Places of Worship
Religion is an integral part of the Indian ethos. The subcontinent's greatest religion, i.e., Hinduism and the two born in revolt against it, namely Buddhism and Jainism, along with a score of other,s make India the most multi-religious country in the world. Christianity and Islam were borrowed; however, Sikhism and countless minor cults and religious sects developed in India. Not surprisingly, the length and breadth of the country is flooded with religious structures.
Delhi, not surprisingly is a microcosm of India with many temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and dargahs that have come at different points in its long and eventful history. There are many sacred monuments in New Delhi that predate the construction of the Imperial capital and while these may not always rival the monuments of the British Raj era in terms of their majestic or ceremonially aesthetic value, they certainly remain quite popular as sacred places.
Gurudwara Rakabganj
When the ninth Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Teg Bahadur, was beheaded under the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1675 A.D. his headless body was cremated here. Also on exhibit are his personal weapons.
Gurudwara Sisganj
Located in Chandni Chowk near the Red Fort in Old Delhi, this is the place where Guru Teg Bahadur was beheaded under the trunk of a Banyan tree. The tree is still there in the Gurudwara premises. The Gurudwara building is an imposing structure with its interior depicting scenes from the life of the Guru Teg Bahadur.
Digamber Jain Temple
One of the oldest and most impressive of the Jain temples in India, this temple is located in Chandni Chowk, near the Red Fort and houses the main shrine of Lord Paraswanath. Other than Chandraprabhu, the eight manifestation of the Jain hierarchy, there are a number of other shrines, too. A Birds Hospital is attached to the temple.
Buddha Shrine / Statue of Buddha
Located in the Buddhist Colony, near Qutub Minar, the high alter enshrines the images of Buddha brought from different countries: the Indian Buddha in meditation, the Thai Buddha in renunciation, the Cambodian Buddha with a begging bowl and many others. The colony is an International Centre of study in Buddhism.
Akshardham Temple
The Akshardham Mandir is situated in The Akshardham Temple Complex in East Delhi. The main structure has been embroidered with 20,000 statues, floral motifs, arches and exquisitely carved pillars. The Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism that is very popular in Gujarat has constructed the temple. It is estimated that, the temple has been built at the cost of nearly 100 million Dollars.
ISKCON Temple
Built on a hilly tract the ISKCON Temple is a complex of temples. Dedicated to Lord Krishna, this elegant temple is one of the largest temple complexes in India. It has a large number of Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna cult followers.
Located at Hare Krishna Hill, Sant Nagar Main Road, East of Kailash, this temple complex was completed in 1998. Built by Hare Rama Hare Krishna cult followers, this magnificent temple has a shikhar at a height of 90 feet above the ground. The centrally air-cooled hall has a capacity to accommodate 1500 people. Main attractions include paintings of Radha Krishna, Sita, Ram, Hanuman and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, made by Russian artists and also the Robots who can act and preach the Gita.
Kali Bari Mandir
A stone's throw from Birla Mandir to the right is the much smaller but quite popular temple devoted to the Goddess Kali. Especially dear to the Bengali community of Delhi, Kali Bari Mandir in Delhi is the centre of celebrations during the festival of Durga Puja held every October.
The Kali Bari Mandir is rather small and very simple in design. From within the temple grows a huge peepul tree that pierces through the ceiling to shade the temple. Hindus consider the peepul sacred and red threads are tied around its bark when beseeching a boon.
Kalkaji Temple
Situated beyond the commercial complex of Nehru Place lies this temple dedicated to the goddess Kalka Devi. Its oldest section dates back to 1764 and in 1816, Mirza Raja Kedar Nath, the Peshkar of Akbar made some more additions to the existing shrine. However most of the building is modern.
This temple with a lofty pyramidal dome attracts thousands of devotees during Navratras in October when a huge fair is held here and also after the harvest of wheat crop.
Uttra Swaminatha Swami Kovil (Malai Mandir)
The Malai Mandir stands tall on a hillock on the Outer Ring Road facing Vasant Vihar. A long flight of stairs leads up to it. The temple on the hillock is dedicated to Swaminatha or Karthik and mirrors to the Chola style of building. The temple is very important to the Tamil community in Delhi.
The temple complex actually consists of four temples, including the temple of Vinayaka or Ganesh, one dedicated to Sundareswarar or Shiva and one dedicated to Meenakshi or Parvati which are all at the bottom of the hillock.
Location: RK Puram Sector 7, Outer Ring Road. Tel: 26175104
Timings: 6.30am to 11am & 5.30pm to 9 pm in summers
7am to 11.30am & 5pm to 8.30pm in winters.
Bahá'i Temple (Lotus Temple)
Lying to the east just inside the outer Ring Road near the Nehru Place, this Bahá'i House of Worship is a marvel of modern architecture.
Completed in 1986, it represents the Bahá'i faith, an independent world religion, divine in origin and all embracing in scope. Set among pools and gardens, adherents of any faith can visit, pray or meditate The temple represents the Bahai faith which is broad in its outlook, scientific in the influence it exerts on the hearts and minds of men.
It signifies the purity and the universality of the Lord and equality of all religions. Visited by over four million people, annually, this gleaming lotus-like marble structure is located on Bahapur Hills (South Delhi) and it is the seventh and most recent Baá'i houses of worship in the world. The temple is a must visit for every tourist who comes to Delhi. The view of the temple is very spectacular just before dusk when the temple is flood lit.
The Lotus Temple provides one of the rare exceptions with its remarkable fusion of ancient concept, modem engineering skill, and architectural inspiration, making it the focus of attention amongst engineers and architects the world over. In the absence of sophisticated equipment, the extremely complex design called for the highest order of engineering ingenuity to be implemented by means of traditional workmanship.
