Nakshatra 2009

Delhi, the capital of India, is sprawling on the banks of the river Yamuna. In history the city reserves the stories of great civilizations that flourished for more than three thousand years. Indraprastha, according to legends, the city founded by the Pandavas in the times of the epic Mahabharata (circa 1500 B.C.), was located near the Old Fort that stands on a large mound overlooking the river.

Numerous dynasties and rulers are known to have flourished on its regal soil. The legacy of that past survives in the many monuments left behind by the regents, each a chronicle of the glory of its time and an imprint of the character of the ruler.

The largest of old Delhi's monuments is the Lal Quila, or the Red Fort, the thick red sandstone walls of which, bulging with turrets and bastions, have withstood the vagaries of time, and nature. The Lal Quila rises above a wide dry moat, in the northeast corner of the original city of Shahjahanabad. Its walls extend upto two kilometre, and vary in height from 18 metres on the river side to 33 metres on the city side.

Mughal Emperor Shahjahan started the construction of the massive fort in 1638, and work was completed in 1648.

India Gate, an important monument of the city, is a memorial built in commemoration of more than 80,000 Indian soldiers who were killed during World War I. The monument is an imposing 42 meters high arch and was designed by the famous architect Edwin Lutyens.

India gate was earlier named All India War Memorial. The design of India gate is almost similar to its French counterpart war memorial, the Arc-de-Triomphe.

It is a very recent architectural marvel of the Bahai faith, located in Kalkaji, south of Delhi.

Shaped like a half opened Lotus flower, this temple is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand.

It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility. Bahai’s Temple is a marvel of modern architecture, which is visible from several spots in south Delhi.