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Delhi

Delhi, India. View on map

Avg. duration 3-4^days

Things to Know

Continent
asia
Country
India
State
Delhi
Latitude
28.7041
Longitude
77.1025
Area
1,484 km2
Population
1.9 crores
Timezone
GMT + 05:30
Best time to Visit
October and November or February and March
Currency
INR
Voltage
220V/240V,
Plug Type
C,D,M
Languages
Hindi
Official Website
Date Format
DD-MM-YYYY
Driving Side
LEFT HAND DRIVE
Calling Code
+91 11

About

Delhi also spelled as Dilli is the heart of India and also the capital of India. is a metropolitan city located on the banks of the Yamuna river, in the Heart and the Northern region of India bounded by Uttar Pardesh and on the north, west, and south by Haryana and known as the City of Dilwalas or City of People with a Heart due to its vibrant culture, different religious sects and a mixed bag of traditions. Delhi is spread over an area of 1483 sq. kilometers, 216 meters above sea level and has a population of around 14 million.

The walled city of Delhi had fourteen gates and now only 5 are standing. They are Kashmiri Gate: Pointing North to Kashmir; Ajmeri Gate: Facing Ajmer in Rajasthan; Lahori Gate: Facing Lahore in Pakistan; Delhi Gate: Road to earlier cities of Delhi; Turkman Gate: Named after pious saint Hazrat Shah Turkana. Delhi is a beautiful blend of historical past and a vibrant present. In 1912, in the era of British, The capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi. Post-independence in 1947, New Delhi was officially declared as the Capital of India. and the seat of the Government and houses numerous administration offices, federal government offices and the main Parliament of India and the Residence of the Prime Minister and President of India. Delhi is the fifth most populated urban area in the world with satellite towns like Faridabad, Gurgaon, and Noida making it an NCR called the National Capital Region. Delhi is The World’s Second Most Bird Rich City In The World. and Delhi also has Asia's largest fruit and vegetable market. Nearly 3,000 trucks bring in fruits and vegetables here daily for over 30,000 retail vendors.

History

Delhi has a long historical past dating back to the pre-historic 6th Century BC era when it was founded as 'Indraprastha', the capital of the Pandavas of the Mahabharata epic. It was earlier known as 'Hastinapur' or 'Elephant City' according to the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text. It is said that the ancient Indraprast Village existed where the Old Fort stands after which it was demolished by the British to make way for constructing New Delhi towards the late 19th Century. Archaeological excavations in 1966 revealed fragments of grey painted ware dating back to the Pandava era and the remains of 7 cities, relics dating back to the Mauryan Period including two sandstone Pillars with the inscription of Emperor Ashoka [273 BC-236 BC] discovered near Noida in Srinivaspuri that were brought to the city by Firuz Shah Tughlaq in the 14th Century.

Earlier named 'Dhillika' and 'Dhilli' in short, the first medieval town located on the south-western border of the present Mehrauli area of the City and founded by King Dhillu in 800 BC according to Satyarth Prakash of Swami Dayanand of 1875 CE; however other theories also exists and differ in their own context. This town was the first in the series of seven medieval cities.

From the 8th Century, the Tomar Rajput dynasty reigned. Anangpal, a Tomar Rajput founded Lal-Kot in 736 BC near the famous Qutub Minar in the Mehrauli area of Delhi. His name is inscribed into the Iron Pillar that lies with the Qutub Complex of the Chandragupta II era. Lal-Kot was the center of learning and people spoke eloquent languages. The city gates were gilded in gold and studded with gems. King Anangpal also built a Citadel in 731 BC situated 10 km from 'Surajkund'.

In 1180, Lal-Kot was conquered by the Chauhan Rajput Kings of Ajmer and renamed it as 'Qila Rai Pithora'. Later in 1192, King Prithviraj Chauhan III was defeated by the Afghan Muhammad Ghori and since 1206, 'Dhilli', was made the capital of the Delhi Sultanate under the Slave Dynasty by Qutub-ud-din Aibak, a former slave who rose to the ranks of a general, then a governor and finally the first Sultan of Delhi. He constructed the famous Qutub Minar but died before its completion. During his reign, he destroyed 27 Jain Temples that had existed then and used its debris to construct the Quwwat-al-Islam mosque. The City was then succeeded by Turkic and Afghan Rulers followed by the Khilji, the Tughlaq, the Sayyid and the Lodi dynasties that ruled during the late medieval period and constructed forts and towns. Later in 1398, Timur Lenk invaded India and left Delhi in ruins. In 1526, the first Battle of Panipat, Zahiruddin Babar defeated the last surviving Afghan Lodi Sultan and established the Mughal Empire in Lahore, Delhi, and Agra.

