Destination New Delhi

-
Blast from past!

I made umpteen number of trips to New Delhi on work in the year 2009 and 2010.But I got only one chance to get away and do some traveling and sightseeing. I have been to Delhi many a times before. This would be a pit stop for my family when we traveled around North India. But i was revisiting this part after 13-14 years. I had very little recollection of this place except what i had seen in my collection of old photographs.


As this was supposed to be an official trip, we stayed at a service apartment in Gurgaon. We did the typical tourist rounds to India gate, Rashtrapathi Bhavan, Connaught place, Lotus temple, Akshardham and of course to Qutb Minar.



Qutb Minar complex was a love at first sight for me. It has one of best maintained grounds and they have audio guides! Audio guide in India!! I was totally impressed. I will let the photographs do the rest of talking.




Words cannot describe Akshardham and unfortunately cameras are not allowed. I would recommend the place be experienced without any inhibition and  the evening be swayed away by the musical fountains against the backdrop of hymns and chants. Unforgettable!
One good place to hang out is Delhi haat. It is a craft and food  bazaar from different states of India. A shopping haven!!

I enjoyed Delhi! Did'nt expect to do that but it did leave me with some wonderful memories.

Location: New Delhi
Date of travel: November 2009

Tip: Try the street food of Delhi
Must do: Qutb Minar and Akshardham
First: Order one dish from each state and have a gastronomical experience!

Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Destination Aihole

-
Image
The cradle of Hindu temple architecture, Aihole or Aryapura was the destination to learn and experiment on the temple architecture. Under the patronage of early Chalukyan kings, the Chalukyan style of temple architecture was refined here between  the 5th and 8th century.  The preview of Aihole given to us by the guide at Pattadakal was enough to excite me about visiting the ancient school of architecture, You wonder if you have arrived at Aihole as the narrow lanes leads you into the chaos of a village life but the complex of ancient structures in various states of disintegration  make you think you have time traveled. The proximity of the timeworn stone monuments and the present day village dwellings raised a lot of questions. The encroachment of these temples was even more intriguing. Be it the cattle housed in these structures, smoke bellowing out or the colorful clothes drying on a line between intricate carved column, all of it just amazed me. When we arrived at one of the b
Read more

Destination Punakha Dzong

-
Image
If I had to choose my favorite structure, It would be the bridges without any hesitation. Bhutan renewed my fascination for bridges with their traditional cantilever bridge called the Bazam. Tintin's knowledge about architecture was limited. My questions on the location of  the toilets, kitchens inside the Dzong  or how the water supply/ drainage worked  and other queries must have driven him mad or made him think that the mountain air had made me go bonkers. So my hopes of understanding the bridge through Tintin was futile. Punakha Dzong is undoubtedly one of the most elegant structures in Bhutan.  To get to the main building , one has to cross Mo chhu through one of the most beautiful bridges I have come across so far. Most buildings in Bhutan are a replica of their ancient self. Due to natural calamities or fire, almost all the prominent sites in Bhutan have been rebuilt in the recent years. The Punakha bridge is no different. You can read more about it here. http:/
Read more

Citadel Acropolis Of Athens

-
Image
Faded reminiscent of a lavish bygone era, Acropolis is a collection of multiple monuments. The current state is due to foreign occupation, pilfering of foreign archaeologist, inept renovations and of course nature's fury. Along with these factor,the indifferent visitor who do not respect the history have made it worse. Does this  remind you of multiple monuments across India. History repeats itself no matter the location. A short climb up the flat rock outcrop and one reaches the propylaea. It is the gateway to the cradle of history. Phidias was the lead architect. The first sight of Doric columns from a distance, the most easiest to sketch was underwhelmed by the crowds. But as we got closer to the gateway, the temple of Athena Nike with ionic columns and the scale of the Doric columns gave us the first preview of what can be expected inside the citadel of acropolis. Stairs Leading to western facade of Propylaea The reconstructed Temple of Athena Nike in tetr
Read more