Delhi

The red sandstone walls of the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila) rise 33m above the clamour of 'Old' Delhi as a reminder of the magnificent power and pomp of the Moghul emperors. The walls, built in 1638, may have been designed to keep out invaders, but today they mainly keep out the noise and confusion of the city, making the fort and its gardens and pavilions a peaceful haven from the surrounding chaos. The fort's main gate, the Lahore Gate, is one of the emotional and symbolic focal points of the modern Indian nation. The vaulted arcade of Chatta Chowk leads into the huge fort compound. Inside is a veritable treasure trove of buildings, including the Drum House, the Hall of Public Audiences the white marble Hall of Private Audiences, the Pearl Mosque, Royal Baths and Palace of Colour.

The great mosque of 'Old' Delhi is the largest in India, with a courtyard capable of holding 25,000 devotees. It was commenced in 1644 and ended up being the final architectural extravagance of Shah Jahan, the Moghul emperor who built the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. The highly decorative mosque has three great gateways, four towers and two 40m high minarets constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble. Travellers arriving bare-legged can hire robes at the northern gate. This may be the only time you get to dress like a local without feeling like a prat, so make the most of the hallowed atmosphere.

The main street of 'Old' Delhi is a magnificent bazaar and as fine a monument to congestion, colour and chaos as you'll find in India today. In Shah Jahan's day it was endowed with fine mansions, had a tree-lined canal flowing down its centre and was renowned throughout Asia; today it's jampacked with artisans, traders and auto-rickshaws and comprises a fantastic cocktail of stench, movement, uproar and fumes. There's a Jain temple at the street's eastern end, near the Red Fort at the western end is the Fatehpuri Mosque, built by one of Shah Jahan's wives in 1650.

This grand tomb is the best-preserved example of early Moghul architecture in Delhi and one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. Built in the mid-16th century by Haji Begum, wife of Humayun, the second Moghul emperor, it displays elements of Moghul design which were eventually refined and was incorporated into the Taj Mahal in Agra. It comprises a squat building with high arched entrances topped by a bulbous dome and surrounded by formal gardens. The gardens also contain the red-and-white sandstone and black-and-yellow marble tomb of Humayun's wife and surprisingly the tomb of Humayun's barber.

Qutab Minar is a soaring, 73m high tower of victory, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din immediately after the defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom. It symbolises Islamic rule of the city. The tower has five distinct stories each marked by a projecting balcony and it tapers like something out of a fairy tale from a 15m diameter at the base to just 2.5m at the peak. The first three stories are made of red sandstone, the fourth and fifth stories of marble and sandstone. The stairs inside the tower coil so steeply that they're enough to make the hardiest climber dizzy and it is also claustrophobicand. It was no surprise to anyone when during a school trip in 1979 a stampede occurred resulting in a number of deaths. As a result of this the inside of the tower has since been closed to visitors.
At the foot of the tower is the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque the first mosque to be built in India. An inscription over its eastern gate provocatively informs that it was built with material obtained from demolishing `27 idolatrous (read Hindu) temples'. A 7m high iron pillar stands in the courtyard of the mosque and it's said that if you can encircle it with your hands whilst standing with your back to it and your wish will be fulfilled!

Raj Ghat is not far from the banks of the Yamuna River and has a simple black marble memorial to Mahatma Gandhi marking the spot where he was cremated following his assassination in 1948. A commemorative ceremony takes place every Friday. Two museums dedicated to Gandhi are close by. Jawaharlal Nehru was cremated just to the north at Shanti Vana (Forest of Peace). The area is now a beautiful park with labelled trees planted by a mixed bag of notables, including Elizabeth II, Dwight Eisenhower and Ho Chi Minh. The rarely visited but quite beautiful Zinat-ul Masjid (Most Beautiful of Mosques) towers over Raj Ghat.

Khari Baoli the street which runs from the Fatehpuri Mosque to the western edge of the old city is Delhi's bustling wholesale spice market. It's well worth a wander simply to take in the sights and smells because things have changed little here for centuries.

Raj fans looking for a nostalgia fix should head to the Coronation Durbar site, marked by a lone obelisk in a desolate field located in open country north of `Old' Delhi. It was on this site that, in 1877 and 1903, the durbars were enacted and in 1911, King George V was declared Emperor of India. Close by there's a walled garden complete with a rogues' gallery of marble statues of former Imperial dignitaries, languishing like naughty schoolboys out of the public eye. Pride of place goes to a 15m high statue of George V which rises ghost-like above the acacia trees. It was placed here after being removed from the canopy midway along Rajpath soon after Independence.

The Shalimar Garden which lies on the fringes of the city about 10km north-west of `Old' Delhi, is one of the most important Moghul gardens in the city. This was once the first-night staging post for the Moghuls on their way to Kashmir and Lahore. Aurangzeb was crowned emperor here in 1658. The beautiful central pavilion the Shish Mahal was built by Shah Jahan. It is in an advanced state of decay and some of the original painted flower decoration has survived.

The Taj Mahal described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love has become the tourist emblem of India. This poignant Moghul mausoleum was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, whose death in childbirth in 1631 left the emperor so heartbroken that his hair is said to have turned grey overnight. Made out of white marble took 22 years to complete (1630-1652 AD). Ustad Isa, a Persian Architect, is said to be the main designer and planner for this magnificent memorial. On full moon nights the glory of the Taj is at its best. It is open from 9 AM to 5 PM for a nominal fee.

Built by emperor Akber in 1565 AD, this huge fort is made of red-sandstone and houses Pearl mosque and many other noteworthy structures. It is open from morning till evening.

This tomb was got constructed by Nur Jahan in sweet memory of her father
Ghiasud-Din-Beg between 1622-1628 AD. This white marble structure is predating even Taj although smaller to Taj but inlay work is often considered equal if not better.

The `China tomb' is a km north of the Itmad-ud-daulah. The squat, square tomb, surmounted by a single huge dome was constructed in his own life-time by Afzal Khan who died in Lahore in 1639. He was a high official in the court of Shah Jahan. The exterior was covered in brightly coloured enamelled tiles and the whole building clearly displayed its Persian influence. Today much has decayed.

Laid out by the Emperor Babur, first of the Mughals, in 1528 this is the earliest Mughal garden. It is said that Babur was buried here before being permanently interred at Kabul in Afghanistan. The Ram Bagh is two to three km further north of the China-ka-Rauza on the riverside.

Across the railway tracks from the Delhi Gate of Agra Fort the Jami Masjid was built by Shah Jahan in 1648. An inscription over the main gate indicates that it was built in the name of Jahanara, Shah Jahan's daughter who was imprisoned with Shah Jahan by Aurangzeb.