India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (232 page)

THE TOP ATTRACTIONS

India’s capital has more sights than any other city in India, but they are concentrated in three distinct areas—Old Delhi, New Delhi, and South Delhi (known as the
Qutb Minar Complex
)—which should be tackled as separate tours (or at a push, two could be grouped together). Most organized tours spend a half-day covering the top attractions in New Delhi, and another half-day exploring the 17th-century capital, Shahjahanabad. Commonly referred to as “Old Delhi,” Shahjahanabad lies a mere 5km (3 miles) north of centrally located Connaught Place, the commercial heart of New Delhi, but it feels a few hundred years away (400 to be exact). If you do only one sightseeing excursion, make it here, for this is most authentically India, where imposing
Lal Qila (Red Fort)
and
Jama Masjid,
India’s largest mosque, pay testament to the vision and power of Shah Jahan, and the chaos and pungent smells from the overcrowded and ancient streets are a heady reminder that you are far from home. Surrounding and immediately south of Connaught Place is New Delhi, built by British imperialist architects Baker and Lutyens. Its primary attractions are the architectural gems centered around
Rajpath
and
Rashtrapati Bhavan,
official residence of the president of India. Of Delhi’s remaining cities, all of which are today deserted and in ruins, only the 12th-century
Qutb Minar,
a World Heritage Site monument built in Delhi’s first city and surprisingly intact, is definitely worth inclusion in your itinerary.

Museum Monday

Most of the important museums in Delhi close on Mondays; if you’re at loose ends, there are a handful of hangouts for the culturally inclined, or simply curious. First up is the totally unique and utterly original
Sulabh International Museum of Toilets
(Sulabh Gram, Mahavir Enclave, Palam-Dabri Marg; beyond the airport
011/2503-1518;
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm,
www.sulabhinternational.org
), which takes visitors on a journey through everything “loo”-related, from Thomas Crapper’s first flushable commode to present-day innovations in Indian sanitation technology. If you have an interest in Tibetan art (particularly Buddhist thangka paintings and religious objects), and staying at or shopping in south Delhi area, visit the
Tibetan House Museum
(Tibet House, 1 Institutional Area, Lodhi Rd.;
011/2461-1515;
Mon–Fri 9:30am–5:30pm).

Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi)

Still surrounded by crumbling city walls and three surviving gates, the vibrant, bustling Shahjahanabad, built over a period of 10 years by Emperor Shah Jahan, is very much a separate city—predominantly a labyrinth of tiny lanes crowded with rickshaws, and lined with 17th-century
havelis
(Indian mansions), their balustrades broken and once-ornate facades defaced with rusted signs and sprouting satellite dishes. Old Delhi is inhabited by a predominantly Muslim population whose lives revolve around work and the local mosque, much as it was a century ago.

The best way to explore the area is to catch a taxi or auto-rickshaw to Red Fort (see below), then set off within Shahjahanbad in a cycle-rickshaw (agree on Rs 100), or on foot if it’s too congested. Head down the principal street,
Chandni Chowk,
which leads from the main entrance to Red Fort. Along this busy commercial street are mosques, a church, and a number of temples. First up, opposite the fort, is
Digambar Jain Temple,
the oldest of its kind in Delhi and surprisingly simple compared with other Jain temples, which are renowned for the intricacy of their carvings. Attached is a
bird hospital,
which smells less charming than it sounds. If you’re pressed for time, skip these and proceed to vibrant
Gauri Shankar Temple
(look for the mounds of marigolds, sold to worshipers as they enter), which has an 800-year-old lingam. Or stop at
Sisganj Gurudwara
,
an unassuming but superbly atmospheric and welcoming Sikh temple, which marks the spot where Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh guru, was beheaded by the fundamentalist Aurangzeb (Shah Jahan’s intolerant son). You will be expected to hand over your shoes at a superefficient kiosk and wash your hands and feet at the cheap taps plumbed right at the temple entrance; on the way out you may be offered food—no harm in indulging, if not for the food, then to appreciate the generosity that permeates Sikh culture, and to experience the rare joy of receiving sustenance from a stranger, which can be both uplifting and humbling. Then, either turn left into Kinari Bazaar (see below) or head the length of Chandni Chowk to
Fatehpuri Masjid,
designed by one of Shah Jahan’s wives. Take a detour to the right into Church Mission Marg and then left into
Khari Baoli
—reputed to be Asia’s biggest spice market—the colors, textures, and aromas that literally spill out into the street are worth the side trip, but be careful with your belongings in these packed streets. Then double back down Chandni Chowk, turn right into jam-packed
Kinari Bazaar,
and
stop to admire the cheap gold (we’re talking mostly tinsel) and silver trinkets and accessories. Or keep going until the right turn into
Dariba Kalan,
“the jewelers’ lane,” where you can bargain hard for gorgeous baubles. Go south down Dariba Kalan to reach
Jama Masjid
(see below), India’s largest mosque, keeping an eye out on the right for the tall spire of
Shiv Temple.
Having explored Jama Masjid, you can head west down
Chawri Bazaar
for brass and copper icons and other souvenirs, then up
Nai Sarak
(which specializes in the most magnificent stationery, some bound into diaries). Or head south to
Churiwali Galli,
the “lane of bangle-sellers,” and make a final stop at
Karim’s
to sample the authentic Mughlai cooking that has kept patrons coming back for over 100 years. A little farther along is
Sunehri Masjid,
recognizable by its three gilt domes from where the Persian invader Nadir Shah enjoyed a bird’s-eye view as his men massacred some 3,000 of Shahjahanabad’s citizens in 1739.

This done, you’ve pretty much covered Shahjahanabad’s top attractions by rickshaw; the last remaining sights of interest that lie further south within the old city walls are the pretty
Zinat-ul Masjid
(Daryaganj),
or “Cloud Mosque,” built in 1710 by one of Aurangzeb’s daughters, and nearby
Rajghat
(Mahatma Gandhi Rd.; daily sunrise–sunset; leave shoes outside with attendant for a small tip), where Mahatma Gandhi, “Father of the Nation,” was cremated. There’s not much to see besides the black granite plinth inscribed with his last words, “Hé Ram!” (“Hail God!”), but it’s worth getting here at 5pm on Friday (the day of the week he was assassinated), when devotees gather to sing melancholic
bhajans.
Nearby,
Gandhi Memorial Museum
(
011/2331-1793;
Tues–Sun 9:30am–5:30pm) documents his life and last rites, which must have been immensely moving. Also within the old city walls is
Feroze Shah Kotla
(Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg),
the ruins of the palace of the fifth city, Ferozabad. The principal attraction here is the pristine polished sandstone pillar from the 3rd century
B.C.
that rises from the palace’s crumbling remains. One of many pillars left by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka throughout North India, it was moved from the Punjab and erected here in 1356. North of Red Fort is
St. James Church
(Lothian Rd. near Kashmiri Gate; daily 8am–noon and 2–5pm). Consecrated in 1836, Delhi’s oldest church was built by Col. James Skinner—the son of a Scotsman and his Rajput wife, who became one of Delhi’s most flamboyant 19th-century characters—to repay a promise made during battle. (
Note:
For good tours within the old city, we recommend
Tallis & Company
—see “Guided Tours” earlier.)