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 Jama
Masjid
Jama Masjid or the
Jami Masjid was
built by the Mughal
Emperor, Shah Jahan,
between 1644 and
1658 and is the
final architectural
piece built by him.
Situated in the
ancient town of Old
Delhi, this pride of
the Mughals was
built by five
thousand artisans.
The mosque stands on
Bho Jhala, which is
one of the old
Mughal capital
cities of
Shahjahanbad.
Originally called
the
Masjid-i-Jahanuma,
or "mosque
commanding view of
the world", this
magnificent
structure is the
largest and most
exquisite mosque in
India and is made up
of alternate
vertical strips of
red sandstone and
white marble.
The tower is made up
of five distinct
storeys, each marked
by a projecting
balcony. Beautiful
calligraphy adorns
its adjacent
edifices. The first
three storeys of the
tower are made of
red sandstone, the
fourth is made of
marble, while the
fifth is made of
sandstone again. The
Qutb Minar is
covered with
intricate carvings
and deeply inscribed
verses from the
Koran.
On the east, this
monument faces the
Lal Quila (Red Fort)
and has three
gateways, four
towers and two
minarets. The
gateways in the
north and south are
led by a fleet of
steps. The main
eastern entrance
remains closed on
most days of the
week and was perhaps
used by the
Emperors.
The main prayer hall
is used on most days
by worshippers and
is made up of high
cusped arches and
marble domes. On
Fridays and other
holy days the
courtyard is filled
with devotees who
come in for 'Namaaz'.
The cupboard in the
North gate of the
mosque contains a
collection of
Muhammad's relics -
the Koran written on
deerskin, a red
beard-hair of the
prophet, his sandals
and his footprint,
embedded in a marble
slab, all of which
are still preserved. |
 Lotus
Temple
The Bahá'í House of
Worship is a very
recent architectural
marvel of the Bahá’í
faith, located in
Kalkaji, south of
Delhi. Shaped like a
half opened Lotus
flower, this temple
is made of marble,
cement, dolomite and
sand. It is open to
all faiths and is an
ideal place for
meditation and
obtaining peace and
tranquility. To the
people of India the
lotus flower
signifies purity and
peace, a
representation of
the Manifestation of
God. This ancient
symbol has been
given a modern and
contemporary form in
the structure of the
Bahá’í House of
Worship drawing into
its sanctum
sanctorum people
from all races,
religious
backgrounds and
culture from around
the globe. It
represents the
Bahá’í faith, - an
independent world
religion; divine in
origin, all
embracing in scope,
broad in its
outlook, scientific
in its method,
humanitarian in its
principles, and
dynamic in the
influence.
The Baha’í Faith
The Baha'í Faith is
the youngest of the
world's independent
religions. Its
founder, Bahá'u'lláh
(1817-1892), is
regarded by Bahá'ís
as the most recent
in the line of
Messengers of God
that stretches back
beyond recorded time
and includes
Abraham, Moses,
Buddha, Zoroaster,
Christ and Muhammad.
The central theme of
Bahá'u'lláh's
message is that
humanity is one
single race and
 that
the day has come for
its unification in
one global society.
God, Bahá'u'lláh
said, has set in
motion historical
forces that are
breaking down
traditional barriers
of race, class,
creed, and nation
and that will, in
time, give birth to
a universal
civilization. The
principal challenge
facing the peoples
of the earth is to
accept the fact of
their oneness and to
assist the processes
of unification.
One of the purposes
of the Bahá'í Faith
is to help make this
possible. A
worldwide community
of some five million
Bahá'ís,
representative of
most of the nations,
races and cultures
on earth, is working
to give
Bahá'u'lláh's
teachings practical
effect. Their
experience will be a
source of
encouragement to all
who share their
vision of humanity
as one global family
and the earth as one
homeland. |
 Chhatarpur
Temple
One of the most
popular Hindu
temples around
Delhi, Chhatarpur
Temple is located at
a distance of 4 kms.
from Qutb Minar.
Extended over a wide
area in serene
ambience, the temple
presents a classic
example of modern
temple architecture
that embodies
extensive use of
marbles.
The main Temple is
dedicated to goddess
Durga, while you can
also worship Shiva,
Vishnu, Lakshmi or
Ganesh in adjoining
temples.
During Durga Puja
days, this place
attracts a large
number of devotees,
who gather here to
offer prayers. It is
believed that tying
a thread on a tree
located in the
temple premises will
get your wishes
fulfilled.
Round-the-clock
discourses and
prayers are held
which any devotee
can participate. |
 Nizam-Ud-Din
Shrine
The tomb of the
famous sufi saint
Nizam-ud-din Auliya
is built on the way
from Humayun's tomb.
Inside the premises
of the shrine is a
tank which is
surrounded by many
other tombs. It is
said that there was
a controversy
between the rulers
of Tughlakabad and
the saint over
building this tank.
The saint had said
that the city of
Tughlakabad will
never flourish and
so did it happen.
The shrine also has
the tomb of Amir
Khusru and the grave
of Jahanara, the
daughter of Shah
Jahan. It is worth
visiting the shrine
at around sunset on
Thursdays, as it is
a popular time for
worship, and qawwali
singers start
performing after the
evening prayers. |
 Birla
Temple
Significance
This is
one of the landmarks
in the nation’s
capital New Delhi.
It was built in the
20th century by the
Birla family of
industrialists known
for its many other
temples in India. It
is modern in concept
and construction. It
attracts several
devotees and
international
tourists. The
presiding deity here
is Lakshmi Narain
(Vishnu).
History
This
temple was built
over a six year
period (1933 - 1939)
and was opened by
Mahatma Gandhi.
Architecture
The
highest tower in the
temple reaches a
height of 165 feet
while the ancillary
towers reach 116
feet. The Geeta
Bhavan, a hall is
adorned with
beautiful paintings
depicting scenes
from Indian
mythology. There is
also a temple
dedicated to Buddha
in this complex with
fresco paintings
describing his life
and work. The entire
complex, especially
the walls and the
upper gallery are
full of paintings
carried out by
artists from Jaipur
in Rajasthan. The
rear of the temple
has been developed
as an artificial
mountainous
landscape with
fountains and
waterfalls.
Other shrines in
the temple
Durga and Shiva are
the other major
deities housed in
this temple. Mention
must be made of the
Buddha temple in
this complex. Access
and Accommodation:
Accomodation is
available in the
temple guest house
for out of town
travellers
especially for
international
scholars pursuing
knowledge in
Sanskrit or in the
Hindu religion. |
 Iskcon
Temple
For many this is
just a temple, for
finding solace,
peace and quiet.
Sitting amongst Lord
Krishna and his
devotees with Hare
Krishna chants going
around is indeed an
experience. But for
those who are
seeking more, there
is so much to learn
and see, than what
meets the eye.
From a restaurant to
a museum in the
making, a library
and a special
animatronics show,
ISKCON has it all.
While looking around
if you get hunger
pangs, you need not
go further than the
completely
vegetarian
restaurant Govinda.
The idea behind the
upcoming museum is
to present Indian
history in an
interactive manner.
Says Dina Nath Das,
the brain behind the
entire show “it is
important to present
the story of human
evolution to the
people, in the right
manner. Thus the
sound and light
presentations
accompanied by huge
relief and life-like
figures are bound to
make an impact on an
audience, far more
than just an
exhibition”. The
museum will be
opened by August for
those who want to
see the best of
science and religion
together. |
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