Jun 2011 : Delhi

Travel Title: Family Trip to New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & The Kingdom of Dreams (Gurgaon, Haryana), India in 2011.

When: June 2011

About The Trip:

Purpose: Family Trip to New Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & The Kingdom of Dreams (Gurgaon, Haryana), India in 2011.

Days/Nights: 6 Days  5 Nights

Arrangements: Travel Agent / Self-guided Tour

Route: Tiruchirappalli INDIA – Chennai INDIA (4-hour transit) – Delhi INDIA (2 nights) – Agra INDIA – Delhi INDIA (1 night) – Jaipur INDIA – Delhi INDIA (1 night) – Gurgaon, Haryana INDIA – Delhi INDIA (1 night) – Chennai INDIA – Tiruchirappalli INDIA

Traveling Method & Time:

Tiruchirappalli – Chennai = by aeroplane (≈ 45 minutes)

Chennai – Delhi = by aeroplane (≈  2 hours 15 minutes)

Delhi – Agra = in a hired taxi ( ≈ 4 hours 30 minutes)

Around Agra = in a hired taxi (whole day)

Agra – Delhi = in a hired taxi ( ≈ 4 hours 30 minutes)

Delhi – Jaipur = in a hired taxi ( ≈ 5 hours 30 minutes)

Around Jaipur = in a hired taxi (whole day)

Jaipur – Delhi = in a hired taxi ( ≈ 5 hours 30 minutes)

Around Delhi = in a hired taxi (half day)

Delhi – Gurgaon = in a hired taxi (≈ 1 hour)

Gurgaon – Delhi = in a hired taxi (≈ 1 hour)

Delhi – Chennai = by aeroplane (≈ 2 hours 15 minutes)

Chennai – Tiruchirappalli = by car (≈ 5 hours 45 minutes)

Details:

Delhi, officially National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India. The capital city of NCT is New Delhi.  New Delhi is the capital city of Republic of India, serving as both the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India. Situated in West Delhi, it is named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India. Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is a consortium of the GMR Group (50.1%), Fraport AG (10%) and Malaysia Airports (10%), India Development Fund (3.9%) and the Airports Authority of India retains a 26% stake.

Delhi, located in the northern part of India, is home to the famous Qutb Minar, one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Qutb Minar is the world’s tallest brick minaret with a height of 72.5 meters and is famous for its architecture, history and design. The Qutub Minar is one of the earliest and most prominent examples of Indo-Islamic architecture. Numerous Arabic inscriptions and Nagari characters in different places of the minar reveal the history of Qutb. It was believed that Rajputs are the first to have laid the foundation of Qutab Minar. However, after the invassion of Mohammed Ghori (an invader from Afghanistan) it was converted into a structure to celebrate his victory over the Rajputs in 1192. Then in AD 1199, Qutbu’d-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar for the use of the mu’azzin (crier) to give calls for prayer and raised the first storey. Years later, three more storeys were added by his successor and son-in-law, Shamsu’d-Din IItutmish (AD 1211-36).

Humayun’s tomb (Humayun ka Maqbara) is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun (the father of Mughal Emperor Akbar), commissioned by his wife Hamida Banu Begum in 1562 CE, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyath, a Persian architect. Located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent.

Situated in the heart of New Delhi is one of the most prominent monuments of India – The India Gate. The 42-metre tall monument was designed and constructed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, a major 20th century British architect, in 1921 to commemorate the 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in World War I and the Afghan Wars. It is made of red sand stone and granite. Immediately after India gained its independence, India Gate became the site of the Indian Army’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, known as the Amar Jawan Jyoti (The flame of the immortal soldier). Standing behind this monument is an empty canopy made of sandstone. There is also a huge memorial water fountain situated near the monument.

Rajpath (“King’s Way” or “The Royal Street”) which runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan, through Vijay Chowk and India Gate to National Stadium, Delhi is the ceremonial boulevard for the Republic of India. Rajpath is flanked by the North and South Blocks of the Secretariat Building at the top of Raisina Hill. The Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential House/Palace), the official residence of the President of India.

For shopping, head to Connaught Place or officially known as Rajiv Chowk, one of the largest financial, commercial and business centers in Delhi. Palika Bazaar is an underground market located between the inner and outer circle of Connaught Place and it hosts 390 numbered shops selling a diverse range of items, mainly electronic items and clothing.

For brilliant, colourful sarees and kurtas, head to Sarojini Nagar. It was one of the sites of the 29 October 2005 Delhi bombings.

For a vibrant, upscale, unique shopping, Select CITYWALK and DLF Place located in the heart of South Delhi, Saket are just the right place to go to. Do check out the flea market at The Select CityWalk and Hard Rock Cafe at The DLF Place.

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