Tourist Places In Delhi

Delhi is a rich architecturally speaking – home to forts Red Fort & Purana Quila, the tombs – Humayun’s Tomb, temples such as Birla temple & Lotus temple. Some prominent structures from the British era include the India gate, the Parliament House (my favorite building), the Connaught Place, the Viceroy house. In recent times the development of Akshardham temple has created much controversy due to the environmentally sensitive location. We enjoyed visiting and clicking pictures at most of the above locations all of which are highly recommended (time permitting). If you are short on time – do not miss Humayun’s tomb, India Gate and Akshardham temple.

We stayed at Taj Palace in Delhi, which was very accessible from all the major attractions. We also enjoyed dining at Rodeo’s (Mexican) and at Radisson’s Italiana (near the airport).

North India - Golden Triangle Tour

One of the extremely popular travel circuits in India is the Golden Triangle covering Delhi (capital of India), Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, Jaipur (capital of state of Rajasthan). Each of these destinations has a rich history from times of former Hindu, Mughal & British rulers of India.

The tour started from Delhi, which is an interesting amalgamation of the fascinating experiences. This old and yet very young capital of India was bristling with energy. Lots of construction in all the parts (most of it due to Metro Lines being laid for upcoming commonwealth games) made navigating through this busy metropolis very difficult – but we enjoyed every moment nevertheless.

Delhi is a hundreds of years old capital of the country and as per some accounts the history stretches back thousands of years from the time of Mahabharata (an ancient Indian scripture). The city is dotted with structures (& ruins) of historic, medieval times from its rich past.

Is it safe to travel to India?

First there were floods and then the bomb blasts - so the question on lots of people minds (who were thinking of traveling to India) is whether it is safe to travel to India. Clearly the questions are very valid and the fear tangible. However India continues to be a very safe destination for tourists and we aim to answer such questions through this article.

India is a large country and incidents happening in one part of the country do not impact another. Lets start with the flood situation. The floods are localised in parts of Bihar, which is a state in north India. Bihar is not significant from tourism perspective other than places like Gaya, known for their rich Buddhist history. So far floods in Bihar have impacted the districts of Ararea, Purnea, Madhepura, Saharsha and Kursaila.

Also in late September there has been heavy rainfall in Himachal which has had some effect on normal life in Shimla and adjoining hills, but again these incidents are far and remote inbetween and effect travel during a certain timeperiod only.

The September bomb blasts in Delhi and those earlier in Gujarat have been a cause of concern for general population and the tourists alike. So far though, the impact on everyday life & business has been low. Also the investigative agencies have made progress and nabbed those behind the blasts, which surely should act as some deterrent.

Till the situation improves, it is advisable to follow safety precautions such as avoiding crowded places and bazaars, being vigilant while using busy public transport such as trains & buses, not making friends with complete strangers etc, taking good care of your personal and precious belongings etc.

Overall the situation all over India remains peacefull and conducive to travel and tourism. One way of judging the overall mood is by looking at the domestic (Indian) tourism sector -where there has been good growth & the travel traffic looks all set to increase again in the coming fall and winter travel season.

Durga Pooja : Dussehra

The last four days of Sharad Navratri are celebrated as Durga Puja in West Bengal (in East India). This is the biggest festival of the year in this state. Exquisitely crafted and decorated life-size clay idols of the Goddess Durga depicting her slaying the demon Mahisasura are set up in temples and other places. These idols are then worshipped for five days and immersed in the river on the fifth day.

In the South Indian states of Tamil Nadu & Karnataka, Sharad Navratri is celebrated by setting up of Golu or Bombegalu. It is believed that this was a means to invite people home to celebrate the festivities with them. In Karanataka, particularly Mysore on the 10th day the enacting of destruction of evil (Ravana destroyed by Rama) is displayed with the lighting of dolls representing Ravana and forces of evil.

In West India, Sharad Navratri is celebrated with the famous Garba dance. Garba is a circular dance performed by women around an earthenware pot called a garbo. As the dancers whirl around the pot clapping in a steady rhythm with a singer and a drummer provide the musical accompaniment. Another popular form of dance is Dandia-ras or 'stick' dance, in which men and women join the dance circle, holding small polished sticks or dandias. As they whirl to the rhythm of the dance, men and women strike the dandias together.

Another popular celebration of the festival happens in Kullu also known as the valley of Living Gods. A festival procession carrying the idol of Lord Ragunath is led by the Kullu Raja and village deities. The procession starts a week of religious ceremonies, cultural activities, socializing and shopping at the huge bazaar.

Celebration In India

With a vast multitude of religions, geographies and climates - there is no shortage of reasons to keep celebrating in India.In the very first post I will tell you about very important celebrations coming up in October .
The first festival which is coming is "Navratri Festival".

Sharad Navratri Festival
Celebrations: Throughout India
Date: Beginning Of October

Sharad Navratri or Maha Navratri is a Hindu festival of worship and dance. Sharad means "winter" & Navaratri means "nine nights" in Sanskrit. During these nine nights and ten days at the onset of winters, nine forms of female divinity are worshipped.

The festival is celebrated during the beginning of October the exact dates determined by the lunar calendar. Sharad Navratris are celebrated in different ways throughout India. In North India, Sharad Navratris are celebrated with much fervor by fasting on all nine days and worshipping the Goddess Parvati in her different forms. The festival culminates in Durga Puja and Dussehra (means "ten days").


The foreign travellers show a great interest in the cultural and heritage tour of India.India is known for its diverse culture and tradition.

The rest of the festival will be discussed in next post.