Places of Worship

BIRLA MANDIR
 
It is another landmark close to Connaught Place and was built by industrialist Raja Baldev Birla in 1938. The temple is an important prayer site and contains idols of several deities. Interestingly Mahatma Gandhi, who inaugurated the temple, was also a regular visitor to it and would often pray there.

LOTUS TEMPLE

Is a very recent architectural marvel of the Bahai faith and is visible from several spots in south Delhi. Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi, it is lotus shaped and has rightly been given the name. It is made of marble, cement, dolomite and sand. It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for meditation and obtaining peace and tranquility.

JAMA  MASJID

Opp Red Fort (1 km west) between 1650 to 1656, based on the plan and design of Ostad Khalil, the then great sculpture, Emperor Shahjahan built Juma Masjid at the cost of Rs 10 crore- it may be said as the replica of Moti Masjid in Agra. It is called Masjid-e-Jahanuma. It is the heartbeat gate was meant for Royal Family and Shahjahan used to come on every Friday and on every festival by walk from the fort.
The north and south gates were meant for common people. Alike Bho Jhala hill top on a high dais at the head of the highest peak there were 2 minars of 40 m high. Buy ticket Rs 5, get up flights of 122 steps and view around from the South Minar. The premises of the South Minar is 1076 sq ft wide. 2,5000 devotees at a time may sit together for namaz.

                                                      BANGLA SAHEB

Near Connaught Place in New Delhi, a vast and magnificent building that once belonged to Raja Jai Singh of Amber now stands stately Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, in memory of Guru Har Krishan ji. Guru Har Rai ji had two sons, Ram Rai was elder and the younger Har Krishan. Ram Rai had displeased his father on account of his manifesting miracles despite strict instructions not to do so as it was against the Sikh faith. Guru Har Rai ji had thus ordained Guruship to his younger son Har Krishan. Through a cunning and crafty design, the deranged and distraught Ram Rai involved Emperor Aurangzeb against the succession. The Emperor ordered Raja Jai Singh to get Guru Harkrishan ji to see him in Delhi. The Raja was a great devotee of the Sikh Guru's and he knew the true story of the succession too. The Raja instead of presenting the Guru before the King, made him his own guest. It so happened that at time Delhi was inflamed with the epidemic of smallpox and people in large gatherings had been visiting the Guru continuously. The Guru thus could not escapee the attack of smallpox and he left for his heavenly abode in 1664 at the tender age of just eight. It is at this place where the Guru breathed his last and the big palace was converted into an inspiring Gurdwara now known as Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, which is a sacred place for pilgrimage with the Sikhs

SIS GANJ GURDWARA

It is believed that the night Guru Tegh Bahadur was murdered along with three of his disciples it was raining very heavily. Because of the fear of the Mughals nobody came to pick the bodies up that night. The next day the head of the Guru was taken to Anandpur Sahib and the body to where Gurdwara Rakab Ganj is now situated. A century later a devotee named Baba Baghel Singh searched and found this place and had this place of worship constructed here.

Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib embraced martyrdom in Delhi on November 11th, 1675. Bhai Jaita and his associates brought his head to Chakk Nanaki. The cremation of the head of Guru Sahib was held here on November 17th, 1675. The trunk of that tree under which the Guru was martyred and the well where he took his daily bath while in prison are preserved here to this day.