Note: This article is written about my experience in Delhi as a Muslim traveler after almost 2 years. Maybe some of the things we have explored might have changed, but a lot of things are still similar and open to all tourists. I encourage you to do some research about the attractions for a better Muslim-friendly experience. To know more about what to visit in Delhi, visit the Muslim Travel Guide to Delhi.
It was March 24, 2022; I left my Madrasa with my friends (the same school where I was a student once and where I’m currently working as a staff for computer, hadith, and English teaching) for a trip to Kerala as an Imam for Ramadan via Delhi.
This was not the first time I visited Delhi; I had visited this lovely city several times before. Anyway, because this trip was with two of my all-time friends, I was so excited to visit it again. Another reason for excitement was that I was visiting Delhi as a Muslim traveler this time, and I was on coverage of Delhi – The Heart of India.
First Question first?
You may be wondering where Delhi is located and if it is even a Muslim-friendly travel destination or not. Well, the answer is: Delhi is located in the heart of India. It’s considered one of the best places to visit in India, and, of course, it’s a truly Muslim-friendly destination. It is the capital of India, and its magnificent multi-religious culture is truly amazing. The diversity of this lovely Indian city makes it a great destination along with historical landmarks, museums, mosques, streets, and bazaars.
My Trip to Delhi and the reason behind it?
I have been to Delhi quite a few times, and the city somehow has become the starting point for most of my journeys, whether it’s to my hometown during holidays or to other places around India. But this time I was going to Kerala to lead the Taraweeh prayer in Ramadan (2022), and I had a train from Delhi to Kozhikode, Kerala.
It was almost 5 days of constant travel. This was my last year as a student studying near Delhi, and two of my friends came to visit me, so before setting on my trip to Kerala, we planned to visit Delhi. Alhamdulillah, it turned out to be a great experience and one of the best trips we have ever had. But you don’t need a reason to visit Delhi like me because it’s a beautiful city, and once you are here, you will have so many reasons to visit it.
A Single Day isn’t enough to explore Delhi.
I had already visited many attractions you may know in Delhi on previous trips, but a few of them were remaining. This time because I had a train from there, we only planned for a single-day tour that included Jama Masjid, Lal Kila, Meena Bazaar, and some other places around the same location.
I would suggest that if you want to explore all the attractions, it might take 3-5 days. Even though I selected three of them, I was running out of time by the evening because I had to drop off my friends at their stay and take a metro to go to my relative’s house. So plan accordingly; there are so many things that you should not miss on your trip.
What we’ve visited?
First, we landed just behind the Jama Masjid, a hundreds-of-years-old grand mosque of Delhi. My friends were not ready to visit the mosque as we’ve visited it before, but I convinced them to let’s start with the mosque and learn a few things about it a little bit in-depth. I also wanted to capture some photos for my blog posts. They immediately said, “Okay, let’s go,” and after a few minutes, we were on the stairs of the Grand Mosque.
Anyway, what I initially mentioned upon entering the mosque is that this architectural masterpiece seems tailored for a Masjid. Its ancient splendors still illuminate when the sunlight graces the “three domes of the mosque.” We explored the entire mosque, starting from the Wadhu area in the middle to the interior, covering almost every aspect. Reading the inscribed verses on the front wall of the mosque serves as a reminder to appreciate the efforts put into the construction, prompting us to say Mashallah repeatedly. However, we didn’t perform Salah, as it was 10 am during our visit to the mosque, I had the intention of praying Tahiyyatul Masjid, but we went to explore the top of the masjid.
Something truly spectacular happened next.
I said, “Let’s go out now and we will go to the next place to visit.” But when I was leaving the mosque, I was trying to capture some of the details in the door of the Mosque, which is hundreds of years old and massively giant. I captured the details in a few shots and I’m now outside of the mosque.
Meanwhile, as I was going to leave, I saw a poster right behind me titled “You can visit the Tower of Jama Masjid.” I was like, “Okay, is it possible, if it is then we must try that.” After the inquiry, I learned that to go up to the top of the Minar, you need to pay $0.66 something, which will be given to mosque maintenance. There is no charge to visit this mosque, Alhamdulillah. My friends were also ready for the unique aerial view it offers from the top; not so many people do that, but we didn’t want to miss it at least this time because we don’t know when we will return to Delhi again. Just took the tickets, paying 50 Indian rupees, and now we are on the top of the Mosque’s tower.
This single move helped us get some close-up shots of Jama Masjid from the top and above, and we can see how Delhi looks from the top. But it sounds like it was tough getting to the top of the tower taking hundreds of steps on the stairs, which is not only tough but also a bit scary at the same time, but the way it offers you the aerial view of Delhi is going to make you forget your hard work, Inshallah.
Delhi’s Meena Bazar is Amazing?
