Delhi My Visit to Capital City - Part I

Delhi is the capital city of India. Centre of power and heritage. A multicultural, cosmopolitan metropolis. I visit Delhi and enjoy each minute. I observe few things and love moments that I share here.

Perhaps it is the first monument of Muslim rule in India. Minar means tower in Hindi. It is a soaring tower of 72.5 metres high. It has five distinct storeys, each with a projecting balcony. It is an amazing piece of work. The base of the tower is 14.32 metres  in diameter and the top just 2.75 meters in diameter. At its base is the Quwwat-ul  Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India. It is located in South Delhi. It has staircase with 379 steps but nobody is permitted to climb up for the security reasons.

A second tower to be taller than the Qutab Minar was planned and its construction ended abruptly when it was about 12 meters tall. A recent studies show that this structure has been tilted in one direction. 

India Gate is a war memorial arch surrounded by green gardens and artificial lakes. It was built in memory of Indian Soldiers who lost their lives in the first World War. You can see the Amar Jawan Jyoti,  the eternal flame in honour of the matyred soldiers of India. A straight road called Rajpath connects Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate where the Republic Day Parade helds on 26th January every year. It is customary for the Prime Minister to pay homage to the soldiers along with the Heads of Navy, Army and Air force on Republic Day celebration. Don’t miss this place. Free entry. Any time. Guarded by the soldiers. Better place for morning walk.

It is nice to visit few places of Delhi by walk. Delhi has good transport facilities. Indira Gandhi International Airport is the both an important domestic and international link for the country. It has two non-parallel runways and two terminals, Terminal 1 is domestic and Terminal 2 is international. Safdarjung Airport is the oldest airport in New Delhi now used for general aviation purpose. To transit the people in the city, Delhi has a beautiful Metro system. The Metro is currently running between 21 stations covering 25 kms from 6 A.M. in the morning till 11 P.M. in the night. Metro trains are available at a frequency of 4 minutes during peak hours. I enjoy a jolly ride between two stations. I can see office-going ladies sitting on the floor of Metro trains. Auto rickshaws are a popular means of public transportation in Delhi. Delhi is a major junction in the rail map of India and is the headquarters of the Northern Railway. Buses are operated by Delhi Transport Corporation.  They are old and also new. Please look at the logo on the bus and try to draw from memory.