Delhi in 1 day

Seeing a city in one day is difficult, but it is possible to hit a lot of the major sights.  I had one day in Delhi during my trip to India, and I was able to see a surprising number of things.  I had a taxi at my disposal, so I didn't have to worry about transportation between places (or haggling with auto drivers in a language I barely speak), but the Metro system is supposed to be quite good as well.

I have to say that Delhi is surprisingly clean, and there is an initiative to make the city more green, so there are lots of trees and open spaces.  The green initiatives actually seem to be gaining momentum all over the country.  Even in Hyderabad (the current capital city of Andhra Pradesh), there is more of an effort to maintain open spaces, which I don't remember being as much of an emphasis seven years ago, when I last visited.

I really enjoyed what I saw of Delhi.  There a lot of history there alongside the modern infrastructure, and it's fascinating to see the two interwoven throughout the city.  Hopefully, I'll get a chance to go back and explore some more.

For this trip, these are the places I was able to explore.

1. Lal Qila (Red Fort):

There are actually two well-known Red Forts, one in Delhi and one in Agra.  The Red Fort in Delhi is supposed to be modeled after the one in Agra, as it was built by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan when he moved the capital of the empire from Agra to Delhi.

Lahore Gate at the Red Fort

2. Raj Ghat

The Yamuna River is lined with graves of famous people.  One of the most famous is that of Mohandas Gandhi, which is known as the Raj Ghat.

3. Akshardham

A multimillion rupee construction project, the Akshardham temple in Delhi was built by the  Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a religious sect of Hinduism.  The temple is very extensive and carved beautifully from Rajasthan sandstone, but it's not as historically interesting as some of the other sights in Delhi.

4. India Gate

The India gate is a national monument built to commemorate the Indian soldiers who lost their lives during World War I.  Their names are inscribed on the gate.  The India gate stands along the Rajpath, a ceremonial boulevard along which a number of government buildings are located.  The history of British rule is obvious here, as the Rajpath has a distinctively European design.

5. Humayun's Tomb

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Humayun's Tomb is a monument in Delhi, built for the Mughal emperor Humayun by his wife.  On a historically interesting note, it was used as a refugee camp during the Partition of 1947 for Muslims migrating to Pakistan.

Humayun's Tomb in Delhi

6. Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple is well-known because of its iconic shape and well-maintained grounds.  It is a Baha'i House of Worship and is built from white marble.  The structure has received a number of awards and a lot of attention in the architecture community.

Lotus Temple at sunset

7. Qutb Minar
The Qutb Minar complex in Delhi is an ancient monument.  Construction of the minar itself was started in 1192, and after its completion nearly two centuries later, it was used as a watch tower.  At the time of its construction and for many years after, it was the tallest monument in India.  The complex is also home to the rustless iron pillar, which has remained resistant to corrosion for centuries.  The iron pillar contains inscriptions from the period of the Gupta empire, nearly 1000 years ago.

Qutb Minar at night

This was an intense day of sightseeing, but I managed to see a lot of what I wanted to see in Delhi, and I still had plenty of time to explore the different places I visited.  Plus, it helped me stay awake through my jet lag!