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Museo Taj

Taj Museum (Agra, Uttah Pradesh) — established in 1982 in the ground floor in western Naubat Khana also known as Jal Mahal, within the Taj Mahal Complex. The museum comprises of 3 galleries in addition to the main hall. It has on display various exhibits relating mostly to the construction of the Taj Mahal and to the period of its builders. Admission: Rs. 5 per person (free for children up to 15 years). Hours: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (daily; closed on Fridays).

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal (Agra, Uttar Pradesh) – located 3 hours (233 km.) southeast of New Delhi, this is India’s most fascinating and beautiful monument. The Taj Mahal was completed in 1653 AD by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his favourite Queen Mumtaz. This perfectly symmetrical monument took 22 years (1630-1652) of hard labour and 20,000 workers, masons and jewellers to build and is set amidst landscaped gardens. It was built by the Persian architect, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

Timings: 0600 to 1900 hrs. (Closed on Fridays) open for offering prayer in the mosque between 1200-1400 hrs on Fridays. Night viewing on Full moon day and two days before and after it, excluding Fridays and in the month of Ramzan. Tickets are available 24 hrs before. (Rs. 500/- ticket from Agra Development Authority purchased at Taj Mahal is valid for the monuments of Agra Fort, Itimad-ud-daula, Akbar’s Tomb, Sikandra & Fatehpur Sikri.)

Shakti Sthal

Shakti Sthal (near Red Fort, on the banks of the Yamuna River, New Delhi, Delhi) — located on the banks of Yamuna River, Shakti Sthal is the memorial of Indira Gandhi, the first and only woman Prime Minster of India. She was Prime Minister of India twice: first from 1966 to 1977 and then from 1980 till her death in 1984. In the shape of a huge rock, symbolizing her strength, Shakti Sthal is the final resting place for Indira Gandhi. Free admission: Hours: 5:30 am – 7:00 pm.

Fuerte de Salimgarh

Salimgarh Fort (Mahatma Gandhi Marg, New Delhi, Delhi ) – this fort was built by Islam Shah Suri (also known as Salim Shah), son and successor of Sher Shah Suri in 1546. It is located near Red Fort in Delhi. The British used it as a prison and kept its artillery units here after the war of 1857. The fort witnessed fierce fighting between British troops and Indian freedom fighters during 1857.

The leaders of Indian National Army were imprisoned here in 1945. The fort has now been renamed as Swatantrata Senani Smarak (Freedom Fighters’ Memorial) as a memorial has been developed for the freedom fighters inside the fort. The barracks, where soldiers were kept as prisoners, have been converted into their memorials. The memorial houses INA uniforms, personal belongings and some photographs. Free admission. Hours: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm.

Fuerte rojo

Red Fort (Netaji Subhash Marg, Chandni Chowk, New Delhi, Delhi) – the Red Fort Complex was built as the palace fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546, with which it forms the Red Fort Complex. The private apartments consist of a row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise). The Red Fort is considered to represent the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a new level of refinement. The planning of the palace is based on Islamic prototypes, but each pavilion reveals architectural elements typical of Mughal building, reflecting a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions The Red Fort’s innovative planning and architectural style, including the garden design, strongly influenced later buildings and gardens in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and further afield. Admission: Rs. 250 (tourists), Rs. 10 (nationals of India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan). Hours: sunrise to sunset.

Rashtrapati Bhavan

Rashtrapati Bhavan (Rajpath, New Delhi) – this is the official residence of the president of India and formerly of the British Viceroy. The building is the highlight of Lutyen’s New Delhi and was completed in 1929 at a cost of 12,53,000 pound sterling.

Located in an area of 130 hectares, the palace has 340 rooms. The most magnificent room in the Rashtrapati Bhavan is the Durbar hall, which is the ceremonial hall for all official functions of the President of India. The “Changing of the Guard” ceremony can be viewed from the gates of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, every Saturday, between 0830 and 0915 hrs in summer and between 1035 and 1100 hrs in winter. The Rashtrapati Bhawan also has an impressive garden called the Mughal Garden, which is open to the public twice a year, usually in February and March. Admission: Rs. 25 (free for children below 12 years). Hours: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.

Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar (Mehrauli, New Delhi, Delhi) — The earliest specimen of the Muslim architecture is the Qutub Minar, a gigantic 72m tower, tapering from a 15m diameter at the base to 2.5m at the top. A World Heritage Site monument built by the first Muslim ruler of India Qutub-ud-din Aikab of the Delhi Sultanate, the Qutub Minar ranks as one of the most famous attractions in India. Near the QutubMinar lies Quwwat-ul-Islam, considered to be India’s oldest mosque. Visitors can also find an Iron Pillar, dating back to the 4th century AD. Admission: Rs. 250 (tourists), Rs. 10 (locals). Open all hours.

Casa del Parlamento

Parliament House (Lok Sabha Marg, New Delhi, Delhi) — A marvelous piece of architecture designed by the famed architect Lutyens and constructed under the direct supervision of Sir Herbert Baker, Parliament House is designed as a circular structure. The House is 171 meters in diameter and about one-third of a mile in circumference. The two semi-circular house chambers flank the Central Hall with its impressive dome. The building has a continuous open corridor on the first floor fringed with a colonnade of 144 creamy sandstone pillars. The exterior walls of red sandstone are carved in geometric patterns that echo Moghul jaalis. Admission: free. Visitors must get prior permission to visit Parliament. Hours: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm (Tuesday – Saturday). Closed on Sundays & Mondays.

Museo Nacional

National Museum (Janpath – corner of Maulana Azad Road, New Delhi) — documenting history and culture of the Indian subcontinent, the museum owns some 150,000 items covering some 5 millennia. Some of the gems of the museum are the Chola statue of the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva, finds from the Indus Valley Civilization, relics of the Buddha from Piprahwa and an amazing collection of miniature paintings. Admission: Rs. 650 (foreigners)(includes audio guide), Rs. 20 (locals). Free for students (up to class 12). Hours: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (daily; closed on Monday).