This is my 1st review in the Travel category and I am starting it by writing a review on my city, New Delhi. I also live in Delhi. I recently got to know about a "Travel review" thing and I am giving my entry for that.
About Delhi - Delhi as the "Heart of India" -
New Delhi, is also known as the heart of India and it is also the capital city of India. Delhi, has been the capital since the days of Mahabharata when Yudhisthir, made Indraprastha his capital. Indraprastha, later became to be known as Delhi. Also, when Moghuls came to rule India, they made Delhi as their capital building many ancient monuments like Qutab Minar, Red Fort, etc. in Delhi.
Delhi, is a city having all the modern facilities like shopping malls, multiplexes, amusement parks and also places of historical interest, markets, religious places, restaurants and hotels. I will be reviewing them one by one.
Historical Places -
Red Fort - The Red fort, was built towards the end of the Moghul rule and initially, had some designs made of gold inside the fort. The British, came and took away all the gold from the Red fort and those designs which were made of gold, now still remain as hollow deigns. During the Independence day, the flag hoisting ceremony still happens in the Red Fort. Also, a Sound & Light show telling about Delhi and its history takes place in the evenings at the Red Fort.
Qutab Minar - The Qutab Minar was built by Qutab-ud-din Aibak in the 13th century. Quutab-ud-din Aibak was the emperor of Delhi and built the Qutab Minar. It still remains one of the greatest historical monuments of India and also the World.
Old Fort - The Old Fort near Pragati Maidan, was built by Humayun and Sher Shah on the banks of the then river Yamuna. Some remains of the River Yamuna still remain there in the form of a lake which is used for boating purposes.
India Gate - The India Gate was built near the Rashtrapati Bhawan as a tribute to all the freedom fighters who died fighting for India. The name of each and every freedom fighter who died fighting is still etched in the India Gate.
Jantar-Mantar - The Jantar-Mantar near Connaught Place, was built by Sawai Jai Singh of Jaipur and it is a observatory and it has instruments which were used to measure time once when there were no electronic clocks.
Rashtrapati Bhawan - The Rashtrapati Bhawan, houses the President of India and it was built in Lutyens Delhi in 1929. Its garden, Mughal Gardens is famous for its blooming flowers and it is open to the public around the month of February.
Rajghat - The Rajghat is where the remains of Mahatma Gandhi were cremated on 31 Jan 1948. It is built on the banks of the River Yamuna.
Religious Places -
Jama Masjid - The Jama Masjid was built by Shah Jahan for the Muslims to offer prayers in what is still the largest Mosque built in India.
Laxmi Narayan Mandir - The Laxmi Narayan Mandir, was built in 1938 and it tells about the gods which are worshipped in India.
Lotus Temple - The Lotus Temple, near Nehru Place, is a Temple built using white marble in the shape of a lotus. The Lotus Temple, can still be seen from the roof-tops of 7 storey apartments in East Delhi. The Lotus Temple, has a big hall allowing people to do meditation.
Akshardham Mandir - The Akshardham Mandir, was built on the banks of River Yamuna recently.
Markets -
Chandni Chowk - Chandni Chowk, near the Red Fort, still remains as one of the oldest and the most busiest markets of Delhi. Almost all types of goods are available easily in Chandni Chowk and the nearby Chawri Bazar.
Janpath - Janpath, near Connaught Place is a popular cloth market in Delhi, where all types of clothes are available at reasonable prices. In Janpath, one can get good quality clothes and that too at cheap prices.
Palika Bazar - Palika Bazar in Connaught Place is a totally underground and fully A.C shopping complex in Delhi. In Palika Bazar, lots of CDs, DVDs, clothes and Electronic items are available at very cheap prices.
Amusement Parks -
Appu Ghar - The Appu Ghar built in Gate 9 of Pragati Maidan is the oldest Amusement Park of Delhi where people from all ages come and enjoy on the joyrides. It is a fun-filled place for kids and youngsters, especially the Oysters water park. All types of Joyrides are available out of which Appus Columbus and My Fair Lady happen to be the most scariest.
Fun ’n’ Food Village - The Fun ’n’ Food village built on the Delhi-Jaipur highway is another good Amusement Park in Delhi, but it is however more expensive than the Appu Ghar. It has a huge water park as well.
Restaurants -
Al-Nazeer in Shakarpur, Delhi - Its kebabs and Non-Veg items are awesome. They have another branch in Sec-18, Noida as well.
Karims - A famous restaurant among NRIs and most of them happen to visit it during their Indian visit.
Al-Sameer in Mayur Vihar phase-1, Delhi - It makes very good Non-Veg items and so you might want to check this restaurant out.
There are some restaurants in 5-star hotels of Delhi, like the Bukhara restaurant in Maurya Sheraton and the Sagar Ratna in Lodhi Road.
Public Transport -
Delhi Metro Rail - The Delhi Metro Rail, started in 24 December 2002 from Shahdara to Tis Hazari, and now the work on its Phase-1 has been completed. The Delhi Metro Rail, is a world-class system of public transport in Delhi and is fully A.C as well. The Delhi Metro, will be completed by about 2021 and will connect almost the whole of Delhi, including Rural Delhi.
DTC Buses & Blue-lines - The local buses of Delhi, but most of them happen to run over-crowded during peak hours when the Office-going rush is there.
Best time to Visit Delhi -
The best time to visit Delhi is from November to February when the weather is not too hot and humid. The weather is usually pleasant in these months.
Environment -
As Delhi, is a big city, so Delhi does get polluted sometimes, but usually the Pollution is kept under control and in most of the residential areas, the air is very pleasant.