India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (235 page)

The Crafts Museum
If you plan to shop for crafts in India, this serves as an excellent introduction to what’s out there, though when it comes to the antiques, like the 200-year-old life-size Bhuta figures from Karnataka or the Charrake bowls from Kerala, picking up anything nearly as beautiful is akin to winning a lottery. Some 20,000 artifacts—some more art than craft—are housed in five separate galleries, showcasing the creativity that has thrived here for centuries, not to mention the numerous ways in which it’s expressed, depending on where you travel. The
Crafts Museum Shop
is also worth your time, at the very least to again familiarize yourself with the best crafts and textiles, and there are live demonstrations by artisans.

Bhairon Rd., Pragati Maidan.
011/2337-1641.
Free admission. Tues–Sun 10am–5pm.

Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia
Originally built in 1325, but added to during the following 2 centuries, the tomb of the saint Sheikh Nizamuddin Aulia (along with a few prominent others, including the favorite daughter of Shah Jahan) is one of the holiest Muslim pilgrimages in India. It is certainly one of Delhi’s most fascinating attractions, not least because the only way to get here is to traverse the tiny, narrow medieval lanes of old Nizamuddin on foot. The entire experience will transport you back even further than a foray into Shahjahanabad. This is not for the fainthearted (or perhaps the recently arrived), however—the streets are claustrophobic, you will be hassled by hawkers (perhaps best to purchase some flowers as a sign of your good intentions upfront), and the smells are almost as assaulting as the hawkers who bar your way. Once there, you may be pressured into making a heftier donation than is necessary (Rs 50 is fair). This would in fact be a three-star attraction if it weren’t for the sense that outsiders are not really welcome (though many report otherwise)—note that the main structure is a mosque, Jam-at Khana Masjid, off limits to women. Best to dress decorously (women should consider covering their heads), pick up some flowers along the way, get here on a Thursday evening when
qawwals
gather to sing the most spiritually evocative devotional songs, take a seat, and soak up the medieval atmosphere.

Nizamuddin. 6km (33⁄4 miles) south of Connaught Place. Donation expected.

South Delhi

Delhi’s sprawling suburbs keep expanding southward, impervious of the remnants of the ancient cities they surround. Die-hard historians may feel impelled to visit the ruins of
Siri
(the second city),
Tughlaqabad
(the third), and
Jahanpanah
(the fourth), but the principal attraction here is the
Qutb Complex
(see below), built in the area that comprised the first city of Delhi. Located in Mehrauli Archaeological Park, it has a number of historic sites centered around the Dargah of Qutb Sahib, as well as a number of cafes and boutiques frequented by Delhi’s well-heeled.

Nearby is
Hauz Khas
on the Delhi-Mehrauli road. Once a village, Haus Khas is now a gentrified upmarket suburb known more for its glossy boutiques and restaurants than for its 14th-century reservoir and ruins, including the
tomb of Feroze Shah Tughlaq
(Rs 100). If you happen to have a train fetish, you shouldn’t miss
The National Railway Museum
(
011/2688-1816;
Rs 10; Tues–Sun 9:30am–7:30pm, closes 5pm in winter), said to be one of the world’s most impressive—hardly surprising given India’s huge network. You can ogle all kinds of saloon cars and locomotives, and even swoon at model trains and railway maps of yore. It is situated southwest of Lodi Gardens, in Chanakyapuri.

If you’ve traveled this far south, head a little east to look at the
Bahá’i House of Worship,
or “Lotus Temple,” where 27 huge and beautiful marble “petals” create the lotus-shaped dome. Often likened to a miniversion of the Sydney Opera House, it’s a beautiful contemporary temple, and invites people of all faiths for worship. It’s sometimes described as a modern counterpoint to the Taj, but this is an injustice to the Taj, as the Lotus Temple lacks any detailing and has a drab interior (Kalkaji;
011/2644-4029;
Apr–Oct Tues–Sun 9am–7pm, Nov–Mar Tues–Sun 9:30am–5:30pm).

Qutb Complex
Originally built by Qutbuddin Aibak, first of the Delhi Sultanates who were to rule for some 4 centuries, the complex surrounds Qutb Minar, the sandstone Victory Tower that he started in 1193. The Minar was added to by his successor, Iltutmish (whose tomb lies in one corner); and the topmost stories, reaching 70m (230 ft.), were built in 1368 by Feroze Shah Tughlag. It is remarkably well preserved, and photographs don’t really do the tower justice—not in scale, nor in the detail of its carving. The surrounding buildings show some of the earliest Islamic construction techniques used in India, as well as the first mingling of Islamic and Hindu decorative styles—Koranic texts are inscribed in the Minar and Alai Darwaza (old gateway), while Hindu motifs embellish the pillars of Quwwat-ul-Islam (“Might of Islam”) mosque. The iron pillar in the courtyard, which remains amazingly rust-free, dates from the 4th century.

Aurobindo Marg, near Mehrauli. 15km (9 1⁄3 miles) south of Connaught Place. Rs 250; Rs 25 video. Daily sunrise–sunset.

Delhi’s Spiritual Disneyland

Already a landmark, Delhi’s youngest attraction is the modern-era pilgrimage center
Akshardham
(Noida,
011/2201-6688;
www.akshardham.com
). This temple and cultural complex
rises from the banks of the Yamuna River in east Delhi, surrounded by landscaped lawns and an air of civility. Supposedly, visitors come here to worship—largely in the main temple, splendid in white marble and pink sandstone, and borne on the shoulders of 149 life-size stone elephants. At a cost of $50 million, the modern architectural landmark took 5 years to complete, involving the efforts of some 11,000 artisans and craftsmen who toiled for an estimated 300 million worker hours to create the ornate pillars and domes, thousands of sculpted idols, and a 3.3m (11-ft.) gold-plated version of Swaminarayan. The whole effect is one of spiritual decadence with, in a tribute to Disney-style theme parks, visitors able to take a boat ride through key moments of Indian cultural and religious history. One can only speculate at the significance of the attached shopping complex and IMAX theater. Akshardam is open Tuesday to Sunday 9am to 6pm; temple entry is free, but there’s a fee (Rs 125) for exhibitions and to see the ecclesiastical feature film on the life of Lord Satyanarayan.