Alcove is pleased to announce two new serviced apartments in Delhi, barely six months after adding Delhi to its network. This rapid expansion is driven by a commitment to provide a large network of serviced apartments across India with the same quality that its customers have learnt to trust.

Alcove Serviced Apartment in Panchsheel Enclave, New Delhi

This property has six Single Rooms

All Bedrooms have air-conditioning and LCT TV with cable TV.

Amenities provided :

• Power backup
• 24 hours Security
• Free access to 512 kbps Wifi
• Doctor on call
• Daily Housekeeping
• Breakfast Included

Alcove Seviced Apartment in DLF city phase 2, Gurgaon

This features following inventory :

• 1 BHK Apartments : 16 Nos
• 2 BHK Apartments : 2 Nos

All Bedrooms have air-conditioning and LCT TV with cable TV. Every Apartment has a fully equipped kitchen with Refrigerator; Microwave Oven, Toaster, with all Cutlery, Utensils, and Crockery.

Amenities provided :

• Gym
• Power backup
• 24 hours Security
• Free access to 3 Mbps Wifi
• Doctor on call
• Daily Housekeeping
• Breakfast Included

Most tourists visiting India for a short vacation use Delhi as a transit point to popular places like Jaipur and Agra, the hill stations in Kashmir and Himchal and piligrimage places in Uttarakhand.  But Delhi by itself will reward a visitor richly who invests time exploring its historic monuments, gardens and temples. Delhi has a long history which and has the unique distinction of having been India’s capital longer than any other city. Historians refer to the “Seven Cities of Delhi” but, between 1100 A.D. and 1947 A.D., there have actually been eight of them: the oldest city near the site of the Qutab Minar, Siri, Tughlqabad, Jahanpanah, Firozobad, the city around Purana Qila, Shahjahanabad and New Delhi.

The history of Delhi as the Capital of India starts with the Muslim conquest of Northern India at the end of twelfth century.The city is dotted with marvelous mosques, forts, and monuments built by the Mughal rulers that once occupied the city. The government has decided to propose Shahjahanbad and the city designed by Edward Lutyens – New Delhi, for nomination to the UNESCO’s list of World Heritage City under the category of Inhabited Historic Towns.

You can plan a vacation in Delhi and learn about its rich past. Alcove offers two Serviced Apartments in Delhi -  East Patel Nagar and GK-1, that compare with any 3 star hotels in Delhi.

Here are the top must-see places in Delhi :
Red Fort
One of Delhi’s most famous historical monuments, Red fort or “Lal Qila” is made in red sandstone and was built by Shah Jahan in 1648. The fort contains halls of private and public audience called Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Am respectively, domed and arched marble palaces, lavish private apartments, a mosque, and aesthetically designed gardens.
Each night a Sound and Light show is performed in the Red Fort.

Akshardham Temple
Sitauted on the banks of the Yamuna river, this Temple  is built in  pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble, with finely carved pillars, statues, and domes, beautiful, lush gardens and a musical fountain. There is a theatre where films and stories related to the Guru Swaminarayan are shown.

Lotus Temple
Lotus Temple’s has lotus shaped structure and is made of marble structure, and is surrounded by nine ponds and beautiful gardens. Though a Temple, it does not have statues or idols, no sermons are delivered, but every person, irrespective of his or her religion can come and worship God here.

Humayun’s Tomb
The tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun, near Purana Qila, is a World Heritage Site and is a beautiful building made of red sandstone. Humayun’s Tomb was built for Humayun’s widow, Hamida Banu Begum, and completed in 1565.
Its Charbagh or four gardens are are botanical delights and the mausoleum has  domes, lattice screens, and a centrally designed Mihrab (a screened window) at the main chamber, containing the Emperor’s cenotaph.

India Gate
Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, this building connects to  Rashtrapati Bhawan through Rajpath, from which the national parade takes place on the Republic Day. The place is dedicated to all the soldiers who have laid their lives for the nation, and  are commemorated through the sacred fire of the Amar Jawan Jyoti,  There is a cenotaph for all soldiers with a rifle and a soldier’s helmet at the top.

Jama Masjid
One of the most famous and largest mosques in India, built by Shah Jahan in 17th Century, on the Chawri Bazaar Chawk of Old Delhi, is Jama Masjid.

Old Fort or Purana Qila
Constructed in 16th century by the Mughal Emperor Humayun, this fort was later, and only ruins remain, including Sher Mandal and Qila-i-Kuhan Mosque. Excavations also took place on this site many times, resulting in the accumulation of many artifacts which are preserved in the Archaeological Museum.

Laxminarayan Temple (Birla Temple)
There are  intricate carvings on every part and wall of the temple building depicting stories from Hindu mythology, waterfalls and landscaped gardens in the compound area, adorning the Temple.

Qutub Minar
Qutub Minar is the world’s tallest brick minaret, in  the Indo- Islamic architecture; the building is surrounded by various other ruins and historical structures, together forming the Qutub Complex.
The  red sandstone structure has carvings and sermons from the Quran. The building has survived many earthquakes and is now a World Heritage Site.

