Things to see & do in Delhi

Colonial heritage

This chaos is all very much at odds with what the original British city planners had in mind, which was a city that was laid out with grand proportions, dominated by the Rajpath and Janpath promenades as well as a vast residence for the Viceroy, Rashtrapati Bhavan, overlooking the city masterfully from its position on the hill. It is now the President’s residence and the largest of its kind in the world. Connaught Place was designed as an elegant, circular commercial centre and modelled on Royal Crescent in Bath, with 12 roads leading off it. All in all, the city was to represent the pinnacle of imperial power with British design and desires at the heart of it all.

Interestingly, India’s Prime Minister resides at a very different style of household, at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi which is made up of five white bungalows, first lived in by Rajiv Gandhi in 1984.

You can see that in its many phases of reconstruction over the centuries, Old Delhi does seem to have a timeless ability to just work as a city. Narrow alleys keep you cool in the summer heat, everywhere is accessible on foot or traditional cycle rickshaw, people live above their shops or restaurants, and it follows an urban masterplan which some architects say is actually far superior to the modern one. Community, rather than out and out consumerism, thrives here.

A magnificent red sandstone fortification, it is home to a collection of museums, pavilions and Persian influenced gardens. It is a symbolic site in Delhi, with the Prime Minister giving his annual address from here on Independence Day, as well as raising the Indian flag at the Fort on this special occasion. Inside its 33m high red sandstone walls lies a collection of architectural wonders, such as the Hall of Public Audiences, the Pearl Mosque and the Royal Baths. There is an evening sound and light show which gathers pretty big crowds.