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Let's talk about the most famous city in India. How Delhi lives, what sights there are and other interesting points. Read.

Weekdays

Even after dark the birds begin to wake up the inhabitants. Every tree, every bush rings from their chirping and whistling and seems to sway, seething with movement: a myriad of various birds flutter in a dense crown. With the first ray of the sun, they soar up and scatter on the roads, the street, but most of all outside the city, where the peasant fields are spread out.

The first to be removed from the trees and leave the capital are green flocks of parrots - noisy, swift in flight. Pugnacious “black sparrows”, a brown motley bird, a little like a very large starling, fly away. Interspersed with tropical birds unfamiliar in Russia, the ubiquitous sparrows and crows rush in the air. And in the very heights, as if suspended from the ceiling-sky, kites and eagles froze. Together with the sluggish vultures dormant in the trees, they are the main "orderlies" here, destroying the carrion of birds shot down by a car at night, thrown out by the peasants over the outskirts of animals that died of old age or exhaustion.

At the same time, another stream flows through the earth towards the city - the human one. Day laborers come, alone, in families, almost entire villages. In front, in shabby, dusty dhoti, a piece of linen wrapped around the hips, and a kurta, a long loose shirt, march men. The women follow behind, slightly apart from the men. They are dressed more elegantly: once in bright, but now faded, but still catchy work saris, a four or five meter linen, with which they elegantly drape themselves instead of a dress.

There are groups of women in bright wide skirts and sweaters. This, in contrast to the inhabitants of the surrounding area, comes from the eternally drought-tormented state of Rajasthan. Women carry on their heads pots, jugs, bundles with food prepared ahead of time: rice or jovar (millet) porridge, gray, unleavened chapati cakes and spicy fatty gravy - curry. On the hips of women are babies, and next to them, clinging to the hem or slightly lagging behind, older children mince. A stream of people from villages devastated by drought or floods or in the off-season flows and flows into the city, then spreads in streams along the alleys and settles on roads and construction sites being repaired: the rapidly changing capital expands the streets, improves the asphalt cover, you can see scaffolding everywhere (even on multi-storey At home, bamboo poles tied with ropes serve).

The evening dawn repeats the morning dawn in reverse order: the birds, having worked in the fields and in the jungle, return to the city for the night, and the peasants, having finished their working day, rush to rest - home, to the village, if it is close, or to the huts scattered on the outskirts of the capital .

In the morning, athletes or elderly people taking early walks appear on the streets for day laborers. Here, especially in summer, all sports life is mainly at dawn, when the earth has not yet turned into a stuffy bathhouse. The sun has cast its first rays on the city, and in the squares of the capital, adults and children are already chasing a ball across the uncreased lawn (grass hockey is the most popular game here), fighting cricket, vaguely reminiscent of our rounders, playing football, badminton, tennis and, less often, volleyball .

Those who have not yet met the sunrise on their feet will be woken up by street vendors. On scooters, bicycles, or simply with baskets in their hands, they roam under the windows, and in the quarters of the rich - along the "black" alley, which exist everywhere here, they are laid behind residential buildings and place staff rooms attached to mansions, garages. With thunderous and shrill, ringing and hoarse voices, they each shout out their own:

Sabji bhaji wala! (I am a vegetable merchant). Selling food!

Bombay bananas! Nagpur oranges! Cashmere apples! The best quality and everything is cheap!

Here are gram cakes (one of the local legumes). Eat my hot cakes, and you will not be afraid of the cold of winter!

Peak hour"

The capital is awake. Schoolchildren sat down at their desks or, curling their legs into a ball, settled down right on the floor, mats, grass with slate boards in their hands. Schools are not the same. Some are in comfortable modern buildings, others are on the street, under the crowns of sprawling trees.

Later than everyone else, people working in offices, banks, shops appear on the streets, although almost all of them woke up at dawn, did a lot of things at home, some went in for sports. Institutions and shops open only at ten in the morning. So they had plenty of time for everything. But only when they go outside the capital really comes to life, the rush hour begins. Delhi is a city of officials, merchants, and various service personnel. There are few artisans and workers in the city itself.

Rush hour is the time for cyclists and scooters. It is sometimes difficult for a car to break through their moving walls. Bicyclists and scooters ride two, three, or even six abreast and do not pay any attention to the roar of the horns of the cars propping them up. It happens that riders of two-wheeled units on the go talk animatedly about something, gesticulate, make sharp turns in front of cars. The neglect of heavier transport costs them dearly: every year more than one and a half thousand cyclists and scooters get into accidents, and very often with a fatal outcome.

