Private New Delhi Sightseeing Tour with Akshardham Temple visit

You will be picked up from your hotel in New Delhi in a private, air conditioned vehicle and drive to the Akshardham Temple.

Upon arrival, visit the temple with your English speaking guide. The Swaminarayan Akshardham temple is a Hindu Mandir located in East Delhi near the banks of the Yamuna River. The main temple is 141 feet high, 316 foot wide and 356 feet long. It has 20,000 statues, 234 carved pillars and nine domes. There are 148 life-sized elephant statues in the temple and an 11 foot high statue of Swaminarayan (18th century yogi and Hindu teacher) is seated under the central dome.

In the complex is the Yagnapurush Kund (a replica of a grand traditional step-well), which has 2,870 steps and 108 small shrines. The nine-lotus design of the central pool is a replica of a ritual yantra or arrangement used in sacred Hindu ceremonies. At the head of the step-well is the 27 feet tall bronze murti of Neelkanth Varni. He presides over the step-well inspiring determination, devotion and courage. It is India’s largest step well.

After viewing the temple, continue your tour to New Delhi. Drive along Rajpath, the capital's broadest avenue. Along the way you will see Parliament House, a low, circular structure that covers more than five acres of land. You will also see Rashtrapati Bhawan, the President's Palace, which is the official residence of the president of India. Continue to the India Gate, a 138-foot-high, arch-shaped structure that stands at the eastern end of Rajpath. It is inscribed with the names of 85,000 Indian Army soldiers who lost their lives in World War I. Here burns the Amar Jawan Jyoti, the Eternal Flame, in tribute to all martyred soldiers of India. Next, proceed to Humayun's Tomb, commissioned by Humayun's widowed queen, Haji Begum, in the sixteenth century. Architecturally it is the forerunner of the world-famous Taj Mahal. You will also visit Qutab Minar, a soaring, 238-foot-high stone tower, which was built by Qutab-Ud-Din Aibak in the twelfth century. At its base is the Quwwat-Ul Islam Mosque, the first mosque to be built in India. A twenty-three-foot-high iron pillar, which was built in the fourth century, stands in the courtyard of the mosque. After viewing Qutab Minar, you will move on to Birla Temple, which is one of the major landmarks of New Delhi. The temple, built in 1939, is dedicated to Vishnu and enshrines almost all the deities of the Hindu pantheon. At the end of your tour you will be escorted back to your hotel in New Delhi in your air conditioned vehicle.