India Gate and President House

India Gate and President House

When I visited Delhi for the first time, I thought India Gate is one of the most over-hyped places of Delhi. I have always been more inclined towards Mughal architecture. But after being a apart of this city and staying here for seven long years, my opinion about India Gate has definitely changed. India Gate is a 42-metre tall Gate that commemorates the members of the erstwhile British Indian Army who sacrificed their lives fighting for the Indian Empire in the Afghan Wars and World War I. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the construction work of India Gate was completed in the year 1931. And it is counted among the largest war memorials in India.

But India Gate is not just about this. It is a much more than its architecture and history. First and the most important thing about this place is that it is situated in such a way that many important roads spread out from it. The lush green lawns, the ice cream walas, balloon wallas and the fun-filled ambience makes this place one of the most sought aout places for family outing. Moreover it is one of the safest places in Delhi to visit in night. In fact I would say the only safe place in Delhi where you can enjoy the cool breeze with your family and friends late in the night. It is a perfect picnic spot.  The place is illuminated with thousands of lights and which adds up to its beauty. 

And if its a cool windy full moon summer night then your evening is bound to refreshing.

Off late India Gate has also become a unifying bond for Delhites. Either it is celebrating India's victory in cricket world cup or protesting against something wrong. It provides a perfect ground for unifying people of Delhi which is not very seen very often.

And just opposite to India Gate is the magnificent President House. It is one of the largest residential houses of any Head of the State in the world in terms of its magnitude, enormity and its grandeur. This spectacular piece of the British era was the residence of the Viceroy of India till the year 1950 and was known as the Viceroy's House. Also known as Rashtrpati Bhawan, it was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, a British architect along with Chief architect and Chief Engineer Hugh Keeling and many Indian contractors.

Today, the President House is surrounded by many guards and it is under strict surveillance. But I am sure anyone will be awe-struck by the architecture and magnificence of this bhawan.

NEEMRANA FORT

If you tiered from your fast paced life and need a rejuvenating trip? Try out Neemrana Fort. Two words that define this fort perfectly are- picturesque and peaceful. The lush green lawns and the peaceful ambience is something you are bound to love here.

It is a perfect weekend getaway for all those who are living in Delhi/NCR. And therefore, it was a good option for us to spend a weekend there. The fort is around 130 kms from Delhi on the Delhi Jaipur highway. We left home by 7:30 am and reached there in three and a half hours. The road all the way is in a good condition so we were fresh when we reached there. As soon as we reach there, we found a vintage car parked on its entrance welcoming us (visitors).

We climbed a few levels through the ramped pathways which are surrounded by walls embellishing the various artefacts from the ear gone by. Since I am fond of forts and historical places, it is needless to say that I liked this place instantly. And since it has been turned into a heritage property it is maintained in a much better way than many other forts.

The fort was built in 1464 on hill across 6 acres of land. As per the officials here, it was in a state of degradation for a long time and it was only in 1986 that the fort was acquired for restoration.  Today, it is very well restored and beautified and one of the most sought after weekend destinations. It has a number of options for rooms and comprises of an open air swimming pool (decent size), a restaurant (afternoon and evening buffet service) and a spa. Since there is nothing much to eat in the surrounding area, you are somewhat compelled to eat in the hotel restaurant.

And if you have a knack of adventure then you can go for Flying Fox and enjoy the aerial view of the fort. Personally I am scared of height so I opted to enjoy the fort from the hill only. We explored every part of the fort. We relaxed in the lawn of Neemrana fort while I tried my hands on my not so good photography. Overlooking the Neemrana town, we sat in the view and enjoyed the breath-taking view. Moreover, view of the Aravali Hills from the resort is very clear. The rooms are decorated and furnished with traditional and colonial furniture, antiques and many objects of art.

Overall, Neemrana fort is an amazing example of heritage that is not only restored and preserved, but is also well- marketed to sustain itself. I wish there are more restoration happening like this in forts of India so that they can be well-preserved.

Busy Bee

 I was  a Busy Bee last month!

It has been a month since my last blog entry. I asked myself today- ‘why’? And the answer was apparent I was busy, very busy. Today I spent full day at home and I realised that my blog needs some attention. Moreover, I have been missed blogging. I have been quite busy last month, the month of May. No need to say about the weekdays. I reach home at 8 or 8.30 every night, cook dinner, have dinner, prepare for next day etc. And by the time I lie on my bed, it is already mid night and I barely get time to glimpse through the day’s newspaper before heading to my deep slumber.

Weekends are not very different. Just that I don’t have to pain my eyes in doing my office work on Saturdays and Sundays.  On Saturdays, I was busy in a new project with my friend or completing my pending household chores. It’s the same with Sundays. So you see, I practically had no time to even switch my laptop after coming to home. But I’m lucky today with few hours to spare and hence this post. I will try to write more posts this month.