Traveling with family is always a beautiful experience. It creates happy memories that we can keep in our hearts forever. My name is Ikbal Valiyathodi, and today I want to share the last and most exciting part of our long holiday. We had just finished an incredible exploration of Ajmer, the pink city of Jaipur, and the beautiful Taj Mahal in Agra. It was an amazing loop, but our journey was not over yet. For the final part of our big trip, we headed back to the capital city of Delhi. I was traveling with my lovely wife, Sabeera, and our sweet two-year-old son, Shabil. We love exploring new places together, and we always share our travel stories on our family blog, ishabil.com.
We reached Delhi from Agra in the afternoon. The tour company had arranged a clean and comfortable Suzuki Dzire car for us. This made our travel very smooth, which was a big relief because traveling with a two-year-old child can sometimes be a bit difficult. Our driver's name was Sabu. We were so happy to find out that Sabu was a Malayali driver! Speaking in our own language, Malayalam, made us feel safe and happy right away. Sabu was very friendly, polite, and knew all the busy roads of Delhi perfectly.
A Long-Awaited Taste of Home
By the time our car entered the main city area of Delhi, it was already around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We had been on the road for hours and had not eaten our lunch yet. Our stomachs were completely empty, and we were feeling very hungry. Little Shabil was also getting tired and cranky because of the delay. We really wanted to eat some good, comforting food that would make us feel better. Sabu smiled and told us he knew the perfect place for us. He drove us straight to a genuine Kerala restaurant located right in the heart of Delhi.
TRIP AT A GLANCE
We walked inside the restaurant and instantly smelled the wonderful aroma of coconut oil and traditional spices. We immediately ordered a traditional Kerala meal. After traveling for some days through Rajasthan and Agra, where the food is very different, this was the very first time we were getting a real Kerala sadhya meal. It came with warm rice, tasty sambar, aviyal, pickles, and familiar side dishes. The food tasted exactly like home. We ate happily, and even little Shabil enjoyed the soft rice mixed with curd. It gave us all the energy we needed for our final days of sightseeing in this massive city.
Finding Peace at the Famous Lotus Temple
After our heavy and delicious lunch, Sabu drove us to our first official stop in the city: the famous Lotus Temple in New Delhi. As we came near the building, we saw that it was surrounded by a very wide and beautiful greenish area. The temple grounds are huge, completely clean, and very quiet. Sabu parked our Suzuki Dzire in the parking lot, and we walked together toward the main entrance gates. The weather was pleasant, and walking through the beautiful garden pathways was lovely. There were big green lawns and colorful flowers all around us, making it a great place to walk with a toddler.
Before entering the main temple structure, we had to take off our shoes. There is a dedicated area where you can keep your chappals safely. The volunteers working there were very helpful, kind, and organized. They smiled at us, took our shoes, and put them in safe storage spaces. The Lotus Temple is a special house of worship for the Bahá'í religion. This unique religion teaches that there is only one God, and all world religions and all human beings are completely equal. Because of this beautiful message, anyone from any religion, country, or background can come inside this temple to pray, meditate, or just sit in complete silence.
The building itself is an architectural wonder. It is shaped exactly like a giant white lotus flower opening its petals to the blue sky. It is made of pure white marble stone brought all the way from Greece. Inside, the main prayer hall is enormous, but there are no pictures, no statues, no idols, and no altars on the walls. It is just a massive open space filled with peace and deep silence. We sat there on the stone benches for some time, holding Shabil tightly, and felt a deep sense of calm in our minds. It was a wonderful break from the noisy roads outside.
When we walked outside into the gardens again, some friendly volunteers came to talk to us. They noticed our family and asked where we were visiting from. When we proudly told them we came from Kerala, they smiled warmly. They went to their counter and came back to give us printed leaflets and booklets about their religion written in our own mother tongue, Malayalam! It was truly wonderful to see our beautiful language being distributed so far away from home in the capital of India. After this beautiful visit, the sun began to set, and Sabu drove us through the busy evening traffic to our hotel. We ate a simple dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was included in our tour package, and went straight to sleep to prepare for the next big day.
📌 ishabil tips
When visiting the Lotus Temple with a small toddler, always carry a bottle of drinking water for the long walk through the gardens. Also, make sure to keep your children quiet inside the main hall, as strict silence is maintained for meditation.
A Morning at the Historic Qutub Minar
The next day morning started very early for us. We woke up feeling fresh and headed down to the hotel dining room for a delicious buffet breakfast. There were many options like hot idlis, bread, fresh fruits, and hot tea. We ate well to keep our energy high for the day. Soon after, driver arrived at the hotel gates with car. We climbed into the Suzuki Dzire, ready to start our full-day Delhi exploration.