Bicycle and scooter - workers' transport. Every fifth inhabitant of the capital daily rides them down the street. Not devoid of a sense of humor, traffic police officers reported after their survey that the distance traveled daily by all cyclists in the city is equal to thirteen routes from the Earth to the Moon both ways.

The abundance of cyclists is also explained by the fact that the urban transport of the capital is poorly developed. Save the subway. Rare buses that run far from everywhere in the city that has grown enormously in breadth do not always help. And a taxi or a little cheaper than his motor rickshaw - a motorcycle with a wagon hoisted on it - is not available to everyone. The subway is very useful.

National holidays

Independence Day

After ten in the morning, the streets of the city in those parts where there is no bazaar and shops seem to die out. People dispersed to offices. The work day has begun. Such are the everyday dawns of the Indian capital. On holidays, they are somewhat different: people, however, get up just as early, but they are not in a hurry to work, but, having dressed up, they gather at the places of celebrations. It is worth telling a little more about two dawns that have become historical in the fate of India.

Morning of August 15, 1947. Endless crowds of citizens, residents of the surrounding villages, visitors from other parts of the country flock to the walls of the Lal-Kila fortress - the "Red Fort". A huge square, dressed all year round with the greenery of a lawn, which lies between the fortress and the uncomfortable two-story houses of old Delhi, sways with the waves of the human sea. About three million people in one area!

The former redoubt of the fortress, and now the platform covered with the same lawn. The flag of Great Britain, or, as it is called, the Union Jack, was hoisted over it yesterday. For many decades it hovered over the city, personifying the dominance of the British colonialists, domination, which was considered eternal, unshakable. The night before, the British had secretly removed it from the flagpole to avoid public disgrace.

The leaders of the national liberation movement and the English nobility gathered on the podium - Viceroy Mountbatten, his entourage, retinue.

The roar of the crowd stops. The recognized leader of the national liberation movement, Jawaharlal Nehru, rises from the benches of the tribune, dressed in a modest Indian outfit: a long, loose shirt - a khadder kurta, over which is a vest, tight-fitting paper trousers - chudidar and a white cap. Nehru, the first head of an independent government, raises the state flag over the capital to the approving rumble of the human sea. The square explodes with a thunder of triumphant voices. And into the blue sky, someone launched giant kites of the same three colors as the national flag: orange, white, green.

The simple and majestic flag-raising ceremony heralded a new era in the life of the country. Only yesterday it was the domain of the British colonialists, but today it has woken up free. End of British rule! Freedom! These thoughts are in the minds of those gathered in the square, celebrating the victory of the Indians. Many have tears in their eyes: memories of the difficult path to independence stir the soul. How many sacrifices have been made to see this joyful dawn!

Nehru addresses the audience with a speech. He calls on the Indians to look now at themselves as the masters of the country, who have to build a new life.

In order to create a powerful state, the first prime minister said then, all men, women, youth must have equal rights and equal opportunities for a full-blooded life.

The country became independent. Since that memorable dawn, every year on this morning the ceremony of hoisting the national flag over Lal Qila is repeated, invariably accompanied by a speech by the head of government. Seventeen times this ceremony was performed by Jawaharlal Nehru, who until his death was the undisputed prime minister.

republic day

And another significant milestone in history - 26, 1950. Two and a half years have passed since the country won independence. But her freedom was limited. It remained a British dominion: the English monarch was considered the head of state. On his behalf, the Governor-General, who became the former Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, acted. The dominion, however, could independently make decisions about the ways of development, issue laws, and govern the state. The governor-general had only formal power, but he could slow down the adoption of laws that did not meet the interests of England and instruct to select and head the government to a pleasing person in the event that none of the parties received a majority of deputy seats in parliamentary elections.

India has taken another step forward towards freedom and prosperity. On this day, the new constitution came into effect. Country declared a republic. The power of the British crown is completely abolished. The post of governor-general has been abolished. The head of state was the president - one of the leaders of the national liberation movement Rajendra Prasad.

On the day of the proclamation of the republic, residents gather at the National Stadium. The main thoroughfare of the new city comes close to it. Once it was called in English "Kingsway" - "Royal Way". Now she was given a name in Hindi - "Rajpath" - "The Way of the State."

