Things To Do In Aligarh

Aligarh, the home of the very famous Aligarh Muslim University is a magnificent historic city that has a lot of stories to tell. When you visit Aligarh, you can trace the influence of the many rulers that have left their marks behind; you can tell so by the way the city looks. Aligarh is a multi cultural city with things to do that will keep everyone engaged. From appreciating the beauty of the many structures that have stunning architecture, visiting the many places of worship like temples and mosques, to taking a stroll in some of the greenest parks in the city and being close to nature, there are end number of things to do in Aligarh. Let us have a look at some of them.

One of the most visited parks in the city is the Naqvi Park; it is also one of the oldest parks in the city. The Naqvi Park is also popularly known as Rajkeey Uddhan Jawahar and is visited by many local residents in the vicinity. This is a recreational park that consists of green spaces and a variety of different species of plants, trees and flowers. There are a number of fountains inside the park that glorify the beauty for the park even more and create a serene atmosphere. There is a minimal fee of 5 rupee every time you enter the park and it is open throughout the day. If you want to enjoy the park at its best, mornings or evenings are both great times to visit.

If you are tired of going sightseeing and doing the usual tourist stuff, then you can choose to go sky diving in sky high. Let your adrenaline flow as you jump from the sky diving drop zone; this is a place for anyone seeking thrill and an escape from the monotonous routine of life. The participants are given proper training as well as equipments needed for sky diving. After successful completion of the dive, you will receive a certificate and a merchandise to remember your experience. You also have the option of videotaping the whole experience and later sharing it with your friends and family.

Aligarh’s clock tower, popularly known as Ghanta Ghar is a famous structure in the city. This clock tower is very ancient and one of the oldest monuments in Aligarh, almost 200 years old. The architecture of this clock tower is stunning and was built in Gothic style; the structure has various characteristics like pointed arches, stained glass, gothic vault and many more notable things that make the tower strikingly beautiful. The clock tower also has high windows and doors that are arched, giving it a complete gothic feel. This monument is established right in front of the district magistrate’s residence and can be seen from far away as well.

Founded in 1982 is the Chacha Nehru Gyan Pushp, a museum in Aligarh that was established in the Three Dots School complex. The museum is well maintained from both the outside and inside and is segregated into different categories for the ease of observation; there is a huge range of geographical, biological and historical exhibitions in the museum. You can see all sorts of things at this museum; different kinds of rocks, minerals, coins, sculptures, statues, fossils and a lot more. People who visit the most are students and people interested in gaining knowledge about the history and geography of the region. The Chacha Nehru Gyan Pushp is a plethora of knowledge and information and helps people understand aspects related to the region.

One of the most beautiful and well maintained gardens in the city of Aligarh is the AMU Botanical Gardens. This garden is maintained by the department of Botany of the Aligarh Muslim University and it covers about 95 acres of land. It has been titled as the Lead Botanical Garden in Northern India by the Ministry of Environment and is definitely a sight to experience. The entire area comprises of floral gardens with a wide variety trees, plants and shrubs. The department of Botany at the university preserves the sanctity of the place by properly maintaining and planting more floras in the region. If you want to feel connected to nature, this is the place you would want to visit.

Uttar Pradesh as a state itself is considered holy, with certain cities having different places of worship that make it so pious. Just like the other cities in Uttar Pradesh, Aligarh also has a lot of temples that are worth visiting on your trip to this city. There are various temples that you can visit; there is the Sai Baba Temple for the devotees of Sai Baba, a Hanuman Mandir with a beautiful shrine of Hanuman, Sri Natraj Mandir which is a very popular one as well. The most popular one is the Khereshwar Mandir which has one of the holiest shrines in the region and is located in Tajpur Rasulpur in Aligarh. If you are an avid follower of the almighty, these are some of temples that you must visit.

If you are an avid reader, especially that of Hindi language, then you must visit Rajmangal Publishers in Aligarh. It is a leading Hindi bookstore and publication company in the northern part of India. You can find different kinds of books that are fiction as well as non-fiction; you can also find books that are educational, about history, law, economics and so much more. This publication house was established by Rajmangal Prakashan with the aim of bringing in new literature for the people who love to read in Hindi. Visit this publication house in Ramghat Road and select a book of your choice to read in one of the many quaint gardens of Aligarh.

Situated close to Ali Nagar Colony in Aligarh is a small village by the name of Nagliya and is about 11 km from the center of Aligarh city. This village is also known as Pala Sallu locally and this village is renowned for the Black Deer Conservation Reserve. This reserve provides shelter to not only the Black Deer, but also other species of animals. This reserve is dedicated and strives to preserve and protect all wild animals in the region. But this Wildlife Reserve is not the only reason Nagliya is famous, it is well known due to the literacy rate; the people in the region have higher than average level of education and in turn, each household has a member of the family who has a government job and is earning  decent income.

The Hakim Karam Hussain Museum is a lovely museum in Aligarh and is a part of Ibn Sina Academy of Medieval Medicine and Sciences. This museum houses a number of historical artifacts indicating the development of medicines and medical procedures in the region. The main theme to this museum is that it focuses on the history of diseases, their cure and practices for maintaining good health from different perspectives based on culture. The museum has been categorized according to different eras of the human race namely Babylonian, Mesopotamian, Arab, Egyptian, Greek, and Indian civilizations. This is an interesting place to visit if you are interested in evolution of medicine over the years.

Located in the Aligarh Muslim University campus is the Maulana Azad Library, the central library of the university. The Maulana Azad Library is the biggest university library in the continent of Asia with a building that is seven-storeyed and is surrounded by beautiful gardens stretching to 4.75 acres of land. The library consists of 1,800,000 books and recently got a donation of 5000 books. This library was set up in the year 1877 and has been circulating books to students of the university ever since. Along with books, this center of knowledge has a huge collection of manuscripts, pamphlets, paintings and photographs. It also has books that are printed in different languages like Latin and Arabic.