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Delhi
 Districts
of Delhi : New Delhi
Central Delhi
North Delhi
North East Delhi
East Delhi
South Delhi
South West Delhi
West Delhi
North West Delhi
Population : 13,782,976 (2nd) (2001)
Language(s) : Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu
Established : 1 November 1958
Delhi,often referred to as Dilli, is the second-largest metropolis
in India, after Mumbai, with a population of 13 million, and
with an extended metropolitan population of almost 22 million.
Located in northern India on the banks of the River Yamuna,
Delhi has the political status of a federally-administered union
territory known as the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT).
A constitutional amendment in 1991 gave Delhi a special status
among the Union Territories; Delhi has its own legislative assembly
with limited powers. The National Capital Territory of Delhi
comprises nine districts, 27 tehsils, three statutory towns
viz. Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal
Committee (NDMC) and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB), 59 census
towns and 165 villages.
Delhi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the
world. Having been the capital of several empires in ancient
India, Delhi was a major city in the old trade routes from northwest
India to the Gangetic Plains. Many ancient monuments, archaeological
sites and remains of national importance have been erected in
its history. The Mughals built a section of the city (now known
as Old City or Old Delhi) that served as the capital of Mughal
Empire for a long period. During the British Raj, New Delhi
was built as an administrative quarter of the city. New Delhi
was declared the capital of India after India gained independence
from British rule in 1947. As the seat of the Government of
India, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government,
including the Parliament of India. Delhi has grown up to be
a cosmopolitan city owing to the immigration of people from
across the country. Like many other large cities of the world,
Delhi suffers from urbanisation problems such as pollution,
traffic congestion, and scarcity of resources. The rapid development
and urbanisation of Delhi and surrounding areas coupled with
the high average income of the populace has largely eclipsed
socio-cultural traits that used to represent Delhi until a few
years after independence.
History
At 72.5 m (238 ft), the Qutub Minar is the world's tallest brick
minaret.
Built in 1560, the Humayun's Tomb is a prime example of Mughal
Architecture.
Built in 1921, the India Gate commemorates the 90,000 Indian
soldiers who died in the Afghan Wars and World War IHuman habitation
was probably present in and around Delhi during the second millennium
BC and before, as evidenced by archeological relics. The city
is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, legendary capital
of the Pandavas in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Settlements
grew from the time of the Mauryan Empire (c. 300 BC). Remains
of seven major cities have been discovered in Delhi. The Tomara
dynasty founded the city of Lal Kot in 736 AD. The Chauhan Gurjars
of Ajmer conquered Lal Kot in 1180 AD and renamed it Qila Rai
Pithora. The Chauhan king Prithviraj III was defeated in 1192
by the Afghan Muhammad Ghori. In 1206, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the
first ruler of the Slave Dynasty established the Delhi Sultanate.
Qutb-ud-din started the construction the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-al-Islam
(might of Islam), the earliest extant mosque in India. After
the fall of the Slave dynasty, a succession of Turkic and Central
Asian dynasties, the Khilji dynasty, the Tughluq dynasty, the
Sayyid dynasty and the Lodhi dynasty held power in the late
medieval period, and built a sequence of forts and townships
that are part of the seven cities of Delhi. In 1398, Timur Lenk
invaded India on the pretext that the Muslim sultans of Delhi
were too much tolerant to their Hindu subjects. Timur entered
Delhi and the city was sacked, destroyed, and left in ruins.
Delhi was a major center of sufism (a mystic tradition of Islam)
during the Sultanate period. In 1526, Zahiruddin Babur defeated
the last Lodhi sultan in the First Battle of Panipat and founded
the Mughal Empire that ruled from Delhi, Agra and Lahore.
The
Mughal Empire ruled northern India for more than three centuries,
with a five-year hiatus during Sher Shah Suri's reign in the
mid-16th century. Mughal emperor Akbar shifted the capital from
Agra to Delhi. Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Delhi that
bears his name (Shahjahanabad), and is more commonly known as
the Old City or Old Delhi. The old city served as the capital
of the Mughal Empire since 1638. Nader Shah defeated the Mughal
army at the huge Battle of Karnal in February, 1739. After this
victory, Nader captured and sacked Delhi, carrying away many
treasures, including the Peacock Throne. In 1761, Delhi was
raided by Ahmed Shah Abdali after the Third battle of Panipat.
At the Battle of Delhi on 11 September 1803, General Lake's
British forces defeated the Marathas.