The Republic Day celebration was held only for the first time in the neighboring stadium, and then always in Rajpath, surrounded on both sides by green squares. And always squares, roofs of houses, giant mango trees, the most delicious and juicy Indian fruit, are strewn with townspeople. Human walls are also being built along the many kilometers of path along which troops and demonstrators pass - from the presidential palace, through Rajpath and further along the main streets in Old city, to the fortress of Lal Qila.

Usually, the residents get up after dark and go to the stands, pre-built from metal pipes and boards along the entire Rajpath. Festively dressed Indians sit on benches or right on the grass, lay out food in front of them, have breakfast and wait for the start of the celebration.

... Here the parade begins. They're coming foot soldiers, tanks, cavalry, riders on one-humped camels. There are military units that have now risen to fight terrorism. Each unit is dressed in a special way: green, red, orange berets or turbans, multi-colored uniforms. Brightly, bizarrely dressed orchestra musicians. Some, especially drummers, have animal skins thrown over their shoulders - tiger, leopard. In front of the orchestra is a coquettish drum major. He easily strikes a step, as if dancing, and twists, sometimes throws up and deftly catches his staff on the fly, doing all this to the beat of the music. With such an unusual technique, he conducts an orchestra.

The spectators greet the elegant gestures of the drum major with a joyful roar, applause, follow the march of the army with admiration, blossom with smiles when a group of decorated elephants appears. Their procession opens the demonstration. It is attended by schoolchildren, veterans and folk dancers. Moreover, tractors carry platforms hidden by the scenery past the stands. This is a display of achievements or, individual ministries and institutions.

When the elephants are far enough from the square that they are not frightened by the noise of the engines, airplanes will appear in the almost invariably cloudless blue sky. The holiday ends with a military aviation parade. But only the official part of it. For a long time the Indians will have fun on this day.

Rajpath is bustling with life even on weekdays. The capital essentially consists of two cities: New Delhi, where government offices, parliament, banks, diplomatic missions, the most comfortable residential areas are located, has a relatively small population - more than 300 thousand people, while Greater Delhi has about 15 million people.

No less significant is the Gandhi Jayanti (Gandhi's Birthday). Events on the occasion of the birth of the legend of the republic are held annually 2 .

Rajpath

On the lawns of Rajpath, the main street, adults and boys play football. In artificial reservoirs stretching along the highway, people ride boats. Here in the non-hot season, locals come with families, like in a park, and relax on the grass.

Due to the abundance of trees and greenery, Rajpath somehow does not look like a street: the buildings are far in the depths. Once upon a time there were only a few palaces of maharajas and administrative buildings built in the first half of the last century. This is where the creation of New Delhi began. On a hill, from which you can see far around, the palace of the English viceroy - now the presidential palace - was built of red sand stone - two buildings of the secretariat closely adjoined it, which housed the British state apparatus, and now various ministries of the republic.

At the foot of the hill is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city - the parliament, built in the shape of a circle. On this occasion, the English recalled an ancient oriental belief: a circle means a symbol of eternity. And they said: here is the main building of the capital symbolizes the eternal domination of England. The Indians, having won independence, put a different meaning into this symbol: the parliament building, from a distance similar to a crown, crowns the freedom won by the people.

The construction of the capital quarter began before the First World War, but the British were not up to it. The war has begun. Then the post-war years of restoration of the economy of the warring countries. Only in the late twenties - early thirties was the construction of the business center completed. But now it's going strong. On both sides of the Rajpath, multi-storey beautiful buildings have grown up, combining both classical motifs of national art, and modern styles, and the best adaptation of the premises to the tropical climate: they are both comfortable and protected by graceful canopies from the direct rays of the sun.

Overview of monuments

Tourists should recognize the city from the south, from where it began to develop in ancient times. Many interesting architectural monuments have been preserved here.

iron column

Behind the dilapidated fortress walls, buildings are different in shape and color. Today, a fence has been built around the pole to prevent vandalism. And earlier, there was always a crowd of children near the black iron column. They vied with each other to squeeze through to the seven-meter pillar, tried to wrap their arms around it and dejectedly retreat, accompanied by understanding smiles from adults. They themselves tried to do the same, standing, as expected, with their backs to the column. Rarely, rarely, did anyone manage to close their hands behind the pillar, and even then mostly over the head, although it was a little less than half a meter in diameter. It was necessary to hug him, bringing his hands from below. Then, as the locals believe, any wish will come true. Where the column was hugged, it is polished to a shine. And above retained black matte color. Not a single rust, although it has stood in the open for more than a thousand and a half years. And all this time, violent rains wash it, sandstorms sand it, and the tropical sun burns it. Not erased by time, the engraved inscriptions made it possible to establish both the age and the place of manufacture of the column.

