Delhi Sights: Religious buildings

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Gurudwara Bangla Sahib

Akshardham Temple

Lotus Temple

Jama Masjid

• Bahá'í Lotus Temple, Kalkaji, South Delhi, www.bahaindia.org/temple/index.html. Shaped like a lotus bud with 27 petals, this stunning temple suspended above milky-blue ponds is surely one of the most magnificent monuments ever made from concrete -- but there is very little to see inside. The lush park around is well landscaped but mostly off-limits. Free entry. Open Tue-Sun 9 AM-7 PM summer, 9 AM-5:30 PM winter.

• Chhattarpur Mandir Huge & beautiful temple complex with a big surrounding campus - located near Mehrauli area of South Delhi.

• Gurudwara Bangla Sahib banglasahib.org, just off Baba Kharak Singh Marg near Connaught Place, is the main gurudwara for the many Sikhs of Delhi. You will need to cover your head (scarves provided for free) and stash your shoes in the shoe storage run by volunteers (also free).

• Gurudwara Sis Ganj, Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi). An important Sikh place of worship. Built on the spot where their ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was beheaded on the orders of the mughal emperor Aurangzeb, it is an oasis of calm in the chaos of Old Delhi's Chandni Chowk. You will need to cover your head (scarves provided for free) and stash your shoes in the shoe storage run by volunteers (also free).

• Sacred Heart Cathedral, 1 Ashok Place, off Baba Kharak singh Marg and Bhai Veer Singh Marg near Connaught Place near to Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. It is the biggest church in terms of structure and also the headquarters of the Delhi Catholic Archdiocese. A must visit to enjoy the beutiful architecture and pristine beuty.

• Cathdral Church of Redemption Address: Church Lane, Near Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is the headquarters of the Church of North India, Delhi Diocese. Built by Henry Medd between 1927 and 1935 it is a fine example of Colonial architecture.

• St. Peter's Cathedral Bhai Veer Singh Marg, near St Columbas' school the headquarters of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox church in Delhi. It is known as the Antioch of the East and is a fine example of Oriental architecture blended with modernity.

• ISKCON (Hare Krishna) temple, at East of Kailash – Centre for Krishna Consciousness, it has robotic shows and multimedia presentations, apart from the traditional temple complex. Lively atmosphere and excellent tasting sweets - and the delicious Govinda's restaurant is on site.

• Jama Masjid, opposite the Red fort, next to Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi (Metro: Chawri Bazaar) – The largest mosque in India and a must-see while in Delhi. Entry is free, although you'll be charged 200 rupees if you have a camera with you. You can climb to the top of the minaret for 20 rupees. The climb is steep, dark and somewhat claustrophobic, but you'll get great views over the complex and the city. You'll need to cover up your shoulders and legs (scarves and lungis available for rental), and take off your shoes (expect to tip the shoe minder, 5 rupees is plenty). Open from 7AM to sunset, but note that tourists are not allowed in from 12:15PM-1:45PM or in the half-hour before sunset. Pictures should not be taken during prayer hours. If you're going to sit down don't look too comfortable. Certainly don't eat or become too engrossed in any reading material you may be carrying - the rule is that non-Muslims must make their visits brief and guards will usher along visitors who linger.

• Lakshmi Narayan Temple or popularly known as Birla Mandir, this temple is located next to Connaught Place. It is a big impressive Hindu temple complex. Closest Metro - Rajiv Chowk (Yellow Line). It will take you 45 minutes to visit, and you will not be able to take pictures from inside the Temple. With a great park behind it, it is an oasis of calm from Delhi. Its multiple shrines and paintings (often) have English explanations. Take your shoes off at the entrance.

• Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple, off National Highway 24 (Metro Akshardham), East Delhi, www.akshardham.com. Completed in 2005 by the socio-spiritual organization BAPS, no expense has been spared in decorating this large and elaborate temple carved of red sandstone. The central monument, built without any steel, houses an 11-ft golden statue of the founder of the Swaminarayan faith, Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The Premvati food court on the grounds serve up fast, cheap, huge but mediocre portions of vegetarian food, 75 rupees for a thali. There is a strict ban on all electronic items, cameras, tobacco and pretty much everything except the clothes on your back. You can leave your worldly belongings in the cloakroom outside. Free entry, guide booklet is 5 rupees, access to multimedia exhibitions 125 rupees. Allow at least three-four hours to explore it all. Open Tu-Su 9AM-7PM.

• Sai Baba Temple, 17,Institutional Area, Lodhi Road, www.saibaba.org. Although there are many Shirdi Sai Baba Temples in and around Delhi, the one located at Lodhi Road is the oldest. Temple Opens at 5AM. Kakad Aarti 5.15AM. Mangal SNAN 6AM. Noon Aarti at 12noon. Doop Aarti Evening Prayer 6.30PM. Shej Aarti at Night 9.30PM.

• www.bahaindia.org/temple/index.html
• banglasahib.org
• www.akshardham.com
• www.saibaba.org