Delhi

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Published: 12:00am, 5 Jul 2006

1 Dynastic legacies

You can't go to Delhi and not visit the Red Fort. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan tried to move his capital from Agra to Delhi's old walled city of Shahjahanabad in 1638, but was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb before he could complete the move. Although the Mughal reign from Delhi was a short one, the legacy of this dynasty is encapsulated by the majesty of the Red Fort. One of the most impressive stately halls inside the fort, the Diwan-i-Khas, once housed the diamond- and ruby-studded Peacock Throne. Other highlights are the Pearl Mosque and grand marble palaces. An evening sound and light show (9pm-10pm every day except Mondays) recreates the glory of Delhi's history. It was at the Red Fort that the British deposed the last Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar, marking the end of the three-century Mughal rule. Many years later India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, announced the country's independence from this site.

2 Top brass

Whereas the Red Fort represents India's history, the contrasting modern circular structure of Parliament House represents the future. There are two Houses of Parliament: the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (upper house). You can obtain a permit to sit in the public gallery to watch the lawmakers at work if you have a letter of introduction from your embassy (www.parliamentof india.nic.in).

3 India Gate

Delhi's version of the Arc de Triomphe comes in the form of the India Gate, a majestic 42-metre memorial to the 85,000 Indian soldiers killed in the first world war and the Afghan war. It was completed in 1931, and the names of the soldiers who died in these battles are inscribed on its walls. An eternal flame underneath the gate burns in memory of Indian troops killed in