Qutub Minar

Very close to the column rises a seventy-meter stone tower - Qutub Minar. The stream of people flows in both directions: inside the tower and out of it. Entering the twilight, illuminated only by the light from the slots-loopholes, tourists climb up the steep spiral steps. Few manage to climb to the very top. It represents an almost unenclosed patch - a flat roof. After many cases of falling or jumping from the roof of suicides, the entrance to the visitors to the upper tiers was closed. Now they only reach the first tier. However, he also shot up thirty meters.

As a Muslim building, Qutub Minar does not have images of people in the decoration and is decorated only with ornaments and symmetrical, graceful forms of carved stone. One of the inscriptions woven into the ornament says that the tower was built by the order of "Kutb-uddin - Emir of Emirs, Commander-in-Chief and Head of State" in 1220. But the minaret tower is far from the first building here. The fort, whose walls have survived to this day, was created earlier, in the 11th century AD.

Ancient city

For those who are passionate about history and archeology, there are such interesting monuments of antiquity at every step that it is difficult to imagine. Many of them are not known, not solved, not found, just like the fate of the city itself for a number of centuries. Legends say that the city was the capital of the Pandavas, the mythical heroes of the local epic Mahabharata. Excavations of the places mentioned in the epic have in some cases confirmed what legends tell about the surroundings of Delhi. Based on this, scientists make assumptions that the first ancient city Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas, stood on the site of Purana Qila, an old fortress.

Few people pay attention to the ugly, time-worn skeleton of a building inside the walled complex of buildings at Qutub Minar. You will not understand whether it is destroyed, or unfinished. It turns out that this miserable skeleton was intended to outshine the Qutub Minar, to rise twice as high as it.

AT Arabian tales"A Thousand and One Nights" the conceited caliph builds a tower through which he wants to ascend to the seventh heaven to the gods. In the fairy tale, things ended badly for both the caliph and the tower. The same story happened here. The ambitious Sultan Alauddin, who sat on the throne 60 years after the appearance of Qutub Minar, decided to glorify himself and create Alai Minar. But the building did not rise above twenty meters. So, unfinished, unlined, it has remained to this day. The Sultan had strong enemies, and he had to repel their onslaught. There is no time for conceited undertakings!

And there are dozens of monkeys on the road. They live in ruins. When cars approach, the little animals boldly take to the road. As soon as a man appears from the car - they do not pay attention to passing peasants - they surround him. The interest of monkeys and people is mutual. The peasants do not need them, moreover, the monkeys are a disaster for them: they destroy crops, crops. The peasants do not have time to drive them away from the field. And visitors are city dwellers, tourists bring goodies with them: nuts, fruits, sweets. Monkeys quickly run up to them, stretch out their paws, demand handouts.

Here one boy began to tease the monkey. Once he will give her a nut, another time he will only show and hide. The monkey first grabbed his shirt with his paw, and when he did not calm down, bit him. The cry of the boy and the behavior of the excited monkey were transmitted to the flock. The elders who accompanied the guys quickly gathered everyone on the bus and took them away from the pack that had become dangerous.

In the meantime, a large male dozing before descends from the tree. Small fry and even adult monkeys timidly run off to the side. This is the leader of the pack. He moves sedately towards the tourist with a bag of nuts. His habit is such that, apparently, he does not doubt: they will give him some goodies. It's already a beast. He must be reckoned with. While the leader fills his cheek pouches with nuts, the rest wait or snatch a sop furtively and headlong out of sight of their master.

Until recently, monkeys could be seen everywhere, and at night - flocks of jackals in the city itself. In 2008, even for some time, the work of the international airport in New Delhi was suspended due to the invasion of the bands of monitor lizards and jackals.

Now both of them are rare. Many dogs have divorced, and from them even the leader of the monkeys hastily climbs a tree. But the outskirts of the capital, its cesspools are visited nightly by jackals. Other "guests" also come. Sometimes hyenas come here and attack people sleeping on the street, especially children. The surroundings of the city are rich in partridges, hares, geese, ducks, various other birds, animals, and reptiles. Monkeys are also found in the city itself, but rather on the roof of a train station or airport than on a tree, or in the ruins of ancient buildings. A flock of monkeys that scared the visiting boys so much lives on the outskirts of the city, near the Tughlakabad fortress.

