Modern Delhi - The landmarks
India Gate: A memorial to the soldiers killed in World War I, it is located in the vast Boats Club lawns in front of Rashtrapati
Bhawan. Adults and children alike find evenings pleasant
to spend on the sprawling India Gate lawns. Part of
the modern New Delhi, it was built according to the
orders of King George V in 1911. Edwin Lutyens and Herbert
Baker were the architects. The new city took 20 years
to complete and it was inaugurated in 1931. Its Viceregal
Lodge became today's Rashtrapati Bhawan or President's
residence. The Mughal Gardens in the premises behind
opens to public during the spring season. Parliament
House is close by. Rajpath is the road that comes down
Rashtrapati Bhawan and cuts across the India Gate lawns,
the junction near the starting point is called the Vijay
Chowk. The Republic Day parade is held on every January
26 around this place.
Connaught Place: Robert Tor Russell was the architect of this commercial hub named after Duke of Connaught. A series of colonnaded
buildings constitute the spacious complex.
Raj Ghat, Shanti Van, Shakti Sthal: These are the samadhis of Modern India's leaders - Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira
Gandhi - on the banks of the Yamuna near the Red Fort.
Innumerable visitors pay them homage everyday.
Gandhi Smriti and Gandhi Darshan: The former is the Birla House where Mahatma Gandhi was shot during his prayers and the latter, near his samadhi, Rajghat, is an exhibition of his life and work. Nearby is a Gandhi museum and a library.
Nehru Memorial Museum: It is Teen Murthi House near the South Block of Rashtrapati Bhavan where Jawaharlal Nehru lived when he was the prime minister. The rooms and the settings have been kept as they were. Attached to the museum is a planetarium, an attraction for children.
Indira Gandhi Memorial: The Safdarjung Road residence where Indira Gandhi as prime minister stayed and where she was shot.
National Museum: The museum at Janpath has a large collection
of antiquities like excavated items, sculptures, paintings, manuscripts etc.
National Gallery of Modern Art: The gallery has a collection of old paintings and other exhibits. Besides there is a gallery to display the works of Indian and foreign painters and sculptors.
Rail Museum: Near Moti Bagh in south-west Delhi, it
has vintage displays of oldest locomotives in the world like and Wales' Saloon (1876). Especially children enjoy the ride.
Crafts Museum: Located in Pragati Maidan near Mathura Road, it displays crafts from various states.
State Emporia: These are a series of state Government
shops on Baba Kharak Singh Marg close to Connaught Place,
selling handicraft items from the respective states
at, what they claim, moderate prices.
Dilli Haat: Handicrafts and cuisine from the states
are available at the shops in the complex run by the
Government or Government-approved shops. It is located
near Safdarjung.
Birla Mandir: A new temple built by the industrialists, the Birlas, near Connaught Place.
Bahai Temple: The structure is lotus-shaped. It is
a place of secular worship.
Shanker's Dolls Museum: It has a collection of dolls from all over the world. It is situated on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg near Delhi Gate, and it gets its name from a well-known cartoonist.
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