Offbeat Delhi: These 5 spectacular photowalk tours with your DSLR in the National Capital will surely take your breath away
Is your DSLR and vagabond spirit gathering dust and craves to venture locally in the national capital? Well, we have some good news for those in Delhi and these 5 unexplored breathtaking photowalk destinations are proof!
What is it about the ruins and remaining vestiges of the past that feels so relatable and makes Delhi so royal? While we ponder on that, Delhi is the hub of such picturesque landscapes and charming streets snaking around the national capital, which never fail to attract photographers even from international turf.
With the Covid-19 pandemic pushing us into the confines of our homes, our DSLR and vagabond spirits have been gathering dust and all they crave is to venture locally in the National Capital. Well, the sulking comes to an end as we have chalked up some good news for those in Delhi by preparing a bucket list of 5 breathtaking photowalks in Delhi that are unexplored and come as a surprise treasure.
Check out our bucket list of 5 offbeat places in Delhi that have survived the rampant wave of commercialism and are worth every penny of locals or tourists:
1. Tughlaqabad Fort
The grandeur of Mughal architecture is not limited to the cliche sightseeing at Red Fort, Qutub Minar or Humayun’s Tomb. Built in the 14th century by the founder of Tughlaq Dynasty, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the Tughlaqabad Fort overlooks the residential-commercial as well as industrial areas of Tughlaqabad.
It was established as the third historic city of Delhi Sultanate of India in 1321. Now in complete ruins, the fort still retains much of the beauty of the past as it stands on a hillock, surrounded by biodiversity area within the Northern Aravalli leopard wildlife corridor. This corridor stretches from Sariska Tiger Reserve to Delhi.
Spread over 6kms, the fort whose walls protected the city from Mongol attacks, is built of granite stones and lime mortar. The area is not flanked by many tourists hence, it offers a lush view of the green forest and a lake nestled between it and the villages near Delhi Ridge.
2. Ghalib ki haveli
Irrespective of your literary interests, you cannot be in Delhi and afford to miss the essence of 19th century Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. Exuding the lifestyle and architecture of the Mughal era which was on a decline then, Ghalib ki haveli or Ghalib’s mansion is a must-visit for all poetry lovers and travel enthusiasts.
Located in the Gali Qasim Jan, Ballimaran, Old Delhi. the haveli’s walls are smeared with life-size portraits of the legendary poet and his couplets preserved in hand-written form or painted to house the memorial museum. Ghalib’s sculpture, books and other housing objects related to him also adorn the large columned-compound of the haveli.
Declared a heritage site by the Archaeological Survey of India, the Haveli was a gift to Mirza Ghalib by a physician or ‘hakim’ who was smitten by his work. It was this house that witnessed the poet pen his Urdu and Persian ‘diwans’ and after his death in 1869, the hakim would sit there every evening, refusing anyone to enter the building.
3. Sunder Nursery
Shadowed under the limelight garnered by the Humayun’s Tomb, Sunder Nursery is right opposite the UNESCO World Heritage site. A 16th century heritage park complex, the Sunder Nursery is a perfect picnic spot for famjams as it is still preserved from commercialised activities and treats its handful of visitors with the extraordinary view of peacocks strolling in its lavish widespread gardens.
Formerly called Azim Bagh or Bagh-e-Azeem, Sunder Nursery is another one of Mughal treasures and Delhi’s first arboretum. It is littered with tree swings, flowerbeds, 300 types of trees and the Sunder Burj tomb all within the same premises.
4. Chhota Qutub Minar
While Mehrauli’s Qutub Minar is no secret, the one at Hastsal Village in Uttam Nagar surely is. Built by Mughal ruler Shahjahan, Chhota Qutub Minar was often used as a hunting lodge by the royals in 1650s. As per the locals, a plane crash demolished its tall minar in Uttam Nagar.
It is also known as Hastsal ki laat which means elephant stand. This mini Qutub Minar or Hastsal Minar is 55 feet high.
5. Sair-e-Gulfaroshan
We say Mehrauli you hear Qutub Minar but not anymore as another Lodhi-era monument is sure to take your breath away once you discover it. Built as a sarai or leisure spot, Sair-e-Gulfaroshan got its name due to its splendid reflection in the Hauz-e-shamsi which is a water reservoir adjacent the monument.
Sair-e-Gulfaroshan is located in the Jahaz Mahal. Another highlight of the place is the annual Phoolwalon ki Sair festival that Sair-I-Gulfaroshan hosts.
Delhi scores lovers for its varied layers and the more one discovers it beyond what meets the eye, the more one falls in love with it, every time more passionately than before.
We hope this bucket list gives you a fresh perspective of Delhi and lead you into a quest for the enchanting places that were there all long, waiting for you to acknowledge them.