Tughlaqabad fortress and Suraj Kund lake

By order of the founder of the Tuglak dynasty, a massive fortress was built in three years - in 1323. Then other structures appeared around it. Many of them disappeared without a trace. Better than other buildings, the mausoleum of the founder of the dynasty, Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlak, has been preserved.

It is worth driving a little further from the city along a difficult road, as you find yourself in a world of a very distant past. Among the ruins of some buildings and boulders lies the majestic reservoir Suraj Kund, built in the 7th century AD. It occupies about two and a half hectares. Here they worshiped the god of the sun ("suraj" - the sun, "kund" - a well). Here the Hindu rulers entertained themselves. The shape of the ensemble corresponds to the purpose of the reservoir. Just as we see the sun, it is built in the form of a downward-facing cone. Stone steps, rings, small on top (for the convenience of bathers), are getting higher until they rest on a patch - the bottom at a depth of more than thirty meters.

The distance from Suraj Kund to Qutb Minar is only a few kilometers, and in the sense of the history of the Indian capital, it is equal to four centuries: Suraj Kund is the last known building of Delhi, after it, to the buildings of the XI century complex where Qutb Minar is located, archaeologists cannot find almost no trace of the city.

The capital then flourished, then fell into oblivion. Some cities disappeared, others appeared. The hero of our review himself reincarnated into new incarnations thirteen times, and if we take three modern ones - Old Delhi, New Delhi and the sprawling Big Delhi that unites them, then sixteen. And each city is an important page in the history of the country.

And here again the stream of noisy cyclists, slow rickshaws, snarling scooters, black-smoking buses, old-fashioned and ultra-modern cars. The streets are for the most part narrow, but wherever possible they are widened and built up with new houses. The names of ancient monuments - the royal reservoir of Haus-Khaz of the 13th century, the Hindu temple of Kailash, the mausoleums of the Lodi dynasty of the 15th century - now began to designate the rapidly growing areas of the well-organized city. Other residential areas appeared on the site of wastelands. The capital is growing and expanding, but everywhere you can find either ruins or architectural monuments almost untouched by time. These monuments often stand next to modern elegant buildings and give the city a special, unique flavor.

Delhi is not the largest city in the country. It began to grow in 1911, when the capital of colonial India was moved here. But this development was one-sided. Only palaces and mansions were built for the colonial authorities and the nobility.

Now there is another period of existence - the city has the status of a union territory, that is, it functions as a capital district. And how different these two periods of time in the life of the city are! Its appearance began to change already in the first years of independence. However, the most dramatic changes have taken place over the past few decades. The city has crossed the old borders. In place of wastelands and slums, new residential areas have grown. Once upon a time, buildings here did not rise above two floors. Now high-rise buildings rise here, reasonably adapted to the tropical climate. The growth of the city caused a natural need to adopt the planned principle of its development.

Life goes on. In the birth of the new, there are still so many old signs, social stratifications of centuries. True, caste and other religious customs have not been observed so strictly in recent years, but they still tenaciously hold in their hands most of the population of the city, and indeed of the whole country.

Indians are looking to the future. They are making their efforts to ensure that this future is bright, filled with creative work and a joyful life. It is a country of limitless possibilities and resources. Her people, like a caring gardener, are able to strengthen the seedlings that need special care and support the good giants that have already gained height.

In the north of India, on the coast of the Yammuna River, there is a millionaire city, the capital of this extraordinary state is the city of Delhi. A major economic, cultural, historical and political center. A modern metropolis that attracts with its bright colors, dynamic and interesting. A city devoted to its culture and traditions, the center of the Hindu religion, charming with its originality. For some time now it consists of two parts - New Delhi and Old Delhi. A huge number of attractions, as well as monuments of culture, architecture and history are concentrated on the territory of the Indian capital.

A bit of history

The history of Delhi is rooted in ancient times. According to official sources, the city appeared around the 1-2 centuries. The heyday of Delhi fell on the 12th century, the reign of Kutbuddin Aibek. Thanks to active trade with the Middle East and Central Asia, the city's economy has grown significantly. In the 17th century, power passed into the hands of Emperor Shah Jahan. By his order, Delhi became the capital of India. In the 20th century, New Delhi was built according to the project of the British architect Edwin Lutyen - the modern part of the city, adjacent to Old Delhi, the new Indian capital. Since 1947, New Delhi has become an independent unit, a separate autonomous region with its own mayor. Today it is the official capital of India, part of the large conglomeration of Delhi. It is in New Delhi that the residence of the president, the main government offices, international companies, and banks are located. In recent years, Delhi has become incredibly popular with tourists.

