Delhi: Travel to the Past and Future

India Roads – Palomnikov and Tourist Trails. This country has a colossal attractive force for people of various ages and nationalities, any level of education, non-governmental religious and philosophical views. Some are going here to draw up or expand its idea of the nature and customs of the Indian people, see the famous monuments of Indian history and culture. For other trips to India, it is above all the opportunity to figure out my own soul, a pilgrimage to the sacred land, the birthplace of the gods and saints, the opportunity to join the intensive spiritual life of this country, and maybe to gain spiritual support.

The traveler in India will have to meet in its path of temples and monasteries, luxury mansions and miserable shacks, face fabulous wealth and repulsive poverty. India is a country in which everyone will see what it is internally prepared, and in which everyone will find exactly what is looking for. This country will open a foreigner just as much as he will be able to perceive it, and generously gives his riches of the one who will be ready to accept them.

The diversity of historical and cultural attractions of India is even a crazy traveler. If you grind your eyes and at random to poke into the map of India, you will certainly get a finger to a place that is called called "Pearl of India". We begin a series of articles on India, in which we will tell our readers about the places where you need to visit a person who wants to touch the material or spiritual culture of this amazing country.

People who know India well argue that acquaintance with this country is best to start with Delhi. This city was not always the capital of India, but always played a crucial role in the history of the country.

Archaeological excavations show that the first settlements on the site of the current city have arisen more than 3000 years ago. Hindus believe that many events captured in ancient epic poem unfolded here "Mahabharata".

Belonamenny openwork buildings, mansions, elegant hotels, luxury exotic parks remind that Delhi became the capital of British India in 1911, during the twilight of the British Empire. The residence of the British vice-kings of India (now the presidential palace) and the buildings of the parliament are located in the most fashionable part of the city, which is called new Delhi.

One of the attractions of the new Delhi is Lakshmi-Narayan – the Temple of the White and Pink Marble dedicated to the gods of Krishna (Naraian) and his Sollf’s wife Lakshmi. Krishna and Lakshmi – patrons of love and family happiness – the most popular deities of Hindu religion. And although the connoisseurs of traditional Indian architecture tend to see in elegant towers, arches, galleries and marble sculptural sculptures, mixing styles of various eras, penetrated by sunlight, sparkling with bright colors and gilding temple creates a sense of real holiday from visitors. The temple was built at the beginning of the 20th century on donations of the country’s richest people and consecrated in the presence of Mahatma Gandhi himself.

The heart of the Old Delhi district is the Red Fort – the fortified residence of the kings of the Mughal dynasty, the most majestic and excellent monument to Delhi XVII century. With its name, the fortress is obliged to color walls laid out of red sand. Among the most interesting internal structures of Fort – sofa-I-am – a hall for public ceremonies and sofa-and-khas – a hall for private audiences of emperors. It was in this room that stood the famous "Peacock Trone" The powerful ruler of Shah-Jahan, made of pure gold and inlaid inlaid diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. In 1739, Emperor Nadir Shah transported this masterpiece of jewelry art to Iran, it is now exhibited by the fragments in Tehran. As for the Koh-I-Nor’s challenis who has once adorn the throne, he got into England and now sparkles in the Crown of the British Queen. Women from the Imperial Family lived in the Rang-Mahal Palace, next to which the walls of graceful, richly decorated with a thread of the Whiteramor Mosque Mohdzhid (Pearl Mosque).

Not far from the Red Fort, the Cathedral Mosque Jama Masdzhid – The Most Grand Temple Construction Asia. In the days of religious holidays on a spacious yard, a mosque gather up to 25 thousand believers.

The most wonderful facilities of the ancient period of the history of Delhi include Pyhyraulic Kutb Minar (the Tower of Victory), the construction of which dates from the XII century.NS.

On the territory of the Kutb Minar complex is one of the most mysterious in the world of facilities: the famous iron column, cast in the IV century.NS. There is an old belief: the one who will turn back to the column and will bring hands behind it, the most cherished desire will be. Indians do not accidentally give this column miraculous force: it really has a unique property – iron, cast 15th centuries ago, not rust. How did the ancient masters have been able to create a chemically pure iron, which is difficult to get even in modern electrolytic furnaces? As it was possible in the IV century to cast a metal column with a height of 7 meters and a thickness of girth? Explanations to this miracle science does not know.

Some scientists consider the Iron Column to the rarest evidence of the material culture of the long-disappeared ancient civilization, others tend to see in it "Execution of star new people", encrypted message of the unknown creatures that once visited the land and left this column as "Memories of the future".

How often it happens in India, a beautiful and quite concrete monument of material culture turns out to be a carrier of space secrets performed by special mystical content. And such a familiar occupation for tourists like "sightseeing", turns into this country in a fantastic time trip.