Welcome to Delhi, India
Delhi has an aura that only a time-honoured political powerhouse can carry. Understood to be inhabited from the second millennium BC, the region is believed to be the site of action of the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. It then went on to host the thrones of several empires of ancient and medieval India - most significantly, of the Mughals, who followed the Turks and the Afghans. And now, Delhi is home to the Indian capital - New Delhi.Delhi is a Union Territory, and also includes Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad - that are together known as the National Capital Region. Delhi is sometimes used to refer to New Delhi - the planned area, within the city, that was designated by the British as the capital of the Indian Empire, and that now houses the Parliament of India, the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the Presidential Palace) and the Supreme Court of India. Being a Union Territory, NCR has its own administration, including the Legislative Assembly.
The NCR is spread over an area of 1,484 square kilometers, and stretches from Sarup Nagar in the north to Rajorki in the south, and from Najafgarh in the west to the river Yamuna in the east. Its terrain ranges from dry and arid to agricultural plains.
Delhi faces the wrath of the seasons owing to its location. Summers are long and blazing (temperatures go up to 44.5 degrees Centigrade), stretch from early April to mid-October, and carry hot winds from Rajasthan in the west. Winters are chilly, with temperatures dropping below zero degrees Centigrade. The region witnesses a brief, humid monsoon in July.
A metropolis layered with history and culture, Delhi is the political and cultural hub of India. With the Archaeological Survey of India recognizing 1,200 heritage buildings in the city, Delhi is a history student's delight. The India Gate is widely used to symbolize Delhi in the visual arts and media, while the Qutab Minar, the Red Fort and Humayun's Tomb are World Heritage Sites.
While buildings like the Purana Qila, the Jantar Mantar and Humayun's tomb are notable chunks of the Mughal legacy, New Delhi's government buildings and official residences are examples of British architecture. Then, there are also the newly built Akshardham, the Bahai Lotus Temple and the Laxminarayan Temple - that are all pieces of fresh, modern architecture.
Indian festivals are celebrated quite boisterously in the region. Dussehra is synonymous with the Ram-Lila, and Holi, the festival of colours, sees a lot of gaiety on the streets. Lohri, Eid, Diwali and Vasant Panchami are among the other events here. These apart, Indian national festivals - the Republic Day and the Independence Day - are celebrated with much pomp and fanfare at New Delhi.
This is city that never disappoints the gourmand. Delhi has a composite culture, with a migrant population from several Indian states as well as an expatriate population (Delhi is home to embassies of 160 countries). As a result, its cuisine is eclectic, and includes Indian and world cuisine. As for Indian food, Punjabi and Mughlai cuisines are the most popular picks, though most other regional cuisines - Rajasthani, Maharashtrian, Gujarati and south Indian - are also enjoyed here.
The city has an evolved arts and entertainment scene, with theatre (in Hindustani and English), ghazals, poetry, classical dance and music, fashion shows, art galleries, handicraft exhibitions, literary gatherings, and much more waiting to be explored.
Delhi is a place for quality education, and there are several venerable places of learning here. Some of them are the Delhi University, IGNOU, the All-India Institute Of Medical Sciences, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indian Institute of Technology, the Faculty Of Management Studies (FMS), the Indian Institute Of Foreign Trade, Delhi School Of Economics, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology and the Delhi College of Engineering.
Old Delhi is sure to enchant the ethnic shopper. The 300-year-old Chandni Chowk offers you many of India's typical sights, sounds and smells. For jewellery, sarees, handlooms, herbal potions, and traditional Indian arts and crafts, the bustling bazaars of the older part of town are the best bet. The younger, more affluent parts of Delhi are witness to the retail boom, with massive malls and expansive shopping complexes serving as commercial hubs and entertainment getaways.
Retail apart, Delhi also houses the headquarters of several consumer goods industries, and is also a manufacturing hub. Tourism, hotels, telecom and banking are other sectors that fuel the city's fast-growing economy.
Stately, in every sense of the word, Delhi offers you a peek at the legacy of India itself. Get here to know why.