Rajghat
A memorial of Mahatma Gandhi , this place is an open air, black marbled platform, which is the cremation ground of Mahatma Gandhi.

National Museum
One of the largest museums in India, the museum treasures art pieces from many fields, from paintings to arms, from manuscripts to armours, from Mohenjodaro times to the modern age.

Jantar Mantar
The Jantar Mantar consists of 13 architectural astronomy instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Alcove offers a range of Service Apartments, Guest Houses  in Delhi in  East Patel Nagar and Greater Kailash -1 that compare with any mid-range star hotels in Delhi

The mesmerizing roll of traditional drums, the  pandit (priest) performing a captivating aarti (worship with fire)  before  the beautiful visage of Mother Durga towering above the devotees, the women blowing conch shells, the young men dancing in a trance holding earthen pots of incense in mouth, the artistically decorated ‘pandals’ (pavilions)  – all these would lift even a casual visitor to Kolaka during the Durga Puja celebrations into a spiritual high.
Durga Puja, is the worship of ‘Shakti’ or the feminine form of divine power. Goddes Durga is visualized as a beautiful yellow woman with ten arms riding a lion, who was created by the Gods to slay Mahishasura, the demon king. Navratri (nine nights dedicated to the worship of Shakti) is a celebration of the victory of good over evil ,with several variations of the tradition all over India.  Durga Puja is the most important festival for the people of West Bengal  and is celebrated for 5 days starting from Shasthi (the 6th day) to Vijaya Dashami (the tenth day) during period of Navaratri. This year shasthi falls on 20th October.  The entire city of Kolakata becomes immersed in Durga Puja celebrations, transformed into a city of joy.  Even though the Puja spans for only five days, the preparations and celebrations began as early as around one month earlier. The city is decorated and illuminated all through night during this period.
Gorgeously decorated idols of the goddess are created- often in the form of large tableaux which depict her in the act of destroying the demon Mahishasura. The festivities reach fever pitch by the ninth day, and on the tenth day or Vijayadashami, the idols of the goddess are ritually immersed in a river or sea.
The best way to experience  Durga Puja is by visiting the many different pandals  of Goddess Durga,  each with a unique theme.  There are literally thousands of displays in Kolkata; it is  possible to visit only a fraction of them. Some of the not to be missed pandals are :
•    Bagbazar, near Bagbazar Kolkata Circular Railway Station. Is one of the oldest Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata, with a history of about  100 years.  Look out for the strikingly beautiful idol of Goddess Durga.
•    College Square, on College Street. Near Kolkata University, has a picturesque setting beside a lake, and the whole area is illuminated for the festival.
•    Mohammad Ali Park, Opposite College Square, on Mahatma Gandhi Road, has elaborate displays
•    Santosh Mitra Square, in the Bow Bazaar area is known for its remarkable art work.
•    Badamtala Ashar Sangha Badamtala Ashar Sangha is around 75 years old.  It is located at Nepal Bhattacharjee Street, Kalighat.
•    Suruchi Sangha, on Nalini Rajan Avenue entertains visitors with a cultural extravaganza and outdoor display, themed on a different state of India each year.   The Durga idols are modeled on how they look in each state as well.
•    Ekdalia Evergreen, off Rash Bihari Avenue, in Gariahat,  is an elaborate pandal with exotic decor and lighting. This pandal has become well known for its magnificent replicas of temples from all over India.
•    Singhi Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja , near  Gariahat Flyover in South Kolkata, celebrates its  71st Durga Puja in 2012.  Singhi Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja Committee, will  recreate the famous Meenakshi Amman Temple of Madurai in Tamil Nadu as their theme this year. The pandal would be  a replica of Meenakshi Amman Temple with sculptures of Hindu deities and  23 feet high Durga Idol.
Instead of visiting  the pandals on your own , you can choose the several pandal hopping tours organized by West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation. There are one-day trips to various parts of Kolkata city, morning puja trips, evening puja tours, pre-puja tours, special Durga Puja tours to traditional Puja pandals outside Kolkata city and cruise rides on the river on the day of immersion of the Durga idols.
Visit Belur Math to experience Durga Puja in serene atmosphere of the monastery and temples dedicated to Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. The math is located on the western bank of the river Ganga, in Howrah district, an hour’s drive from Kolkata. From the first day to the sixth day (Shashthi) of navaratri, Sadhus and Brahmacharins gather at the main temple of Sri Ramakrishna at dawn and sing Agamani (sung to welcome Mother Uma into homes ) songs in chorus. From the sixth day, elaborate worship of the Devi with evening aarti and bhog (food offering) are conducted. A unique feature here is Kumari Puja – worship of a young girl, treating her as Devi, during  Ashtami (eighth day).
Durga puja is also a time to feast. You’ll find a wide array of food  everywhere — you can try the Durga Puja menus with  authentic delicacies  at specialty Bengali restaurants ,  at roadside stalls or join the festive community  meal or ‘bhog’ in a pandal.
If you plan to stay more than a couple of days in the city, booking accommodation in guest houses  in Kolkata would work out cheaper than hotels.