Later in the 16th Century, Shershah Suri defeated Emperor Humayun, son of Emperor Zahiruddin Babar. Humayun escaped to Afghanistan and Persia and Shershah Suri rebuilt the 6th medieval town of Delhi and constructed the Old Fort or 'Purana Quila'. Emperor Humayun reclaimed the Delhi Throne with assistance from the Persian Rulers after the Shershah Suri reign from 1540 to 1556 and demise. The throne was then succeeded by Akbar, son of Emperor Humayun who moved the capital to Agra and between 1553 - 1556, Delhi was taken over by Hemu Vikramaditya who defeated the Mughal forces of Akbar in Agra. Later Akbar reclaimed the throne after defeating Hemu in the second Battle of Panipat. Later Akbar's son, Shahjahan [1628-1658] succeeded the Throne and moved the capital back to Delhi and restored its fortunes which had then declined and constructed the 7th medieval town of Delhi that was named 'Shahjahanabad' after him and now is popularly known as 'Old City' or 'Old Delhi'. Many architectural delights are still visible like the 'Red Fort' or 'Lal Quila' and the 'Jama Masjid'. Later Aurangzeb grabbed the Throne in 1658 and crowned himself in the famous 'Shalimar Garden' or 'Aizzabad Bagh' and ruled till his death in 1707.

In February 1739, the Mughal army was then defeated by Nader Shah in the Battle of Karnal. He captured and looted Delhi including the famous Peacock Throne after which a treaty was signed in 1752 for the Marathas to protect the Mughal Throne and its belongings. The Marathas rule accelerated through the entire North and Central India until they were defeated by Ahmed Shah Abdali in 1761 during the third Battle of Panipat and again Delhi remained just a fragment after it was raided by Abdali. On 11th September 1803, the British forces overpowered the Marathas and the Mughal reign over the City and took over Delhi in 1857 and the remaining Mughal territories. Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the Last Mughal Emperor was exiled to Rangoon.

The British moved their capital to Delhi in 1911 and pulled down parts of Old Delhi to construct New Delhi. Government buildings and offices were designed by Edwin Lutyens and constructed in beautiful English Colonial style. The British held the seat of the Government till 1947 and Post Independence, Delhi was still made the seat of the Indian Government with Jawaharlal Nehru as their first Prime Minister of India. Throughout its History, Delhi was bruised 7 times and rebuilt 7 times. The City, however, survived against all odds and now stands as the main political, cultural and commercial empire of India.

The Culture of Delhi

Delhi is the traditional and present-day capital of India. Delhi stands in a triangle formed by the river Yamuna in the east and spurs from the Aravali range in the west and south.

Delhi is not only the largest commercial center in Northern India but also the largest center of small industries. The IT sector, handloom, fashion, textile, and electronic industry contribute a lot to Delhi's economy.

Delhi is bounded by four states namely Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab have a strong influence on the lifestyle of Delhi. Delhi is a cosmopolitan city where people are open to embracing new ideas and lifestyles. People from all parts of the country live here. All major festivals of India are celebrated and the Unity in Diversity is evident in social and cultural gatherings. Be it Holi, Diwali, Id, Guru Purab, Buddha Purnima or Christmas, you will find the same vigor and bliss among people from different communities.

Getting There

Flight
Train
Bus
Roadways

Getting Around

Train
Bus
Metro
Roadways
Car
Bike
Taxi
Bicycle
Walking

Rentals

Rent a Bike
Rent a Car
Rent a Bicycle

Weather

New Delhi, the capital of India, has a hot and humid climate for most of the season. The city climate becomes very hot during the month of June which is followed by monsoon happening somewhere after September. Monsoon in Delhi is quite unpredictable where you can't predict which way they will turn. Delhi monsoon has never been like the one we witness in other parts of India, say for example Mumbai. Winter in Delhi is very chilly which peaks in at the start of November and continues till the month of February. The foggy and chilly weather during winters makes Delhi's climate a tough one to confront with. Delhi is situated on the banks of river Yamuna with Himalayas being in the north of Delhi. This is the main reason behind Delhi's climate being called as the "Continental Climate".

The average temperature of New Delhi during summer ranges from 25Âº C to 46Âº C. This goes to show that Delhi summer is very cumbersome and bearing the heat is no child's play. May and June are considered to be the hottest months of the year. Summer in Delhi stays till October before tinge of winter starts to sets in. Summer in Delhi attributes its cause to Rajasthan hot waves called "Loo". These heat waves are immensely hot and one needs to take proper precaution during the season. The arrival of monsoon does bring some relief to Delhi, which comes no earlier than the end of June. Monsoon in Delhi does bring some respite to Delhities but this has still not been much predictable and has been rare at times.

