A Beginner's Guide to New Delhi

[Shubhi Gupta]

Built by colonial British rulers in the early 20th century, India's capital is bordered by Haryana on three sides and by Uttar Pradesh to the east. Its population is over 11 million; it is the second most populated city in India after Mumbai. It has a hot semi-arid climate and the warm season lasts from March to June, but during the other months, in its cold season (from the end of November until the beginning of February) the average daily temperature is below 20 C. Indira Gandhi is the largest and main airport, situated to the southwest of Delhi.

Places to Visit When in Delhi

Lotus Temple

One of the city's most recognizable landmarks is designed in the shape of a sacred lotus flower, its "petals"constructed of marble. It is a religious worshiping ground for people of all religions. On your way to the temple you can enjoy walking through nicely manicured gardens. You can use the metro to get there and once you go off it, you will need to walk for 10 minutes in order to get to the entrance gate. It is closed only on Mondays and the entrance is free of charge.

Hare Krishna Temple (ISKCON)

Located near the Lotus Temple, this is one of the biggest temples dedicated to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. You can visit it during the day and the entrance is free as well.


Red Fort

A royal palace also known as the Red Dort or Lal Quila, this red-sandstone masterpiece was built between 1638 and 1648 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It will transport you back through the history of the city with music, historical narration and light displays. It is open from Sundays to Saturdays and the price you need to pay for an entrance is Rs. 500.

Humayun’s Tomb

Sublimely well proportioned, so it seem like it is floating over the symmetrical gardens, it's believed by many to be the inspiration for the Taj Mahal. Following the strict rules of Islamic geometry, its arched facade is inlaid with white marble and red sandstone.

Meharauli Archeological Park

This is the fascinating ruins of more than a hundred historic monuments - one of the first erected by the sultans of Mehrauli around 1060, and expanded by subsequent rulers, hiring the best craftsmen and artists..



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Several Other Notes


You should be aware that summers in Delhi can be very exhausting ,and during the winter it can be very foggy, so it is better if you avoid those seasons. Also, Delhi is one of the most crowded cities in India because of its population.

If you're a "party animal," you should know that Delhi doesn’t have wild nightlife. Most bars don’t have a permit to remain open after midnight, so if you are planning on buying alcohol and continue drinking in your hotel room, you should find the nearest wine and beer shop and be careful because they close at 10pm.

On the other hand, there are a lot of fascinating festivals, such as the most popular, Holi and Diwali. The former (above) is held in spring - 9 March, in 2020 - is famous as the festival of colors, and it can be a lot of fun. Diwali, which falls in the autumn,  is a festival of lights and fireworks and it is one of the biggest in India. Starting this year on 14 November, it lasts for a month and it is fun to be in Delhi during this period. If you are lucky enough to be there, you will enjoy beautifully decorated houses, parties with card games, excellent food and many other things.

Getting to Delhi

There are several ways of getting to Delhi but the most recommended one is using the plane once you need to reach it from a distant city, in order to get away from the crowd. For example, when getting there from Bangalore, you must consider all the options available online first, in order not to get lost. There are online search engines helping you find Bangalore to Delhi flights. If you consider reaching Delhi by flight from Bangalore, you will need approximately less than three hours, while taking a train instead will take 36 hours from your time. You can choose upon varieties of starting routes, considering your temporary location which will help you find the right fit. Once you arrive, try to arrange a prepaid taxi from the airport to your place of accommodation.