Delhi is a city of heritage and history. From Mythological story of Mahabharat to Mughals, from being capital of Pandavas to capital of Independent India, it has its own significance. Every monument has it's own architecture and history. It is also a source of knowledge.
Before making arrangements for Delhi I haven't heard a solitary snippet of data about Aksharadama. I had an entirely unexpected thought regarding lotus temple. In spite of the fact that I had the unmistakable picture of Bangla Saheb, it was greatly improved involvement. Strolling in narrow streets of Chandani Chowk was out of the case understanding. My third and fourth visit to Delhi has been a progressively essential one. I have just clarified progressively about my other Delhi encounters. This post is a continuation of the last post about Delhi.
Akshardham Temple Complex
Nearest Metro station: Pragathi Maidhan
Highlight: Water show
Camera not allowed
I have envisioned how might be a modern temple with the development of innovation and commercialization. Akshardham was precise of my imagination. For a person who would like to find the peace and meaning in the temple, it was difficult to digest extreme commercialization of temples. But then I removed the expectation and in end, it turned out to be a memorable one.
Akshardham temple is built for Swami Narayan, a Yogi who founded Swamy Narayan Sampraday. He is very much popular in Gujarat. You could find many videos about him in the Exhibition Hall. The Hall of values depicting the story of Swamy Narayan were the unique presentations I had seen. Our education system should have this kind of presentations to teach history and the biographies of inspirational people. You should not miss the cultural boat ride to the Vedic period (Sanskruti Darshan).
The architecture of Akshardham is unique and it's one of the best modern architecture you could find in India. But the most beautiful part of this complex is the water show in the evening, probably the best I have seen till date. Without this show, this visit looked very much ordinary.
Lotus Temple
Nearest Metro: Nehru Place
Highlight: Architecture and history of Bahai community
Allowed for all-region people
Inside prayer hall photos not allowed
Out of the considerable number of spots in Delhi, this is of a more noteworthy centrality. I thought 30-45 minutes was sufficient to cover this spot. Nevertheless, I took more than 3-4 hours to cover this spot. Lotus temple is reported as the most visited building in the world in 2001. When I got to know this is not a Hindu temple, I was curious to know what it is. I have never heard about the Bahai community before. The prayer hall, the museum, and the videos were very much enlightening. You can recite any religious and spiritual texts here. That is the beauty of this temple. The architecture of this temple is one of the unique architecture you could find in India. I invested more time in the museum to understand the Baha'i community.
To know more about the Bahai community, you could check the wiki. They teach the essentials of all religions. Their contribution to nonformal education is appreciable. A lady sitting in the information center who is from Hyderabad gave a lot of information about the architecture of Lotus temple. Though I attended a video session which happens at a regular interval, she gave me 2 booklets.
For me this is one among the top 3 places to visit in Delhi.
Nearest metro station: Patel Chowk
Here comes the best place to visit in Delhi. For the best experience, for the spirituality, for patriotism, for food and for respect, this place is must visit. I have no words to express what I felt after entering this place. I spent a few minutes in the prayer hall and then waited for lungar. So many volunteers visit this place and serve here. I don't need to mention specifically here, I have special love for Gurudwaras. They serve the people with utmost honesty and humbleness.
Do not miss the museum here. It has stories about the gurus, the history and their sacrifices.
Chandani Chowk
The next visit was Chandani Chawk. It was built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan. It was once the center of business in Delhi and now it's a big market place. The must visit place for foodies. Though it is a crowded place, the options are more. Parathewala Galli is more famous here. Do not miss to taste paratha and lassi here. This place is also good for shopping. This is like the discount market where you could find the goods at a much cheaper price. But in Delhi, there are much better places where you can go for shopping.
I suggest you all travel solo a few times in your life. That makes you come out of your shell. It makes you stronger than ever.
Remember "Difficult roads leads to the beautiful destination."
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