After visiting the grand Jama Masjid, we went towards the Jama Masjid Metro Station, but we realized there was another place we should look into; we just went and took a few street shorts. My friends were staying there at the location they decided to visit it at night, which offers an immersive experience of the bazaar when people are just hanging out around. I decided just to look at the Meena Bazar from the outside and took a few pictures. But I can confidently say if you are looking to experience the Delhi Meena Bazaar tour is a must; here you will be able to buy some of the coolest things at the cheapest prices.
2.5 Hours of Lal Kila Tour
Lal Kila is a place that has the history of India inside; several galleries showcase the past of India or the term when India was fighting for its freedom. We got the tickets and headed over to the gate.
The first thing that symbolizes India’s freedom is the Indian Flag shining on the Lal Kila’s front wall; it’s the pride that has been celebrated for decades by Indians. The second amazing thing you will find out when entering Lal Kila is the “Market” Lal Kila where you get to buy some traditional things such as statues and some of the coolest travel accessories from glasses to backpacks, maps to stylish travel hats for men and women. But we haven’t bought anything from there.
We have visited all four museums including (Names of the Museums) starting with the second one as we were coming from Mumtaj Mahal and Lal Kila Masjid’s side. In the first gallery, you get to discover the history of previous rulers who ruled India like Bahadur Shah Jafar, and others. Here, we’ve seen the sword of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the old pistols, the chair of Netaji, notebooks with quotes written on them, and many things that I couldn’t remember.
The second gallery showcases the freedom fighters of India and educates you on India’s contribution to the War. The things that I love here are the slogans and poetry of our fighters who fought for the country and united it when it was destroyed. They are from different communities such as Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Bodh, and others. You will get to know how they tried to shape India like the “Golden Bird” until their last breath. That’s what Lal Kila’s second gallery contains.
The third gallery is a must if you appreciate the form of art such as painting, writing, or designing. This gallery is full of paintings and portraits by great Indian artists like Rabindra Nath Tagore and hundreds of other artists. Everything is kept safe for the upcoming generations to see.
We’ve also looked at the fourth gallery, but it’s a look where some screens were showing different Indian portraits; most of the things I couldn’t remember. Overall, the Lal Kila tour is one of the things that you must do before leaving Delhi. It offers you a lot of knowledge about Indian culture and civilizations, history, and the people of India. We were again running out of time, and it was time for lunch. We just got out of the Kila with three hours on hand.
Food in Delhi is Amazing?
We were staying just in front of Gate 1 to the Jama Masjid Delhi before leaving the place to join my relatives at night. Although we haven’t tried much of Delhi’s street food, we were tempted by options such as Nimbu Pani (Lemon Juice) in different locations, and the streets were full of street vendors from Tamr (Dates) to everything you may want available.
To start the day, we had breakfast in a hotel located just behind the Mosque, and we selected Chicken Biryani from the menu, it was amazing to try Delhi’s Chicken Biryani. You can get a special plate of Biryani for just $1.5 or $2 here, which is again a hard thing to find in foreign countries.
After the tour of Lal Kila, we came back to our location, and after getting fresh, we again visited a hotel to have an afternoon meal, where we picked up Rice with mixed Veg & Non-veg Indian flavors. The food was great, and the best part was that we three people had lunch paying just 100 Indian Rupees; my friend paid the bill, and he told me that I couldn’t even believe it.
Everything mentioned here is all about Delhi’s local hotels and restaurants. You must give it a try, but as it’s cost-effective, you will surely not get the fancy restaurant lobby to enjoy, but they serve great meals as local food options. With all that said, Delhi’s food is just as amazing as Delhi itself.
How is the Transportation in Delhi?
You will find Auto + Electric Rickshaws in Delhi everywhere you go, and it costs less than a dollar for a 5 km ride, and sometimes it costs a couple of hundred Indian rupees if the ride is longer than 5 km. But it’s cost-effective compared to a taxi.
Delhi Government bus is the most affordable option to travel around the city, but if you are visiting Delhi for the first time, you will be confused between numbers and routes, as getting the bus to your exact location is a little complicated. Ola & Uber services are also available but not as great as any other transportation services. We booked an Uber/Ola and waited for 15-20 minutes for the ride, but the car did not reach our location. Because of Delhi’s heavy traffic, car rental will most likely make you wait and run out of time. We just canceled it.
The most comfortable transportation we love in Delhi is Delhi Metro, which is a subway service with different routes all around Delhi, but sometimes you might need an auto after reaching a station as some stations are located at a distance of 2-3 km from the attractions. But it’s great and affordable. And we enjoyed traveling in Delhi with thousands of people.
Final Words
Delhi is a great place to visit, and we had a great time exploring it. The people were hospitable, the food was lovely, and the attractions were incredible. All in all, we had a great day exploring Delhi and roaming around the streets of Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi area. It was a memorable experience to visit Delhi like never before, and we were able to capture some great images at both attractions.
As mentioned, we are still far away from covering all attractions in Delhi, but in other detailed posts, we’ve covered the best places and attractions in Delhi as well as the things to do in Delhi for our fellow Muslim travelers. So, Make sure to check the Muslim Traveler’s Guide to Delhi before visiting Delhi, the heart of India.