Our very first stop of the morning was the historic Qutub Minar complex. This is an incredibly tall tower made of red sandstone and marble, built hundreds of years ago by ancient rulers. We bought our entry tickets and walked inside the large archaeological park. We spent a lot of time visiting all the different areas inside this ancient complex. We walked right up to the base of the massive tower and looked up at the sky. The tower is covered with very detailed carvings and beautiful inscriptions from the holy Quran written in Arabic script. It was amazing to see how well the stone carvings have survived over time.
We also walked through the ruins of the old Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque and saw the famous Iron Pillar of Delhi. This pillar stands in the middle of the stone courtyard and is made of solid iron. We walked through the old stone arches, saw the incomplete Alai Minar tower, and took many beautiful photos in the green lawns. Shabil loved running around on the green grass while we admired the ancient history around us. The contrast between the red stone and the green grass looked beautiful in our pictures.
💡 ishabil fact
The famous Iron Pillar inside the Qutub Minar complex is over 1,600 years old. Even though it is made of iron and stands completely out in the open air, rain, and hot sun, it has never rusted! This shows how advanced ancient Indian engineers were.
Walking Through History at the Indira Gandhi Museum and Raj Ghat
From Qutub Minar, Sabu took us to a very emotional and historical place: the Indira Gandhi Memorial Museum. This beautiful white bungalow used to be the official residence of the first female Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi. Today, it has been turned into a clean and well-kept museum. Walking inside felt like stepping back into the pages of history. We saw her personal rooms preserved behind glass walls, her large library filled with historical books, her simple furniture, and many old black-and-white photographs that told the story of her life and the independence of India.
The most touching part of our experience was walking out into the backyard garden. The museum has built a long pathway made of clear glass over the ground. This glass path marks the exact final footsteps that Indira Gandhi took on the tragic morning of October 31, 1984, when she walked out for a television interview and was assassinated by her own bodyguards. We walked next to this glass path in complete silence. At the very end of the path, the exact spot where she fell is covered with a clear glass sheet. It was a very powerful and sad experience that made us think deeply about the history of our country.
Next, we continued our historical journey by driving to Raj Ghat. This is the sacred place where Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation, was cremated after his death in 1948. Raj Ghat is a beautiful, peaceful sanctuary away from the loud noises and heavy traffic of Delhi. It is designed as a large, open green park with beautifully manicured lawns and big shady trees. In the exact center, there is a simple black marble platform that marks the spot of his cremation. An eternal flame burns day and night at one end of this black marble. We walked slowly around the platform barefoot to pay our respects to Gandhiji. The atmosphere was incredibly quiet, peaceful, and respectful, which felt very comforting to our souls.
The Grandeur of Jama Masjid and Humayun's Tomb
After spending time in those quiet gardens, it was time to see the grand religious architecture of Old Delhi. Sabu drove us through the crowded, lively, and energetic streets to the Delhi Jama Masjid. This is one of the largest and most grand mosques in the entire country of India, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. To enter the mosque, we had to climb up a long flight of very wide stone steps. Shabil was very excited and wanted to climb them himself, holding our fingers tightly as he stepped up each stone stair.
When we reached the top and walked through the main wooden gate, our eyes opened wide with surprise. The central courtyard is absolutely massive! It is so big that thousands of people can pray together on the red sandstone floor at the same time. The mosque has three giant white marble domes with black stripes and two very tall minarets standing high against the sky. We walked across the warm stone courtyard and looked at the beautiful arches. From the elevated edge of the mosque walls, we could look down and see the colorful, bustling markets of Old Delhi stretching out into the distance. It was an amazing sight filled with energy and life.
Our next stop was another great monument of the Mughal era: Humayun's Tomb. This is the grand resting place of the Mughal Emperor Humayun, built in the sixteenth century. When we first walked into the garden and saw the beautiful symmetric building, we both thought it looked very familiar. Since we had just come from Agra, we immediately understood why! Sabu explained to us that this tomb was actually built many years before the world-famous Taj Mahal in Agra. In fact, the architects who built the Taj Mahal used Humayun's Tomb as their main design inspiration and structural model. The building is made of bright red sandstone and beautiful white marble, sitting perfectly in the center of a large, square garden with small water channels. We walked all around the high stone platforms and enjoyed the quiet beauty of this ancient heritage site.
