The hidden wonders of New Delhi

It certainly won't have the dusty charm of Old Delhi, the tangles of dangling threads travelled by monkeys or the carts full of jute sacks carried through the dense crowd, but New Delhi also has some attractions that could not be missed on a trip to the Indian capital.

It's a huge city, so you'll have to look for these places, hiding between residential and financial districts.

AGRASEN KI BAOLI

The baoli are the typical stepped wells of Rajasthan, and Delhi also has some of them. This one, in particular, is located near Connaught Place, and should be searched among the large tree-lined boulevards jammed with traffic. It is a quiet place, mostly frequented by a few teenagers, and very well maintained. You can't visit it inside, but you can enjoy the tranquility that reigns over you sitting on its steps.

QUTB MINAR

At the southern edge of the city lies this site consisting of the ruins of a mosque with the highest brick minaret in the world. Built in 1200, the minaret is the undisputed protagonist of the complex, but is surrounded by a series of magnificent brick and sandstone structures, inlaid colonnades, a mausoleum with a marble tomb.

LOTUS TEMPLE

This religious temple, known to locals as Baháʼí House of Worship, is an amazing lotus-bud structure located in Astha Kunj Park on the southern edge of the city. Built in the 1980s, it consists of 27 marble petals that simulate the flower and border an immense covered space in which the practitioners of this religion welcome the prayers of every religion in the world. The architecture is so unique that it is worth a visit, but observing the various worshippers reciting psalms in different languages is also a unique experience.

LODHI COLONY

It is a residential district built in Delhi in the 1940s for British Army officers. This area has been progressively abandoned and in the last 4 years, a redevelopment project has allowed artists from all over the world to leave their signature in Delhi through 25 murals. 

The buildings are almost all identical: 4 blocks arranged around a central garden and connected by large open arches. A seriality and regularity that allows you to easily move around the blocks to look for these more or less hidden masterpieces. Some are just works of art, others are there to protest, but all are equally fascinating.