Delhi Sights

  1. Akshardham Temple

    Located on Delhi's outskirts is the mammoth and elaborate Akshardham Temple, a recently built structure (inaugurated in 2005) made of pink sandstone and white marble. Part of the Hindu Swaminarayan group, this extraordinary temple reflects traditional Orissan, Gujarati, Mughal and Rajasthani architectural elements and has exquisite domes and pillars.

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  2. Connaught Place

    The heart of New Delhi is the vast traffic circle of Connaught Place and the seven streets that radiate from it, which are divided into blocks. It has an architecturally uniform series of colonnaded buildings devoted to shops, banks, restaurants, hotels and offices.

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  3. Coronation Durbar Site

    Incurable Raj fans should head to the Coronation Durbar site, marked by a lone obelisk in a desolate field located in open country north of 'Old' Delhi. Pride of place goes to a 15m (50ft) high statue of George V that rises ghost-like above the acacia trees. It was placed here after being removed from the canopy midway along Rajpath soon after Independence.

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  4. Crafts Museum

    Near Pragati Maidan is this delightful tree-shaded Crafts Museum with an exhibit-packed museum and craft stalls where artisans sell direct to buyers. It's part of a contrived, yet enjoyable, 'village life' complex and is certainly a soothing escape from the city madness.

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  5. Firoz Shah Kotla

    The ruins of Firozabad (the fifth city of Delhi), erected by Firoz Shah in 1354, can be found at Firoz Shah Kotla, just off Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. In the fortress/palace is a 13m-high sandstone Ashoka Pillar inscribed with Ashoka's edicts (and a later inscription).

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  7. Gandhi National Museum

    The National Gandhi Museum has an interesting display of paintings and photos about the man who spearheaded the country's independence movement. Indians affectionately dub Gandhi 'the Father of the Nation'.

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  8. Gurdwara Bangla Sahib

    Topped with gold domes, the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib was constructed at the site where the eighth Sikh guru, Harkrishan Dev, spent several months in 1664. This guru dedicated most of his time to helping the destitute and sick and was revered for his healing powers; a tank on the gurdwara's premises contains water said to have curative properties. Soul-warming kirtan (devotional songs) often drift from the temple.

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  9. Humayun's Tomb

    The must-see Humayun's Tomb is a brilliant example of early Mughal architecture. It was built in the mid-16th century by Haji Begum, the Persian-born senior wife of the second Mughal emperor Humayun.

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  10. Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum

    The former residence of Indira Gandhi, now the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum, displays some of her personal belongings, including the blood-stained sari she was wearing when she was assassinated in 1984. There are also newspaper clippings, letters and photos.

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  11. Jama Masjid

    The stunning Jama Masjid mosque is the largest in India and the final architectural magnum opus of Shah Jahan. Construction of the mosque began in 1644, but it wasn't completed until 1658. It has three gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40m high, and is constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. The main entry point is Gate No 3. The mosque's courtyard can hold a mind-blowing 25,000 people.

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  13. Jantar Mantar

    Comprised of curious terracotta-red structures, Jantar Mantar was one of Maharaja Jai Singh II's observatories, constructed in 1725. It's dominated by a huge sundial and houses other instruments plotting the course of heavenly bodies.

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  14. Lakshmi Narayan Temple

    West of Connaught Place, with soaring domes, the Orissan-style Lakshmi Narayan Temple was erected in 1938 by the wealthy industrialist BD Birla. The main temple is dedicated to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, and her consort, Narayan the Preserver.

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  15. Lodi Garden

    The well-tended Lodi Garden is a popular place for a morning/evening stroll or jog. Within the grounds are the crumbling tombs of the Sayyid and Lodi rulers, including the 15th-century Bara Gumbad. Avoid visiting on Sundays, when crowds can mar the garden's serenity.

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  16. National Gallery of Modern Art

    The National Gallery of Modern Art has rotating exhibitions of more than 300 paintings (by Indian artists) which include tempera, oils, watercolours and lithographs. Photography isn't allowed.

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  17. National Museum

    Thousands of historic artefacts are on display in the spacious galleries of the excellent National Museum. Exhibits include rare relics from the Harappan Civilisation, Central Asian antiquities (including silk paintings from the 1st century AD), Indian textiles, tribal masks, sculptures, musical instruments, old coins (including Portuguese, Dutch and Danish), miniature paintings and weapons (including a battle-axe from AD 1739).

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  19. National Philatelic Museum

    Located in the Dak Bhavan post office, the National Philatelic Museum exhibits over 1700 post-Independence stamps. Unfortunately, photography is prohibited.

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  20. National Rail Museum

    Trainspotters will relish this National Rail Museum, which has intriguing indoor and outdoor sections. On site are almost 30 locomotives and old carriages as well as assorted railway memorabilia. Exhibits include an 1855 steam engine, still in working order, and various oddities including the skull of an elephant that charged a train in 1894, and lost. On Sundays (; to ) you can ride the coal-run monorail.

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  21. National Zoological Gardens

    Popular with families and courting couples, the well-kept National Zoological Gardens is a welcoming green retreat from the concrete jungle. There's a bevy of beasts such as big jungle cats (including rare white tigers), Himalayan black bears, rhinos, hippos, wolves, elephants, giraffes and some truly spectacular birds - don't miss the crowned crane and great Indian hornbill. Arrive early for maximum tranquillity.

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  22. Nehru Memorial Museum & Planetarium

    Teen Murti Bhavan, the former residence of Jawaharlal Nehru (India's first prime minister), just off Teen Murti Rd, has been converted into the Nehru Memorial Museum and Planetarium. Its photographs and newspaper clippings offer perceptive insights into the Independence movement. In the grounds is a planetarium.

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  23. Nizam-ud-din's Shrine

    Across from Humayun's Tomb is Nizam-ud-din's Shrine, resting place of the Muslim Sufi saint Nizam-ud-din Chishti, who died in 1325, aged 92. The construction of Nizam-ud-din's tank ignited a dispute between the saint and the constructor of Tughlaqabad.

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  25. Purana Qila

    With massive walls and three gateways, Purana Qila was the site of ancient Indraprastha. The Afghan ruler, Sher Shah, who briefly interrupted Mughal sovereignty by defeating Humayun, completed the fort during his reign (1538-45), before Humayun regained control of India.

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  26. Qutb Minar

    The superb buildings in this complex date from the onset of Islamic rule in India. The Qutb Minar itself is a soaring 73m/240ft-high tower of victory that was started in 1193, immediately after the defeat of the last Hindu kingdom in Delhi. At its base is Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid (Might of Islam Mosque), India's first.

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  27. Red Fort (Lal qila)

    The massive Red Fort (Lal qila) stands rather forlornly, a sandstone carcass of its former self. When Emperor Shah Jahan paraded out of the fort atop an elephant into the streets of Old Delhi, though, he and the fort that he built were a grandiose display of pomp and power.

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  28. Safdarjang's Tomb

    The mid-18th-century Safdarjang's Tomb was built by the Nawab of Avadh for his father, Safdarjang, and is one of the last examples of Mughal architecture before the final remnants of the great empire collapsed.

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  29. Shankar's International Dolls Museum

    Boasting one of the planet's biggest collections of dolls, Shankar's International Dolls Museum has 6500 dolls from around 85 countries. Apart from the noteworthy international collection, which includes dolls from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East, there are brightly costumed Indian dolls, including brides.

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