Delhi also known as Dilli, the capital city of India. Delhi is the largest metropolis by area and the second most populous city in India. Delhi is known as New Delhi, which also includes the urban areas near the National Capital Territory (NCT). Lying on the banks of the Yamuna River, Delhi serves as a political base that is rich in culture and diversity. National Capital Region (NCR) is the metropolitan area of Delhi that envelops cities like Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon and Faridabad along with other smaller nearby cities. The origin of NCR was a Delhi master plan, and due to this origin, the overwhelming demands to satisfy corporate entities and government establishments were minimized. It also improved the growth and expansion of infrastructure.
NCR Cities:
Gurugaon: Millennium City is known for outsourcing and offshoring services. Gurgaon contributes to the improvement of the infrastructure of the economy.
Noida: Noida is well connected with Delhi as it is the infrastructure-rich IT hub. Noida is a modern city and is growing in step with urbanization trends.The Film City, located in sector 16A, is known for its film studios and major news channels.
Faridabad: Faridabad is the main industrial city of Haryana and is the main destination for industries, IT companies, corporate entities and government departments. It is also known for the tourist attractions like Badkhal Lake, Aravalli Golf Club, Dabchick, Raja Nahar Singh Palace and Suraj Kund Resort.
Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad has grown many folds in a short period of time and has become a mainstay of modernization as it has splendid attributes from shops to non-stop entertainment arenas.
History and culture:
The city is believed to be the site of the magnanimous Indraprastha, founded in 2500 BC. Delhi was known as Hastinapur, which means the “city of elephants”. Delhi was ruled by strong and magnificent Mughal Emperors in different time zones. During the Second Battle of Panipat, Akbar’s army defeated Hemu. Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Delhi called Shahjahanabad which is known as “Old City” or “Old Delhi”. It served as the capital of the Mughal emperor from 1638. After 1680, the rule of the Mughal Empire declined and Marathas came to power. Delhi is known for its culture and heritage. The old city has rich deposits of famous monuments such as the Red Fort, Qutab Minar and Humayun’s Tomb. The other esteemed monuments are India Gate, Jantar Mantar and among the modern architecture are Laxminarayan Temple, Akshardham, Lotus Temple and ISKCON Temple. Safdarjung’s tomb resembles the Mughal garden. Delhi is known for its diversified culture and its bustling lifestyle serves as a meeting place for various vernaculars. Hindi is the most widely spoken language and apart from that English, Punjabi and Urdu are equally spoken on a large scale. Zardozi (gold thread embroidery) and Meenakari (enamel art) are the most prominent arts and crafts and the places to explore these arts and crafts are Dilli Haat, Hauz Khas and Pragati Maidan.
Climate and topography:
Delhi experiences a humid subtropical climate where summers are extremely hot with the characteristic Loo (hot waves) running from April to mid-October and from November to January the city experiences winters that are extremely cold with dense fog. The monsoons take over in June and bring a sigh of relief to beat the summer heat. Delhi is widely separated, and the terrain shows great variation, from flat agricultural fields to dry, barren hills. Yamuna is the only river that runs through Delhi and the Hindon River separates Ghaziabad from the eastern part of Delhi.
Places to visit:
The city is huge and beautiful and every corner is worth visiting as they are known for their unique features. The must-see attractions are listed below:
- Bahai/Temple
- India Gate:
- Rashtrapati Bhawan
- Red fortress
- raj ghat
- Qutab Minar
- Laxminarayan Temple
- Humayun’s Tomb
- Chandni Chowk:
- shanti vana
- Purana Quila
- jama mosque
- Nizam-ud-Din Shrine
- Chhatarpur Temple
- raj ghat
- Gurudwara Rakab Ganj
- Gurudwara Bangia Sahib
How to get to Delhi:
Air: Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport is well connected in the city and Palam Domestic Airport is now called Terminal 1 which handles all domestic flights and connects Delhi to all other cities. Indira Gandhi Terminal 3 is the eighth largest passenger terminal in the world.
Lane: New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station are the three stations that facilitate commuting. The metro is a blessing and very well connected and connects to all major stations in Delhi, Faridadbad and Noida.
Bus: The three main bus stops in Delhi are Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale-Khan Bus Terminus and Anand Vihar Bus Terminus.