Sights of Delhi

Lakshmi Narayan

One of the most striking sights of New Delhi is the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. An unsurpassed masterpiece of architectural art, made of white and pink marble. A huge "gingerbread house", decorated with small and large domes and turrets, graceful columns and pediments, and numerous decorative elements. The temple was built in honor of two Hindu Gods - Lakshmi and Krishna. In the evenings, it is lit up with illumination, during these hours it is especially beautiful, like a wonderful palace from the fairy tale about Scheherazade. The interior decoration is not inferior in beauty to the appearance of the temple. Spacious bright halls are decorated with national Indian paintings, the walls and ceiling are finished with gilding, graceful columns complete the overall picture. The figures of two gods sit in the center of the hall.

sikh temple

In the heart of the city in Connaught Place rises the snow-white marble temple of the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib - the sanctuary of the Sikhs. This is a majestic building with a large gilded dome. Outwardly, it resembles a Christian church. The temple stands on the banks of the picturesque pond Sarovar. The townspeople claim that the water in this reservoir has miraculous powers. Gurdwara was built in the 18th century during the reign of Emperor Shah Alam II, designed by the Indian architect Sardar Bhagel Singh. The interior decoration is striking in luxury and splendor. The main hall of the temple is decorated in red and beige tones, decorated with gilded arches, there are special mats for prayers on the floor. You can cross the threshold only by taking off your shoes and covering your head.

Gate to fallen soldiers

After the First World War, in memory of the fallen Indian soldiers, a monument was built - the Triumphal Gate. The brainchild of British architect Edwin Lutyens, located in New Delhi. A huge sand-colored arch made of Bharatpur stone. A picturesque natural park spreads around, a great place for walking and relaxing. At the very foot of the monument, an eternal flame burns. The grand opening of the monument took place in 1931 in the presence of the head of state and foreign guests.

Lal Qila

The pearl of the Old City is Lal Qila - a wonderful architectural monument of the 17th century. It was built during the reign of the Emperor of Mongolia - Shah Jahan. A powerful defensive fortress made of red sandstone. The roof is crowned with numerous turrets. A thick fortress wall was built around the fort. The inner courtyard is covered with a neat well-groomed lawn. Inside the fortress there is the Divan-i-Am hall, intended for festive events, as well as the Divan-i-Khas hall, reserved for business receptions and meetings.

Qutub Minar Tower

In 1368, the opening of the Qutub Minar tower took place, its other name is the Victory Tower. This is an incredibly beautiful building built of red sandstone and decorated with decorative carvings. A real work of art, amazing and incomparable. The height of the tower is about 73 meters. It rises in the middle of the ruins of ancient temples, some of their elements were involved in the construction of the tower. Tourists like to wander through the ruins of Hindu and Sikh shrines, plunge into the distant Middle Ages and deep antiquity.

Entertainment complex Fun n Food Village

In 1993, a large entertainment center appeared on the territory of the Indian capital. It is located in the Old Town area, close to the airport. This is a wonderful place for family holidays. Inside the complex there are numerous shops, markets, craft shops, concert halls, cinemas, discos, mini-theatres. The center's pride is the Ice Palace and a children's amusement park. On the territory of the park there are several dozens of exciting attractions, swimming pools and water slides as well as playgrounds and sports grounds.

Delhi transport system

In the vicinity of Delhi, there is a large international airport named after Indira Gandhi, serving flights from all over the world. There is a direct flight from Moscow to Delhi from Russia. From other Indian cities, the capital can be reached by bus or train. Within the city there are four railway stations that accept not only domestic flights, but also trains from Europe. Internal transport links are represented by the city subway, bus routes and taxis. The original mode of transport is autorickshaws - mini-cars that can accommodate about 4 people. A distinctive feature of such a taxi is the presence of three wheels.