Winter Season:

In comparison to summer, winters are short. Winter Season starts from the end of November and continues till February-March. The cold waves from the Himalayan region make the winters in New Delhi is very chilly. Temperatures fall substantially down to as low as 3 to 4Âº C at the peak of winter. Winters in Delhi get really chilly with bonfires all around the streets of Delhi to beat the cold waves. Delhi is not aloof to the problems of fog and smog. In January, a dense fog envelopes the city, reducing visibility on the streets. It is advisable to take enough precautions while driving during night and morning because fog reduces visibility to a great extent. Usually, though, winter days are pleasant with bright sunlight in the afternoons only.

Monsoon (Rainy Season):

The city does not witness much of the rainy season. The monsoon lasts from July to September. October sees the end of the monsoon but it is reasonably pleasant.

Best time to Visit

If you are looking to visit Delhi, the best time is during October-November or February-March. During October-November, the atmosphere is a little bit cool with sunny weather in midday. February-March is the time when the nights are cool and the days filled with bright sunshine. This is the time when you can enjoy the best in Delhi.

Tips

The majority of people are friendly and warm in Delhi. You can always approach nearby people for help or directions if you are stuck or lost.
Always carry some change (money) while traveling, don't display money in public.
Delhi is at it’s best in the months of February, March, October or November so try visiting Delhi on these months.
Delhiites (local people from Delhi.) speak really good English so You will not face any language barrier in most of the parts of Delhi.
Ignore offers of “free” tuk-tuk rides or shopping tours. Anything that is “free” will invariably lead to you being taken to a number of shops, where the driver will earn a commission for taking you there and on any of your purchases.
if you are solo women and worried about safety Women on Wheels offer transfers and taxi services for women travelers, by women drivers.
DRESS APPROPRIATELY be respectful of the culture and religions there that require women to cover their legs and shoulders.
Delhi is Very Crowded Take care of your belongings especially your wallet at crowded places, metro, and buses.
Try to get an offline map of at least the place in which you will be visiting. Autos and taxis will try to take you via the longest route as they will easily be aware that you are not a local. Getting a map will make you aware that you are in the right direction and on the shortest possible route.
you can save your traveling expenses by taking the self-drive car on hire Self-drive cars in Delhi are a very popular option. Both expensive cars like BMW and Benz as well as economy models like models of Tata and Maruti are available
Delhi is well connected via metro and it is safe, operates till late night. At some major stations and where line changes you will find a big queue of people lined up for tickets If you have the plan to stay in Delhi more than one day, get a Metro card. You don’t need to stay in long queues to get tokens of Metro. The card is issued without any hassle.
Don’t purchase electronic items that are offered at much cheaper rates than market price especially from Palika Market. Delhi is full of thugs who will try to overcharge you.
If you are traveling by bus, it's your responsibility to take tickets from the conductor. If you are caught without a ticket you have to pay a huge amount of fine.
Install Ola or Uber to get a ride any time anywhere. Depending upon your itinerary it may be a case that your destination is not near to a metro station so for local transport use uber or ola taxi app will save a lot of time and money.
Avoid boarding buses during office hours (8 AM to 10 AM & 5 PM to 7 PM), for these are more crowded as compared to metro rails and the other means of transport in Delhi.
All the auto-rickshaws in Delhi are fitted with electronic meters to help you get more accurate fare reading. Remember to check that the auto-rickshaw meter reads zero at the time of boarding and is switched on only when the journey starts.
Delhi wakes up early and sleeps very early, it is not recommended to go outside alone post 11 PM if you are new to the city.
People generally ask for double than what the price is especially if you are not a local. Places like Palika Bazaar will say you the price five times the normal price so bargain is a must no matter where you go.
As soon you come outside the railway station or airport, you shall be chased by touts offering various services like hotels, taxi, etc. don’t make any eye contact with them. Eye contact or even saying “no” is sometimes taken as a symbol of acceptance and you shall be followed. The best method is to ignore and move ahead.
Avoid eating street food if you are not used to it. Drink only bottled mineral water. Before buying the bottle, ensure that the seal of the bottle.
Make sure to carry a first aid kit with you always. It should have all the essential medicines like those for a cough, cold, fever, diarrhea, etc, along with some antiseptic creams.
Supply voltage power is 220 V. The majority of hotels in Delhi offer their guests to rent a special adapter for various electrical appliances. You can also easily purchase such adapters in specialty stores.
The best way to exchange currency is in special exchange offices or banks. While exchanging currency, you should take into consideration not only the current exchange rate but also the amount of the commission charged.
if you are feeling unsafe or uncomfortable approach the police as soon as possible. Most of Delhi police are helpful to tourists and can be approached without hesitation.
Public Display of Affection is not the best idea in many parts of Delhi.