Famous Tourist Spots in Delhi

 

Delhi is the capital city of India and is well known for its celebrated times of yore. The city is also famous for its array of travel attractions from ancient shrines and fine arts to the latest shopping places for designer wear and accessories – the historic city is truly an exquisite mix of the ancient and the contemporary. So pack up your travel gear and whatever other stuff you want to carry like your passport, travel insurance etc and get ready for the excitement.

 

Some of the places to stopover are:

 

Rashtrapati Bhavan - This is a giant mansion originally built for the Viceroy of India during British rule. It was designed by famous British architect Edwin Lutyens.

India Gate - Located in the heart of Delhi at Rajpath, the Indian Gate is an elevated archway standing 42 meters tall. It was built in remembrance of the brave Indian soldiers who gave up their lives during World War I.

Bahai Temple - Also known as the Lotus Temple, this stunningly designed marble shrine built in the form of a lotus is a calm place for meditation where people from any faith can meditate in peace.

 

Jama Masjid - This is one of the biggest mosques in India and was built during the times of Shah Jahan, the Mughal Emperor.

 

Qutab Minar - This is a soaring pillar standing 72.5 meters tall as an emblem of the Delhi Sultanate. It was built in 1199 A.D., during the rule of Sultan Qutub-ud-din Aibak.

 

Red Fort - This grandiose fortress was built with red sandstone during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Here is where the Indian Prime Minister addresses the nation each Independence Day.

 

These are just a few of the many places you can visit in Delhi. You also have other attractions like Purana Quila, Jantar Mantar, Safdarjung's Tomb, Humayun's Tomb, Lodhi Gardens, Lakshmi Narayan Mandir and more, which you can visit as a tour in Delhi.

 

NASA has successfully launched Space Shuttle Discovery after over a month of delays. Discovery lifted off at 7:43 p.m. (EDT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in the United States after NASA declared the weather to be "100% go for launch".

"The clouds broke up and that's why we were go for launch," stated mission control on NASA TV. A crystal clear blue sky could be seen in Discovery's background about 40 minutes before launch. NASA earlier had made jokes about a small black bat attached to the rear of the external fuel tank delaying launch, but NASA assured it would not be a problem for launch. NASA also said that there was a bat on STS-72 which managed to fly away just before the shuttle launched.

The current scheduled mission, STS-119, is set to fly the Integrated Truss Structure segment ("S" for starboard, the right side of the station, and "6" for its place at the very end of the starboard truss) and install the final set of power-generating solar arrays to the International Space Station. The arrays consist of two 115-foot-long arrays, for a total wing span of 240 feet, including the equipment that connects the two halves and allows them to twist as they track the sun. Altogether, the four sets of arrays can generate 84 to 120 kilowatts of electricity – enough to provide power for more than 40 average homes.

Commander Lee Archambault will lead Discovery's crew of seven, along with Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Joseph Acaba, John Phillips, Steve Swanson, Richard Arnold, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata.

Discovery's original proposed launch was for July of 2008. Later it was changed to December 4, 2008. The next change scheduled the liftoff date for February 12, 2009. It was then delayed until February 27, but was then delayed indefinitely on February 20 after NASA discovered an issue with the hydrogen control valves.

Five policemen and two bystanders were killed and seven members of the Sri Lankan cricket team have been injured in a coordinated gun and rocket attack by 12 to 14 gunmen in Lahore, Pakistan at about 8.00 a.m local time.
The Sri Lankan players were ambushed en route to the Gaddafi stadium to play the third day of the second test, near the liberty round about. According to eye witnesses the team convoy was stopped by two vehicles blocking their path.
Security for the tourists included varying the route to the stadium; however, the attack occurred just outside the stadium, with the gunmen surrounding the team convoy on four sides. Wearing ballistic vests and armed with AK 47s, grenades and rockets, the gunmen first targeted the police escort, who bore the brunt of the attack, before turning their sights on the cricketeers.
The masked gunmen used rockets to disable the lead vehicle. The driver of the team bus was able to avoid injury and was able to drive out of the area within a minute of the ambush, however injuries were sustained by the team as they were hit by both small arms fire and the resulting spall. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack and no suspects have been arrested.
The team escaped to the safety of the stadium and received first aid in the dressing rooms. The gunmen and police continued to exchange fire for half an hour before the gunmen escaped.
Bloodied and in shock, the team were evacuated from the stadium by air force helicopters landing on the wicket, with Tharanga Paranavithana and Thilan Samaraweera requiring hospital treatment for shrapnel wounds to the chest and leg respectively.
After the attack the tour was immediately cancelled. The team has been recalled and will leave Pakistan as soon as possible. The Sri Lankans were not even meant to be in Pakistan, being there only because the Indian team had withdrawn from a tour in the wake of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
In view of the attack the ICC, issued a statement noting their "dismay and regret" and has called into question the future of international cricket in Pakistan, including Pakistani involvement as co-hosts of the 2011 Cricket World Cup.