) Spread over 360,000 square meter area, Lodi Gardens in Delhi is home to the tomb of Sikhander Lodi, Mohammad Shah and the architectural works of Lodis and Pashtun dynasty that ruled Delhi in 15th and 16th centuries. It is located on Lodi road near Safdarjung tomb. The garden boasts of exquisite lawns, fountains, small water bodies and a jogging track. It is popular among morning joggers and those who want to spend their time leisurely. The tomb of Mohammed Shah is the earliest structure in the Lodi gardens. It features an octagonal chamber and stone chajjas on the roof. Apart from the tombs, the Athpula Bridge is an interesting structure in the gardens. Built by Nawab Bahadur during the reign of Akbar, the bridge stands on eight quays forming seven arches. You can visit the National Bonsai Park here, which boasts of a beautiful collection of miniature versions of numerous trees and plants. Lodi Garden contains numerous species of trees. The rose garden is an important attraction here. Roses bloom in the months of February and March. This garden is also home to a variety of different birds and squirrels. You will be amazed by exotic birds like kingfishers, horn-bills, parakeets and mynahs here. Pay a visit to this fascinating garden on your trip to New Delhi Address: Lodi Road, New Delhi, India Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Ashishbhatnagar72. Sight description based on wikipedia B) Tibet House Museum Tibet House Museum was established by Dalai Lama in 1965 on Lodhi Road, New Delhi, with an aim to preserve the Tibetan and Buddhist cultures. The museum is a five storied structure that houses colorful wooden sculptures, carpets, ritual objects and paintings from Tibet. You can also find rare Thangkas or painted scrolls from the Tibetan monasteries on display here. Old currency notes, antique jewelry, musical instruments and an excellent collection of Buddha statues are some of the highlights of this museum. Tibet House Museum boasts of a library that contains a collection of books representing the history and culture of Tibet. You can find interesting stores inside the museum selling Tibetan jewelry, handicrafts, clothes, incense, medicines and curios. The museum conducts lecturers and discussions on a Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 3 -

4 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 - regular basis. Those who wish to spend an intellectually enlightening evening can attend these sessions. The museum is open on all weekdays between 9.30 am and 1 pm and between 2 pm and 5.30 pm. Tibet House Museum is conveniently located near Pragati Maidan Metro station and is therefore easily accessible. Visit this museum on your trip to Delhi to enjoy a uniquely refreshing experience. Address: 1,Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, New Delhi , India Image Courtesy of Flickr and woody1778a C) Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Tomb (Dargah of Nizamuddin Auliya) The tomb of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya is located near Mathura Road, New Delhi. It is popularly referred to as Dargah (mosque) by the locals. The shrine is dedicated to Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, a famous Sufi saint. It also houses the tomb of Amir Khusru, a famous poet, musician and scholar in the court of Delhi Sultan and a disciple of the saint. This tomb was built by Muhammad Tughlaq. The Dargah also houses tombs of others like Begum Jahan Ara, daughter of Shah Jahan and Mirza Ghalib. Devotees of Nizamuddin Auliya consider this place very sacred. Id And Urs are the two main festivals celebrated here. Urs is held on the death anniversaries of the saint and Amir Khusru. The original tomb has been restored several times. The present mosque dates back to The Dargah is open on all days, but the best time to visit is on Thursday evening. Qawaali singers give an incredible performance every Thursday after the evening prayers. You can spend some time in meditation at the Dargah. The serene atmosphere offers great peace of mind. As you enter the mosque, you will see men sitting around and reading Quran. The wall outside the shrine of Amir Khusru has a poem prizing Nizamuddin Auliya. A visit to this Dargah will take you through a memorable spiritual journey. Address: Nizamuddin, New Delhi, Delhi, North India Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and varunshiv Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 4 -

5 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 - D) Kalan Masjid Kalan Masjid is a popular mosque built by Kahn-i-Jahan Junan Shah, the Prime minister of Firoz Shah Tughlaq. This mosque is located in Shahjahanabad, Old Delhi. It is popularly called Kali Masjid. Kali means black. As this mosque is built with black stone, it was named Kali Masjid. Later, it was renovated and the black tiles were replaced with gray floor tiles. Green, blue, white and aquamarine shades are used to plaster and paint them. Not even a small surface of the mosque is black today. You must go through a narrow street in Sita Ram Bazaar road to reach this mosque. The platform of the mosque contains eight vaulted chambers on the south and north sides. The west side contains 5 chambers. You can gain access to these chambers through a single broad doorway. The mosque stands on high ground and you must climb 30 steps to reach it. The entrance of the mosque is lined by two pillars. As you enter, you will find a courtyard in square shape, which contains a tank at the center enclosed within domed cloisters. The prayer hall at the western side of the courtyard features five mihrabs niches. The tomb of Raziaya, daughter of Iltumish can be found at the east side of the Masjid. Address: Delhi, India Image Courtesy of Flickr and Carol Mitchell E) Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khana's Tomb Abdur Rahim Khan-Khana, also known as Rahim was one of the Navratnas in the court of Akbar, the great Mughal Emperor. Rahim was a scholar who had great command over many languages. His dohe or couplets written in Hindi are very famous. Rahim was an avid astrologer too. Though Rahim was a Muslim by birth, he had great faith in the Hindu God Lord Krishna. He translated Baburnama from Chagatai to Persian language. The tomb of Abdur Rahim is on Mathura Road, New Delhi. The tomb was built by Rahim himself for his wife in Later, he was buried in the same place. Abdur Rahim s tomb is one of the popular tourist attractions in Delhi. Do not miss a visit to this tomb especially if you are keen on learning Mughal history. Rahim used marble and sandstone to construct this tomb. However, they were removed and used to build the Safdarjung tomb later. Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 5 -

6 Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 - Abdur Rahim s tomb is one of the beautiful paradigms of early Mughal architecture. The structure is similar to that of Humayun s tomb. The grave of Rahim is carved with stucco work and fine patterns. You can see a monument of Rahim on the first floor of the tomb. The large garden around the tomb is calm and serene. Address: Delhi, India Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and RussBowling F) Humayun's Tomb (must see) Humayun s tomb was built by Hamida Banu Begum, Humayun s wife in It was designed by a Persian architect named Mirak Mirza Ghiyath. This tomb is located in Nizamuddin East near Purana Qila in Delhi and is the first garden tomb built in India. Humayun s tomb is considered to be a significant milestone in the development of Mughal architecture. The tomb stands in the middle of a square garden. The top of the dome reaches 140 feet and the walls are double layered. The external layer supports the exterior facing made of white marble, while the interior layer supports the spacious interior volume. The rest of the tomb is made of red sandstone and white marble. The marble is used in the borders and the dome is made of white marble. You can enter Humayun s tomb through a long processional track. You can catch a glimpse of the tomb right from the gateways. The octagonal shaped tomb is placed over a platform with arcades, under which the graves of various nobles and employees who worked during Humayun s period can be found. These tombs contain symbols that offer information about the occupants. The tomb also features certain Indian architectural characteristics such as kiosks on the rood. The tiles are carved beautifully using Indian as well as Persian patterns. Humayun s tomb is a part of UNESCO s Heritage buildings list. Address: Mathura Road, Delhi, India Image Courtesy of Wikimedia and Santosh namby. Sight description based on wikipedia Copyright by GPSmyCity.com - Page 6 -