Delhi is considered one of the oldest cities in the world - its history dates back to 3000 BC. e. and described in the Indian epic Mahabharata. According to legend, the city in honor of the god Indra on the banks of the Yamuna River, called Indraprastha, was founded by the legendary Pandava brothers, who conquered this land from the native tribes.
The favorable geographical position on the trade routes from Afghanistan, Persia and Central Asia to the south of India and to the plains determined the economic prosperity of the city. The influence of many peoples, cultures and religions has led to the emergence of a unique agglomeration of our days.
Throughout its history, Delhi has repeatedly experienced ups and downs, became the center of various civilizations, was subjected to conquest and destruction. Modern Delhi stands on the ruins of several ancient capitals.
How the name Delhi came about is still debated. The main version is in the IV century. the already long-destroyed city of the Pandavas was rebuilt by King Dhelu, in whose honor the city received a new name. Under the name "Daidala", the Greek historian Claudius Ptolemy (c. 87-165), who lived in Alexandria and visited India, mentioned this city and depicted it on the map.
The first fortress on the territory of Delhi - Lal-Kot appeared in the VIII century, it was built by Prince Anangpal II. In 1011, Delhi was captured and sacked by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni (971-1030) and became a provincial city in the Ghaznavid state.
In 1193, Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibek captured Delhi and made it the capital of the Delhi Sultanate, which lasted more than three hundred years. During this period, Delhi becomes one of the richest cities in Asia. Against the army of Tamerlane (1336-1405) in 1348, Delhi could not resist - the richest city was destroyed and devastated, but was rebuilt again.
In 1526, after the Battle of Panipat, the ruler of Ferghana, a descendant of Tamerlane Babur (1483-1530), captured Delhi and founded the Mughal Empire. The capital of the country moved to the city of Agra, but Delhi continued to play a significant role in the economy and politics of the state.
Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) in 1648 moved the capital of the empire to Delhi. It was on his orders that the famous Red Fort (Lal-Kila) was built today and the new city of Shahjahanabad, which is the core of Old Delhi, grew. By the way, the mausoleum also appeared at the behest of Shah Jahan, who grieved over the loss of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The collapse of the Mughal Empire was tragic and for Delhi in 1739 the city was captured and plundered by the troops of the Iranian Nadir Shah. Since the beginning of the XIX century. Delhi passes under the control of Great Britain - the rule of the Great Mughals is preserved only formally.
In the early 1900s there was a decision to move the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi. On December 12, 1911, the residence of the British Viceroy of India was moved to Delhi. Soon New Delhi was founded, King George V himself (1865-1936) arrived at the laying of the first stone, in whose honor the central avenue of the new city was named Kingsway.
The construction of the new capital was entrusted to the outstanding English architects Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) and Herbert Baker (1862-1946) and was completed by the beginning of 1931.
In 1947, with the declaration of independence of India, the city became its capital. The Indian Constitution of 1991 states that official name The union territory of Delhi is the "National Capital Territory of Delhi".

The turbulent history of Delhi has left its marks in all parts of the city. The capital of India today attracts many tourists - there is something to see here.
The official government bodies of India are located in the Delhi region, which is called New Delhi and covers an area of ​​just over 40 km 2. In the New Delhi agglomeration, 23,200,000 people live, which makes this city one of the most overpopulated in the world. The districts of Delhi differ significantly from each other.
New Delhi, or New Delhi, is the most comfortable area with administrative buildings, wide avenues and quarters of colonial-style mansions, government offices and embassies, luxury hotels and huge shops, banks and corporate offices. The commercial and commercial center of Delhi is Connaught Square.
Old Delhi with monuments of the Mughal era of the XVI-XVII centuries. and noisy bazaars populated predominantly by Muslims, here stands the largest of the Indian mosques Jamia Masjid. And there are many narrow and dirty streets, along which cows roam and monkeys rush, beggars crowd, rickshaws and used cars hardly make their way. In Old Delhi, there are also beautiful temples and palaces, casually coexisting with filth and poverty.
About 20 km from Old Delhi, in South Delhi, there is the famous architectural ensemble Qutb Minar and the world's tallest brick minaret at 72.6 m, built by several generations of the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. There is also a seven-meter Iron column weighing six and a half tons, whose age is 1600 years. There is a version that it is made of meteoric iron and that is why it does not corrode.
The National Museum of India in Delhi, established in 1955, is one of the most interesting museums in the world. Unique exhibits of Indian history are exhibited here. The museum's collection includes more than 150,000 works of art and is constantly updated.
Delhi is a multinational city with many faces. Representatives of numerous nationalities and castes of India live here, temples of several religions work and people with very different incomes live nearby, adhering to different lifestyles. The slums of the city outskirts, where there are no basic amenities and millions of people live below the poverty line, and the luxurious homes of the richest people in India, all this is Delhi. Modern scientific and educational institutions and multibillion-dollar economic turnover, hundreds of thousands of students and crowds of beggars and this is the current Delhi.
Delhi fully symbolizes India with many faces, striving for the future, preserving and respecting its history and trying to solve social problems. But overcrowding and the low standard of living of a large part of the population of India are clearly represented in its capital. Therefore, tourists visiting Delhi have conflicting impressions - on the one hand, the richest opportunities to get acquainted with historical and cultural monuments, on the other hand, constant concerns about compliance with sanitary standards, even in relatively prosperous areas of the city.
At the same time, despite the many poor and low-income residents, Delhi has a relatively low crime rate, murders and robberies are rare. True, there are a lot of pickpockets and scammers, guidebooks warn about this. But these warnings do not stop tourists from visiting the bazaars of Old Delhi, because nowhere else can you find such a variety of fabrics, carpets, spices, decorations.

