For a glimpse of rural Himachal beyond Chandigarh to the north of Delhi, get away from the busy, congested cities and hotels. This retreat at the outskirts of Shimla, (about 12km from Shimla Railway Station) has beautiful hilltop views of the valley below, bathed in the light of the rising sun. Their terrace and big-window meditation room have unobstructed views, ideal for Sadhna - the Hindu practice of merging individual consciousness with Cosmic Consciousness.

They have a variety of guestrooms, each with contemporary furniture, balcony, modern amenities, and everything needed to rest and relax. See their website, or phone: 91 809-120-8353.

Located nearby to the southwest, the Maa Tara Devi temple was built approximately 250 years ago by the King of the Sen Dynasty, instructed in a dream to build a temple as he was visitng Shimla - wth additonal construction by kings who followed. 

The pink stone & white marble mandir is 43 m high, 96 m wide, and 10 m long, covered with carved details of plants, animals, dancers, musicians, and deities, with over 20,000 murtis & statues representing 10,000 years of Indian culture. It was inaugurated in November, 2005. Surrounding the edifice are sixty acres of lawns and gardens, containing a musical fountain, and many bronze statues.

At the base of the monument is Gajendra Pith, paying tribute to the elephant's importance in Hindu culture and Indian history, with 148 of the animals in life-size. Exhibits on the life of Swaminarayan Swami (1781-1880), with robots and dioramas, are also on display, plus an IMAX presentation of the history of India. The modern Hindu sect known as the Swaminarayan Faith, a form of Vaishnavism, has a following of over 5 million.

Instantly recognizable circles on maps of Delhi indicate Connaught Place, known simply as CP, with eight roads that radiate like spokes on a wheel, from a central park over a Metro station. One of the largest financial, commercial and business centers in the city, the area is famous for the many hotels, restaurants, cinemas, bars and shops hereabouts. Named for the Duke of Connaught, one of Queen Victoria's sons, and completed in 1933, it was modeled on the Royal Crescent in Bath. The area is now officially called Rajiv Chowk, to honor Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

New Delhi’s first luxury hotel, The Imperial, opened here in 1931, off Queen's Way on the southern spoke, (now Janpath), soon becoming a haunt for royalty, but also for political discussions -- most famously where Pandit Nehru, Mahatama Gandhi, Jinnah and Lord Mountbatten met to discuss the future of the independent nations of India and Pakistan, as British rule ended.

In the 1970's the inner circle acquired an underground market, the Palika Bazaar. The red sandstone and glass Jeevan Bharti building, by architect Charles Correa, rose in 1986 to tower over low-lying Connaught Place. Other skyscrapers soon mushroomed nearby. New hotels such as the Radisson Blu, and highly-rated restaurants such as Veda off Connaught Circle, now attract visitors to the area. Redevelopment and restoration work in the landmark district is scheduled to be completed by December 2012.

This principal mosque of Old Delhi, the largest and best-known in India, has a courtyard that can hold over 20,000 people. It was commissioned in 1633 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (builder of the Taj Mahal), and completed in 1658. About 8058m long and 549 m wide, the mosque has a roof covered with eight domes of striped purple and white marble. Two lofty minarets reach 41 m high, and each contains 130 steps. Relics at the north gate include an antique copy of the Qur'an written on deer skin.

This residence of Mughal Emperors on the Yamuna River was built in 1638-48, an important part of Shahjahanabadand, the new capital of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It covers a total area of about 121 acres and embodies a synthesis of Persian, European and Indian art -- a unique Shahjahani style, rich in form, expression and color. The British East India Company overran Maratha forces in 1803, ending Mughal rule over the city. Today the Red Fort is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Old Delhi, attracting thousands of visitors each year.