Aurobindo Ashram
In the south of Delhi near the Indian Institute of Technology on the road to Mehrauli it has literature on the life of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and has an ashram where devotees can come to meditate. There is also some accommodation available for devotees of Sri Aurobindo.
Chattarpur Mandirs
Located beyond the Qutub Minar in Mehrauli, it is a complex consisting of a large number of temples. The main temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga, is built in South Indian style.
The temple complex is spread over a large area, over 60 acres of land, with beautiful lawns and gardens. Though devotees visit these temples throughout the year, the main attraction comes during the Navarathri festival, when devotees come from far and near.
Moti Masjid
Situated in the Red Fort Complex. Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) was built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1659 for his personal use. Made in marble, the outer walls of this small mosque are in perfect symmetry with the rest of the fort. The inner walls give the mosque a correct orientation towards Mecca.
Jama Masjid
The largest mosque in India, with a seating capacity of more than 20,000 was built by the great Mughal emperor Shahjahan.
Begun in 1644 and completed finally in 1658 at a cost of ten lakhs of rupees, it has three gateways, four angle towers and two 40m high minarets. It is situated on a rocky eminence in Old Delhi on the other side of the road to the Red Fort. One of the finest specimen of Mughal structure, its notable features are its bold treatment in red sandstone inlaid with black and white marble, spacious courts, massive pillars supporting engrailed arches, elegant bulbous domes - all well proportioned with decorative designs.
The bulbous domes and tapering minarets built with marble stand strong and beautiful even to this day. You can even go to the top of minarets and have a bird's eye view of Delhi.
The area around Jama Masjid still retains the traditional charm of markets in Mughal times.
Nizam-ud-Din Shrine
This is the tomb of the famous Sufi saint, Nizam-ud-din Auliya. Built on the way from Humayun's tomb, the premise of the shrine is a tank, which is surrounded by many other tombs.
It is said that there was an argument between the rulers of Tughlakabad and the saint over building this tank.
The saint had said that the city of Tughlakabad will never prosper and so did it happen. The tomb has been through several renovations ever since it was built. The present mausoleum dates back to 1562.
The complex of the shrine includes several other tombs, including that of the noted poet Mirza Ghalib (1786-1869), Amir Khusru and the grave of Jahanara, the daughter of Shah Jahan. This shrine is now an important Muslim pilgrim centre. After sunset, every Thursday, qawwals sing the melodious lyrics of Amir Khusro after the evening prayers. It is also the venue for Urs Festival.
Location: West of Mathura Road near Nizamuddin
Birla Mandir
Also known as the Lakshmi Narayan Temple, it is ideally located in central Delhi (Mandir Marg). This temple dedicated to the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi and Lord Narayana (Lord Vishnu) the preserver of the universe.
It was built in 1938 by the prominent Indian industrialist Raja Baldev Das Birla and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. The main temple is flanked by Gita Bhavan on one side and a Buddhist temple on the other.
The temple, built in Orissan style, has a large number of idols representing various gods of Indian pantheon. The well-grafted gardens need a special mention. The complex has a park with fountains and artificial caves, in its backyard. Gift Bhavan, housing the shrine of Lord Krishna, attracts thousands of devotees on Janmashtmi - Lord Krishna's birthday.
Bal Hanuman Temple
This small but elegant temple located at Baba Kharak Singh Marg near Connaught Place was built in 1724. It is very popular among the devotees of Lord Hanuman.
This elegant temple stands on the southeastern side of Ranmal Lake. The 24-hour chanting of the mantra 'Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram', which has been going on in the temple since August 1,1964, has earned a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
St. James Church
Located very close to Kashmere Gate in North Delhi; St. James Church is the oldest church in the capital. It was built by James Skinner and consecrated in 1836.
It is designed in a cruciform plan with the entrance towards the west and the altar towards the east (the standard norm in most churches the world over).
The dome interestingly is very similar to the dome of Florence Cathedral in Italy that was the first renaissance structure built in the world.
St. James Church in New Delhi is built in the Western classical design with a Greek cross plan. Three of the arms of the cross have porticoes, while the eastern arm contains the altar. The central area is covered by a magnificent dome. This church is open only on Sundays.
Porches on the north, south and the west provide the building with three entrances. The central portion of the church is an octagon with circular columns supporting the dome.
Cathedral Church of Redemption
Cathedral Church of Redemption is located on Church Road that stands to the west of Parliament House. Moving away from Connaught Place, the majestic red piece of the architecture falls to the left.
Henry Medd, a young architect par excellence, designed this majestic cathedral that was built between 1927 and 1935.
Like most of the European architects of that period, he too belonged to the Lutyen's school of architecture. He has left no stone unturned in reflecting the same in the design of this cathedral. He wanted to maintain the harmony and continuity in the design as the church stands in the Lutyens bungalow zone, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is located at the Gol Dak Khana near Connaught Place in New Delhi. The Cathedral of the Sacred Heart is not only the most important Catholic Church in the capital but arguably one of the best in entire India.
Henry Medd who designed the Church of Redemption for the Anglicans designed this church to please the Catholics. His plan was selected among the eight plans put for the consideration before the panel of judges that included the likes of Sir Edwin Lutyens and Father Luke who was the driving force behind the construction of this beautiful cathedral.
St. Peter’s Cathedral
St. Peter's Cathedral is the spiritual center of Syrian Orthodox Christians in New Delhi.
The cathedral is situated in an exclusive and well-laid out site in the heart of the city handpicked by the late Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi.
Address: 1 & 2 Bhai Veer Singh Marg, New Delhi 110 001.
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