Delhi : New Delhi is
the capital of the India and its third largest city. The
city actually consists o two parts. Delhi or 'old' Delhi
was the capital of Muslim India between the 12th and
19th centuries. In old Delhi you will find many mosques,
monuments and forts relating to India's Muslim history.
The other Delhi is New Delhi, the imperial city created
as a capital of India by the British. It is a spacious,
pen city and contains many embassies and government
buildings. In addition to its historic interest and role
as the government centre, New Delhi is a major travel
gateway. It is one of India's busiest entrance points
for overseas airlines, the hub of the north Indian
Travel network and is on the overland route across Asia.
Delhi lies sprawled across the river Yamuna, occupying
close to 1500 sq. km. It is a microcosm of India -
people, music and dance, customs, traditions and
cuisine, from all across this rich land blend within its
flods. Exploring the metropolis can be a fascinating
experience.
Delhi is one of the fastest growing cities of the world
and the amazing number of people, the cacophony of
sounds, the maze of traffic - cycles, rickshaws and
horse-drawn carriages jockeying for sapce with a medley
of cars and buses, can come as a culture shock if you
are not prepared for it. But it is part of the
enchantment of the city too. You can see elephants
ambling at their own pace beside buses and cars or
waiting at traffic intersections for the light to turn
green. For them the city is their new jungle and they
stomp around advertising herbal medicines and elixirs or
giving a ride through the city to a sadhu or holy man on
his pilgrimage.
Delhi is the seat of Parliament and here political
fortunes are made or marred and the nation's destiny
written. The Delhiwalas, as they are popularly known,
love politics almost as much as they love their lilting
film songs. From the international airport all the way
into the city flags of countries that the Presidents and
Prime Ministers, Kings and Queens jet in and out.
There are restaurants galore for the gourment to pick
and choose from, well laid out parks and gardens which
burst into a myriad colours every spring. If November is
the time for Chrysanthemums, December and March are the
season for the roses and in summer the heady fragrance
of the 'queen of the night', the mogras and the jasmine
pervades the air.
From October to March a swirl of cultural events keeps
feet tapping and hearts humming with music as the elite
of Delhi do their silks and suits to feast on theatre,
films, and classical music sessions that stretch into
the wee hours of the morning. This is also the tourist
season, for winter sets in and it is cold but
compfortable till Christmas. In January the temperature
drops further but the days are bright and sunny.
Just about everything under the sun is available for the
avid shopper in Delhi. Handicrafts from all over the
country - silks, gossamer fine cottons, jewellery,
pottery and terra-cotta, brass ware, ivory, rosewood and
sandalwood carving, paintings on cloth and cnvas and
exquisitely embroidered wall hangings, cushion covers
and fabrics.
The best shopping areas are Cannaught Place, Baba Kharak
Singh Marg, where all the State emporiam are located,
Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Janpath, the stores
near the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Priya cinema shopping
arcade, Sarojini Nagar Market, South Extension, Hauz
Khas village and Dariba in Chandni Chowk etc.
Delhi is peppered with temples, mosques and cathedrals
which come alive during festivals because Indians are
deeply religious people. But the Bahai's Lotus Temple,
an architectural marvel, stays serene and tranquil
throughtout the year.
Goa:
Thanks to its incredible beauty,
Goa has earned numerous nick names so far such as
Tourist Paradise, Rome of the East, Jewel of India
or Pearl of the Orient. Thousands of visitors from
round the globe keep thronging the state throughout
the year. Contrary to the popular belief it's not
all about beaches. There are many destinations in
Goa offering a potpourri of sort for visitors. Being
an erstwhile Portuguese colony, Goa houses a number
of world-famous churches and other Portuguese
wonders. Fabulous flora and fauna, rich cultural
heritage and ornate temples are other highlights of
Goa. Major cities in Goa are known for homing all or
some of these salient features.
Panaji, the capital city of Goa lies near the end of
the road from Mumbai to Goa. This city was fought
over for centuries by kings of many colours.
Although it has lost a little of its shine, Rome of
the East continues to draw admirers from across the
world. If you are an architecture enthusiast, you
would love to visit Margao. You can find here
umpteen number of buildings (including Holy Spirit
Church) mushroomed everywhere. The vacationers
yearning to enjoy their weekends find Mapusa the
best choice. Be there on Friday and find the
sluggish town springing up to its feet. This city is
believed to have grown with the blessings of its own
God, Lord Bodhgeshwar, whose beautiful temple
nestles under a banyan tree. A solitary cross
standing on the sun-kissed sands of Mormugao Harbour
is the signature of Vasco Da Gama. It's really hard
to ignore any of these cities while you are in Goa.
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Arambol
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Canacona
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Mapusa
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Margao
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Panaji
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Ponda
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Vasco-da-Gama
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