Delhi

Delhi is a large city in Northern India, part of the National Capital Territory (also known as Delhi). It has over 28 million people.

Delhi has seen the rise and fall of many empires, leaving today a plethora of monuments that display the grandeur and glory of bygone ages. The city which traces its history to Mahabharata, the great epic tale of wars fought between the estranged cousins the Kauravas and the Pandavas for the city of Indraprastha.

Mughals ruled Delhi in succession starting from Qutab-ub-din to Khiljis, Tughlaqs. The city of Delhi passed on to the hands of the British in 1803 AD. It was only in 1911, when the capital of British empire was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi, that Delhi got its present prestige. After independence also, a kind of autonomy was conferred on the capital but it largely remained a chief commissioners regime. In 1956 Delhi was converted into a Union territory and gradually the chief commissioner was replaced by a Lt. Governor. In 1991, the national capital territory Act was passed by the parliament and a system of diarchy was introduced under which the elected Government was given wide powers; however, law and order remained with the central Government. The actual enforcement of the legislation came in 1993.

New Delhi, the capital of India, which is contained by Delhi, is sprawled over the west bank of the river Yamuna. It is surrounded on three sides by Haryana. To the east, across the river Yamuna, it borders Uttar Pradesh. Historically, the city has long since been the foremost in political importance with successive dynasties choosing it as their seat of power between the 13th and the 17th centuries. Remnants of the glorious past survive as important monuments in different parts of the city.[1]

The myriad faces of the city are remarkable. In some places it remains a garden city, tree lined and with beautiful parks, but in other places it can also be crowded with heavy traffic. Turbaned Sikhs, colorfully dressed Rajasthani and Gujarati women working in offices, Muslim shopkeepers along Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, Tibetans and Ladakhis in the street stalls along Janpath and Kashmiris in the handicraft shops around Connaught Place, all add to the cosmopolitan feel of the city. Soaring skyscrapers, posh residential colonies and bustling commercial complexes can be seen along with the ancient historical monuments. Its boutiques and shopping arcades offer access to a wealth of traditional and contemporary crafts from all over the country. Old Delhi, which looks entirely different from New Delhi area, is about 6 km north of the city center.

External links[edit]

• Govt. of NCT of Delhi