Things to Do in New Delhi

Within a stone’s throw of the Taj Mahal, the 16th-century Agra Fort serves as another testament to the immense wealth and power of the Mughal Empire. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, the Agra Fort was initially built by Akbar in 1565 on the same site as a previous fort on the banks of the Yamuna River. A succession of a half-dozen other emperors, including Humayun and Shah Jahan, has lived within the red sandstone walls.

Built in 1570, Humayun’s Tomb was the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent, earning it a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The construction of the tomb, ordered by the widow of Mughal emperor Humayun over a decade after his death, marked the beginning of an era of Mughal architecture, a style characterized by symmetry, scale and intricate decoration. This sixteenth century tomb went on to inspire the design of the Taj Mahal more than 100 years later.

The red sandstone and marble structure sits within a symmetrical square garden divided into four parts. The garden, dotted with small pools joined by channels, also contains several other tombs of important figures, including Haji Begum -- the wife who built the tomb and mother of Emperor Akbar -- and Isa Khan Niazi, an Afghan noble.

While it’s possible to visit Humayun’s Tomb on your own, you’ll do yourself a great service by bringing along a guide who can tell you more about the history behind each structure.

The word “haat” signifies an informal weekly market, the kind that often occur in rural areas of India. Dilli Haat was opened in 2003 to recreate the haat experience in the city and provide a place for craftspeople from throughout India to sell their wares without paying high maintenance costs. The result is an open air craft and food market with 200 stalls specializing in arts and crafts from each state of India.

Vendors rent space for periods of two weeks at a time, so the variety of goods is always changing. Unlike other craft and souvenir shops in Delhi, where you’re buying from an intermediary, Dilli Haat allows you to purchase directly from artists, many of them coming to the city from rural parts of India to sell their pieces. It’s one of the most fairly priced and authentic shopping experiences in the city.

Hauz Khas Village in South Delhi mashes together the best of old and new India, and the result is absolutely charming. A neighborhood dominated by ancient domed tombs and medieval stone buildings is today populated by upscale boutiques, art galleries and a variety of restaurants, with a few well-manicured gardens scattered within the narrow lanes of the warren.

By day, the trendy neighborhood attracts shoppers to its range of boutiques, selling an assortment of designer furniture, jewelry, handicrafts and glitzy Indian clothing. Tucked between the expensive boutiques, you’ll also find quirky vintage stores selling all sorts of curios, like classic Bollywood movie posters.

At night, the neighborhood transforms into one of the city’s hippest nightlife spots -- a popular place to come have dinner and some drinks to the sounds of live music at a rooftop bar.

The Bahá'í Temple in Delhi is one of the most visited buildings in the world, attracting over 50 million people since it opened in 1986. Also known as the Lotus Temple for its distinct half-open lotus design, the belief behind the Bahá'í house of worship is that it should be open for all, regardless of denomination. There are however certain rules: no sermons can be delivered, no ritualistic ceremonies and no musical instruments can be played. There are also no religious images displayed.

Bahá'í temples must all be a nine-sided circular shape as set out in their scriptures, hence the solution of a lotus shape. Bahá'í is an independent religion founded around 1844. Their belief is in a mystic feeling with unites man with God and they do not dictate how that be done, hence their openness to other forms of worship within their temples.

The Lotus Temple was designed by Fariborz Sahba, and has won many awards. It was designed in 1976, opened in 1986, and largely built with moneys left by Ardishír Rustampúr of Hyderabad who, in 1953,  bequeathed his life savings to the church to build a temple. The temple is made of white marble from Greece and sits on 26 acres (10.5 hectares) of land, which has nine ponds and extensive gardens.