Top 10 places to visit with kids and family in Delhi
India has always grabbed the fancy of Western orientalists and later, the tourists. No matter how much we discover this beautiful land, there is always something mystical and unknown about it. Contemporary India is a contrasting mix of the old and traditional on the one hand and the digital and new on the other. This is the reason why so many Westerners find India perplexing and awesome at the same time. If you had already visited India, there is no reason not to visit it again.
Experience India, An Amazing Mix of The Old and The New!
And what could even be a better place to begin or restart your Indian journey than the capital city of New Delhi? The city is not just the capital but also an important cultural center and a historical city. Previously known as Indraprastha and Hastinapur during the antiquity, the city has always been remodeled as the capital to rule the country as it lies in the center of the nation’s north.
Subsequent rulers of the country have chosen Delhi as their seat of power. The city had always resurrected itself from seemingly irrevocable destruction, most notably attacks such as Timur’s invasion of Northern India when his army killed hundreds of thousands of people in Delhi alone.
Let us explore this amazing city of this amazing nation with top twenty places to visit with kids in Delhi, India.
- Rashtrapati Bhavan:
This is the parliamentary building of the Republic of India built way back during the British rule and then handed over to the native rule once they left the nation. Although tourists and ordinary citizens are not allowed anywhere near it, you can have a glimpse of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Literally meaning the ‘Presidential Palace,’ the Rashtrapati Bhavan stands tall and strong several decades after its completion.
- The Red Fort:
Known in Hindi as ‘Laal Qila/Kila’ the Red Fort also signifies the grandiose and glory of Delhi as an old capital of an ancient civilization. Ironically, it was built by the brutal Islamic Mughal rulers who had nothing but contempt for the local Hindu populace. The fort was completed in 1648 AD and was the residence of the Mughal Royal Family. Every year, during India’s Republic Day on 26th January, the Prime Minister addresses the nation with a speech standing on the Red Fort, making a symbolic statement.
- Humayun’s Tomb:
Completed in the year 1572, the tomb was built to commemorate the Mughal emperor Humayun who has also been known for his brutal rule over the local populace. The tomb was built in an Indo-Persian architectural tradition, a fusion of two distinct styles of architecture created in the sixteenth century.
- Qutab Minar:
Translated as The Tower of Qutab in English, it was built in the year 1193 by the Turkic ruler of Delhi named Qutb-Ud-Din Aibak, another Islamic tyrant who led brutal Delhi Sultanate in the late twelfth century. The tower was, in fact, built from the ruins of an early medieval temple and one can still see the Prakrit inscriptions on the tower. The area was most likely a temple complex before the barbaric Turks razed it to the ground. The Qutb Minar is a symbol of Turkic Islamic brutality on a largely Hindu India in the medieval ages.
- The Lotus Temple:
This one seemingly looks like Sydney’s Opera house but is a Bahai place of worship. The Lotus Temple reminds us India’s secular tradition and how minorities, no wonder how insignificant, are protected by law. The temple is open all year round, and people of all faiths are allowed to enter and worship here.
- Akshardham Temple:
Spread in an area of 83, 332 square feet, the Akshardham Temple is a magnificent example of Hindu architecture. The temple is built in the Northern style of Indian architecture and is one of the biggest temples in India. It has even withstood a terrorist attack and devotees still flock to the temple to offer their service to the Almighty. Every day, it receives 100,000 visitors, and 850 volunteers are known to work here daily.
- India Gate:
This monument was built in 1931 and modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The India Gate is usually used as a symbolism of the city of New Delhi. It stands 90 meters tall and has named of staggering 90,000 Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the Afghan wars as well as the first World War.
- The Amar Jawan Jyoti:
This war memorial was built to commemorate the fallen soldiers of India in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The war memorial was unveiled by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1972. Real Indian patriots always make a point to visit the Amar Jawan Jyoti and pay their respects to the soldiers who helped to slice off the venomous Pakistan into two and liberate Bangladesh from its genocidal clutches.
- Gurudwara Bangla Sahib:
Originally the palace of a local chieftain called Raja Jai Singh, in the seventeenth century, he converted his place of residence into a Gurudwara or a Sikh place of worship. Guru Har Krishan, the eighth Guru of Sikhs, was visiting Delhi in 1664, while the city had a cholera epidemic. He serviced the disease-stricken individuals by providing them fresh water but succumbed to the disease eventually. The Gurudwara was built in his memory.
- Gandhi Smriti:
Translated into English as Gandhi Memorial, it is located on the Tees January Marg, or thirtieth January Road, the date of his assassination. The museum offers a glimpse into the life led by the so-called ‘Father of India.’ It showcases the simple life led by Gandhi, especially concerning his Swadeshi movement where he urged Indians to boycott Western made goods.
- Jama Masjid:
The Jama Masjid is Delhi’s grand mosque and was completed in the year 1656, starting from 1650. It took them, 15000 workers, to complete the mosque. Today, Jama Masjid is frequented by Muslim worshipers from all walks of life and is rather seen as a mundane place of worship rather than a historical monument.
- Agrasen Ki Baoli:
This historical complex is believed to have been built by a legendary king called Raja Agrasen in the late antiquity. The place is quite captivating due to its complex architecture and design. Especially, the staircases of the complex leading towards the well are a well-known spot for people to hang out and spend some time.
- Jamali Kamali Mosque:
If you have been looking for a mosque that is treated as a historic monument, this is it. This mosque has been lying abandoned for centuries, and no worshiping services are carried out here anymore. In fact, the mosque is also said to be haunted by people of the time when it was built. It was likely built between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
- Delhi Haat:
This is where the old meets the new. The Delhi Haat is an organized modern bazaar of artifacts, paintings, art forms and traditional knickknacks if you have been bitten by the culture bug. You can also enjoy some local food at the Delhi Haat such as Kulche and Chhole, found and enjoyed all over Western north India.
- Purani Delhi:
Translated as Old Delhi in English, this is where people have been living for centuries before the British finally expanded the city in its current form. Purani Delhi comprises of a puzzling network of small roads and lanes locally known as Nukkads. You can also enjoy local delicacies of Delhi in various shops in Purani Delhi. This is where the old culture comes alive.
- DLF Mall:
After you have seen enough of heritage and history, it’s time for taking a glance at modern India. The DLF Malls is located in Noida, not a part of Delhi but still considered within the limits of the NCR or the National Capital Region. Spread in an area of 2 million square feet, the mall has caught up rapidly in the past few years with New Delhi’s burgeoning urban lifestyle.
- Khan Market:
Khan Market is one of the oldest markets in the city and if you are interested to buy things of daily use at cheaper rates or simple enjoy some time shopping, this is where you come.
- Tomb of Sikander Lodi:
Built by his son Ibrahim Lodhi from 1517 to 1518, the tomb commemorates the ruler of the Lodhi dynasty that had its origins in Afghanistan. The Lodhi Dynasty and ultimately the Delhi Sultanate ended with the death of Ibrahim Lodhi in the First Battle of Panipat when the gay Turko-Mongol invader from Transoxiana called Babur defeated him.
- Purana Qila:
Translated into English as The Old Fort, it was built by Sher Shah Suri in 1538 of another Islamic dynasty of Afghan origin, the Suri Dynasty. However, the excavations carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India or ASI state that the fort was already a historically significant place of fortifications as many coins from preceding eras have been found there.
- Jantar Mantar:
Built by Raja Jai Singh II in the early eighteenth century, the Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observatory of its time.
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