| Delhi and New Delhi  The metropolitan area of Delhi [dehl'E] is
located on the Jumna River, in northern India. It covers
an area of 572 sq mi (1,483 sq km), and, as of 2001, had
a population of about 13.7 million. New Delhi, the
capital city of India, is actually a suburb of Delhi,
located about five miles (eight kilometers) south of the
"Old Delhi" city center. Delhi and New Delhi
together comprise the National Capital Territory of
Delhi.
Not surprisingly, the federal
government is the primary employer in New Delhi.
Manufacturing concerns in the Delhi metropolitan area
include razor blades, sporting goods, electronics parts,
plastic and PVC goods, textiles, chemicals, fertilizers,
soft drinks, and hand and machine tools. Service
industries include information technology,
telecommunications, hotels, banking, media, and tourism.
History
Delhi and the area around it has been
inhabited since the earliest centuries of Indian
civilization. Ashoka, the first great Emperor of India,
established his capital on the site about 2,500 years
ago, at which time it was known as Idraprastha. It came
under the rule of the Tomaras in the 10th century A.D.,
and under the Chauhans in the mid-12th century. In 1206,
it became the seat of the Delhi Sultanate, which lasted
until 1526. In the early 1600's, Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan
moved his capital from Agra, and laid the foundations of
the "modern" city of Delhi.
The British, under the auspices of the East India
Company, took control of Delhi
after the decline of the Mogul Empire. In 1877, the city
hosted the ceremonies at which Queen Victoria was
crowned Empress of India.
In 1912, the British government decided
to move the capital from the coastal city of Calcutta to Delhi. But rather than add to the already
overcrowded conditions in the main city, government
officials decided to construct what is now New Delhi,
making it the first modern city in the world to be built
specifically as a national capital. The seat of
government was officially moved to New Delhi in 1931. The
city subsequently became the capital of the independent
nation of India in 1947.
Sites of Interest
 |
Purana Qila
(Old Fort) is a massive sandstone citadel that is
believed to have built on the ruins of
Idraprastha, the capital of Ashoka's empire. The
site is revered by many Indians, and the citadel
is one of the most popular tourist destinations
in Delhi. |
 |
Qutab Minar is
a red sandstone and white marble tower that
stands 238 feet (73 meters), making it the
highest stone tower in India. It was begun in
1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak immediately after his
defeat of Delhi's last Hindu kingdom, added to by
his successors, and completed in 1368. At its
foot is the Quwwat-ul-Islam (Light of Islam)
Mosque, the first mosque built in India
(1193-1197). |
 |
Red Fort gets
its name from the red sandstone from which it was
constructed. Its foundation stones were laid by
Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan in 1618, and it was
completed in 1648. It was from here that the
British deposed the last Mogul ruler, Bhadur Shah
Zafar. And, at the stroke of the midnight hour on
August 15, 1947, Prime Minister Pandit
Jawharlal Nehru
delivered his infamous "Tryst with
destiny" speech, which marked India's
emergence as an independent nation. |
 |
The President's
House (Rashtrapati Bhawan) was initially built as
the grand palace for the Viceroy of India.
Completed in 1929, the first Viceroy to occupy
the building was Lord Irwin; the last was Lord
Louis Mountbatten. Today the grand structure is
home to India's President, as well as the
President's Secretariat. |
 |
The India Gate
was built as a memorial to commemorate the 90,000
Indian soldiers killed in World War I.
It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens (the chief
architect of New Delhi), completed in 1931, and
formally dedicated in 1941. The monument also
houses the Amar Jawan Jyoti (Eternal Flame), a
memorial to Indian soldiers killed in the 1971
war with Pakistan. |
 |
The Indian
Parliament meets in a uniquely circular building
constructed between 1912 and 1913. |
Other sites of interest
in Delhi include an open-air observatory built by Jai
Singh of Jaipur in the 1700's. The National Museum of
India houses precious art treasures covering all periods
of Indian history.
Questions or comments about this
page?
Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation.
delhitourism.nic.in
New Delhi City Guide. www.delhi-india.net
East
India Company
Queen Victoria
Calcutta
Pandit
Jawharlal Nehru
World War I
Pakistan
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