A Special Lunch at Kerala House
All this walking around giant monuments made us very hungry once again. We wanted to experience something unique for our lunch, so we asked Sabu to take us to the famous Kerala House in New Delhi. Kerala House is the official state government building of Kerala in the capital city. It has a beautiful, clean dining hall that serves authentic, traditional Kerala meals to visitors, tourists, and government officials.
We sat down at a clean table and ordered our lunch plates. Within minutes, we were served a wonderful Kerala meal. Eating spicy fish curry, traditional buttermilk, vegetable toran, and hot red rice in the middle of New Delhi felt like a beautiful dream. The taste was 100% authentic, just like what we eat at home in Kerala, and the prices were very cheap. It was a wonderful feeling to sit among other travelers and officials from our home state while being so far away in the north of India.
Driving Through Rajpath and Seeing India Gate
With our stomachs full and happy, we continued our tour to see the modern political heart of India. Sabu drove us down the famous Rajpath, which is also called the Raj Veethi. This is a very wide, clean, and straight road lined with beautiful green lawns, old trees, and decorative water fountains. As we drove along Rajpath, we could look out of our car windows and see the grand Parliament buildings where the leaders of India meet and make important laws. The buildings looked very strong, safe, and magnificent.
Sabu then drove toward the end of the road and dropped us off near the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which is the official palace of the President of India. We were not allowed to go inside the main gates due to strict security rules, but we stood outside and saw the massive, beautiful building from a short distance. It has a very famous central dome and looks incredibly grand. We stood there on the clean footpath and took a few family photos with the President's house in the background to remember this special moment.
Right opposite the long road stands the majestic India Gate. This is a giant stone archway built as a war memorial to honor the brave Indian soldiers who lost their lives during the First World War. The names of thousands of brave soldiers are beautifully carved into the stone walls of the arch. Beneath the gate, there is a small eternal flame called the Amar Jawan Jyoti, which burns constantly to remember the soldiers. The area around India Gate was full of happy life. There were families walking, children playing, and street vendors selling balloons, ice cream, and colorful toys. Shabil loved watching all the toys moving around on the ground, and we enjoyed the cool evening breeze blowing across the lawns.
Riding the Delhi Metro and Shopping at INA Market
To finish our amazing Delhi exploration like local people, we wanted to try something that millions of Delhi residents use every single day: the famous Delhi Metro train system. We thanked Sabu and told him we would meet him after a short train ride. We walked into the Secretariat Metro Station and bought our travel tickets. The station was modern, completely underground, and very clean. Soon, the fast train arrived, the automatic doors opened, and we stepped inside the cool, air-conditioned coach.
Riding the Delhi Metro was a very fun experience, especially for little Shabil. He sat safely on my lap by the window and looked out happily as the train moved fast through the dark tunnels and came out into the city light. We traveled from the Secretariat station down to the famous INA Market station. When we came out of the station, we found ourselves right at the busy INA Market. This is a great market for local shopping. We walked through the small stalls and did some small shopping. We bought some unique local items, traditional cloths, and small souvenirs to carry back home for our relatives. After our shopping was done, we met up with Sabu and our trusty Suzuki Dzire car once again. He drove us back to our hotel, where we packed our heavy suitcases and had a good night's rest.
Heading Back to Our Home in Kerala
The next morning, our wonderful Delhi family vacation officially came to an end. Early in the morning, Sabu came to pick us up from the hotel lobby one last time. He drove us safely to the Delhi Airport, helping us with our heavy bags. We said a warm goodbye to him and thanked him for taking such good care of our family during the trip. We went inside the big airport terminal and checked in for our Air India flight.
Our flight route was very interesting: Delhi to Mumbai, then to Coimbatore, and finally to Kozhikode. The best part was that it was a continuous flight with only short stops on the way. There was no transit, meaning we did not have to change planes or move our luggage from one airplane to another during the journey. This was very comfortable and convenient for us because traveling with a small child can become very tiring if you have to switch planes at different airports. Shabil slept through most of the flight, which was a big relief for Sabeera and me.
Finally, the airplane wheels touched down safely at the Kozhikode airport. We walked out of the airport gates with our bags, feeling happy to be back in Kerala. As we came out to the vehicle area, we saw a very familiar and happy face. My cousin Sharif was waiting for us right there with his auto rickshaw! This was a beautiful and funny moment because we had actually started our entire journey from our home by sitting in Sharif's auto rickshaw, and now we were ending our big city trip by sitting in his auto once again. We put our bags in the back space, climbed into the auto rickshaw, and talked happily all the way home, sharing our incredible stories of Delhi, Ajmer, Jaipur, and Agra. For more detailed family travel stories and tips, don't forget to visit our blog at ishabil.com!
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