Delhi came under direct British control after the Indian Rebellion
of 1857. Shortly after the Rebellion, Calcutta was declared
the capital of British India and Delhi was made a district province
of the Punjab. In 1911, Delhi was again declared as the capital
of British India. Parts of the old city were pulled down to
create New Delhi; a monumental new quarter of the city designed
by the British architect Edwin Lutyens to house the government
buildings. New Delhi, also known as Lutyens' Delhi, was officially
declared as the seat of the Government of India and the capital
of the republic after independence on 15 August 1947. During
the partition of India thousands of Hindu and Sikh refugees
from West Punjab and Sindh migrated to Delhi. Migration to Delhi
from the rest of India continues, contributing more to the rise
of Delhi's population than the birth rate, which is declining.
In 1984, the assassination of Indira Gandhi (Prime Minister
of India) led to violent backlash against the Sikh community,
resulting in over two thousand seven hundred deaths. The Constitution
(Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory
of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory
of Delhi. The Act gave Delhi its own legislative assembly, though
with limited powers.
Culture
The Masjid-i-Jahan Numa, commonly known as Jama Masjid, is the
largest mosque in India. Rice and Chicken Chilli from Delhi.
Traditional Indian pottery on display in Dilli Haat.Delhi's
culture has been influenced by its lengthy history and historic
association as the capital of India. This is exemplified by
the many monuments of significance found in the city; the Archaeological
Survey of India recognises 175 monuments in Delhi as national
heritage sites. The Old City is the site where the Mughals and
the Turkic rulers constructed several architectural marvels
like the Jama Masjid (India's largest mosque) and Red Fort.
Three World Heritage Sites—the Red Fort, Qutab Minar and
Humayun's Tomb—are located in Delhi. Other monuments include
the India Gate, the Jantar Mantar (an 18th century astronomical
observatory) and the Purana Qila (a 16th century fortress).
The Laxminarayan Temple, Akshardham and the Bahá'í
Lotus Temple are examples of modern architecture. Raj Ghat and
associated memorials houses memorials of Mahatma Gandhi and
other notable personalities. New Delhi houses several government
buildings and official residences reminiscent of the British
colonial architecture. Important structures include the Rashtrapati
Bhavan, the Secretariat, Rajpath, the Parliament of India and
Vijay Chowk. Safdarjung's Tomb is an example of the Mughal gardens
style
Delhi's association and geographic proximity to the capital,
New Delhi, has amplified the importance of national events and
holidays. National events such as Republic Day, Independence
Day and Gandhi Jayanti (Gandhi's birthday) are celebrated with
great enthusiasm in Delhi. On India's Independence Day (15 August)
the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation from the Red
Fort. Most Delhiites celebrate the day by flying kites, which
are considered a symbol of freedom. The Republic Day Parade
is a large cultural and military parade showcasing India's cultural
diversity and military might.
Religious festivals include Diwali (the festival of lights),
Jain Paryushan Parv, Mahavir Jayanti, Guru Nanak's Birthday,
Durga Puja, Holi, Lohri, Maha Shivaratri, Eid, Phulwalon Ki
Sair and Buddha Jayanti. The Qutub Festival is a cultural event
during which performances of musicians and dancers from all
over India are showcased at night, with the Qutub Minar as the
chosen backdrop of the event. Other events such as Kite Flying
Festival, International Mango Festival and Vasant Panchami (the
Spring Festival) are held every year in Delhi.
Punjabi cuisine and Mughlai delicacies like kababs and biryanis
are popular in several parts of Delhi. Due to Delhi's large
cosmopolitan population, cuisines from every part of India,
including Rajasthani, Maharashtrian, Bengali, Hyderabadi cuisines,
and South Indian food items like idli, sambar and dosa are widely
available. Local delicacies include Chaat and Dahi-Papri. There
are several food outlets in Delhi serving international cuisine
including Italian and Chinese.Historically, Delhi has always
remained an important trading centre in northern India. Old
Delhi still contains legacies of its rich Mughal past that can
be found among the old city's tangle of snaking lanes and teeming
bazaars. The dingy markets of the Old City has an eclectic product
range from oil-swamped mango, lime and eggplant pickles, candy-colored
herbal potions to silver jewelry, bridal attire, uncut material
and linen, spices, sweets. Some of old regal havelis (palacial
residences) are still there in the Old City. Chandni Chowk,
a three century old shopping area, is one of the most popular
shopping areas in Delhi for jewelery and Zari saris. Notable
among Delhi's arts and crafts are the Zardozi (an embroidery
done with gold thread) and Meenakari (the art of enameling).
Dilli Haat, Hauz Khas, Pragati Maidan offer a variety of Indian
handicrafts and handlooms. However, the city is said to have
lost its own identity and socio-cultural legacies as it went
to absorb multitude of humanity from across the country and
has morphed into an amorphous pool of cultural styles.
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