Delhi

Delhi Travel Guide

Delhi rewards the determined sightseer with more than a thousand monuments and two old capital building complexes -- including the present seat of the government, designed by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (born 1869-1944). Cosmopolitan hotels, shopping, and fine restaurants abound. Delhi also offers a glimpse into the real India: the labyrinthine street bazaars of Old Delhi, and the temples and monuments of India's checkered colonial past. In the deepest sense, from Old Delhi's Red Fort and Jama Masjid mosque to New Delhi's chic art galleries and nightclubs, Delhi is a profoundly Indian city.

Turbaned shepherds still lead goats and sheep through ravines in Delhi's remaining open fields and near the airports. In Delhi's golf course, Muslim monuments share the fairways with peacocks. Eunuchs sashay past shops that sell Western products on Connaught Place. Rajasthani women in bright saris and men in lungis (skirtlike wraps) work with outdated tools on construction sites while executives work out on computerized equipment in health clubs. By day, temples are packed with the devout, and by night, hotel discos are packed with the affluent. You'll see sadhus (Hindu holy men) walking along the streets while young men zoom around on motorcycles.

Delhi is a city on the move -- it's the gateway to the northern regions, and the seat of India's government. Don't be surprised if you see cavalcades of cars forcing traffic to the side of the road. These are the many VIP, VVIP, and VVVIP politicians of India's Parliament. It's no secret that movers and shakers predominate here -- the decisions and behavior of Delhi's political big shots are the talk of the town. You can say a lot of things about Delhi, but you can't accuse it of being a humdrum town.

Photo: Flat Earth/PictureQuest