Sights & Attractions in Delhi

Delhi's commercial and geographic hub used to be Connaught Place, a fact reflected in the area's hub-and-spokes layout. Connaught Place (commonly referred to as just "C. P.") remains popular with tourists, particularly backpackers—hence its abundance of beggars, money changers both legitimate and illegitimate, and drug dealers—but it's no longer the capital's nerve center. As development sprawls south, spilling over into suburbs, South Delhi has become the center of social and, to a large extent, commercial life.

Central Delhi, between Connaught Place and South Delhi, is also known as Lutyens' Delhi. Designed by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) for the ruling British government of the early 20th century, Lutyens' Delhi remains the home of the Indian government, including Rashtrapati Bhavan (the Presidential Palace), the North and South Secretariats, Sansad Bhavan (Parliament House), and India Gate, a massive monument to British Indian Army soldiers killed in World War I and the Afghan wars. Most of Delhi's museums are nearby, and the surrounding area is filled with tree-lined boulevards, lovely old bungalows, and affluent residential neighborhoods.

Sprawling New Delhi is best navigated on wheels—hire a car, taxi, or auto-rickshaw to get around. In contrast, the narrow lanes of Old Delhi are a walker's delight.

Note that brochures, maps, floor plans and annotation are nonexistent at most sights; you must be guided by your own inclination. Be prepared to remove your shoes when visiting religious institutions, including the Charity Birds Hospital; women should bring a scarf to cover their heads. Shorts are not appropriate attire for adults at any religious sites and may also be inappropriate at some bars and restaurants and cultural performances.

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