New Delhi (नई दिल्ली) is the capital city of India. New Delhi is a sprawling metropolis with many delightful places to visit. For example the Lotus Temple is a bright hub of light in the shape of a lotus flower. The ‘petals’ of the Lotus Temple is made of white marble imported from Greece. Especially at night, the Lotus Temple looks like a glowing flower that is about to open ever so slightly. Although the Lotus Temple is a house of worship, millions of tourists also come just to see the Temple from a distance.

The Jantar Mantar is an observatory with an outside dial that is red in color and has a plane parallel to the equator. This dial can be used to observe the movements of the sun, moon and other heavenly bodies. It can also measure the time of day. It is so accurate that it can calculate the correct time up to half a second. This isn’t surprising because since ancient times India has been advanced in the fields of mathematics, science and astronomy.

If you want to experience a piece of history, visit the India Gate. The India Gate is a major Indian landmark that commemorates the death of 90,000 Indian soldiers who fought for the British Army. Underneath the arch of the India Gate is a shrine dedicated to the remains of an unidentified Indian soldier. While the India Gate is made of red sandstone and granite, the shrine is made of black marble. On special days like Republic Day, the India Gate serves as a major place for parades.

The Secretariat Building is a fusion of Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture and is a major meeting place for certain government offices like the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Finance, the Prime Minister’s Office and others. The picture below is a picture of the North Block of the Secretariat Building, which is primarily used by the Ministry of Finance. There is also a South Block, which houses the Prime Minister’s office. These are my favorite New Delhi places. What are your favorites?