general information

Delhi, the capital of India

Administrative-territorial division: Delhi has the status of a union territory, divided into 9 districts.
Ethnic composition: Hindustanis, Telugu, Marathas, Bengalis, Tamils, Gujaratis, Kannara, Punjabis, other nationalities.
Languages: Hindi, English, 21 other languages.
Religion: Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, other religions.
Currency unit: Indian rupee.
The most important airports: international airport them. Indira Gandhi, Safdarajang Airport.
Major river: Jumna (Yamuna).

Numbers

Area: 1483 km2.
Population: 13,782,976 (2010).
Population density: 9294 people/km2.
highest point: 300 m

Climate and weather

Monsoonal, January average temperature: +14ºС, July - +31ºC.
Average annual rainfall: 660 mm.
hottest period: March-June, rainy season - July-October.

Economy

Large business center and transport hub.
Chemical and pharmaceutical industry, metalworking, mechanical engineering, electronics industry, glass and ceramic industry, textile, leather, clothing, food industry.
Large educational center.
Tourism.

Attractions

■ Temples and mosques: Gurdwara Sis-Genj Sahib (Sikh Temple), Jamiya Masjid, Kuwaat-ul-Islam, Fateh Puri, Yogmaya Temple, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Digambar Jain Jain Temple. Chandni Chowk Baptist Church, St. James Anglican Church, Vihara Buddhist Stupa, Lotus Baha'i Temple, Kalkaji Goddess Kali Temple.
■ Monuments and museums: Ajmeri Gate, Turkmen Gate, Raj Ghat Memorial, Folk Puppet Museum, Rashtrapati Bhawan Presidential Palace, National Museum, Parliament of India, India Gate Monument, Handicraft Museum, Delhi Exhibition Center, National Gallery of Modern Art, Purana Qila Fort, Planetarium Nehru, Nehru Memorial Library, Mahatma Gandhi Museum, Tibet Museum.
■ tombs: the mausoleum of Adkham Khan, the dargah of Kutbuddin-Bakhtiyar-Kaki, the tomb of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmysh, the dargah of Nizamuddin Chishti Auliyi, the architectural ensemble of the tomb of the Sultan of Guria, the tomb of Firuzshah Tughlak, the tomb of Safdarjung, the tomb of Sultana Razi, the tomb of Humayun.

Curious facts

■ There is Leo Tolstoy Street in Delhi, and there is a monument to the great Russian writer on it.
■ Like Hollywood's "Avenue of Stars", the "Avenue of Stars" of Bollywood, India's famous "movie factory", has been created in downtown New Delhi.
■ According to surveys and studies in 2010, it turned out that Delhi is the cheapest taxi in the world. True, the quality of the cars used for transportation corresponds to the cheapness of the services.
■ Considerable obstacles to movement along the streets of Delhi are created by sacred animals - cows that roam the city. So far, all the efforts of the Delhi authorities to call the owners of animals to order do not help. It was not possible to minimize the damage from another sacred animal - rhesus monkeys, which continue to live their own lives in Delhi, causing a lot of trouble to the townspeople and tourists. Indians do not want to catch macaques, preferring to endure the inconvenience. But the movement of elephants in Delhi was managed to be streamlined. Now elephants have the right to move around the city only from 10 pm to 6.30 am, and during the day - from 12.00 to 15.00.

Reading 3 min. Views 295 Published on 01.11.2012

Delhi (New Delhi) - the Indian capital, as well as one of largest cities peace. The capital of India spread its territories on the western banks of the Jumna River, which is the right tributary of the Ganges. Doab is a settled and fertile plain located at the intersection of these rivers. This .

Delhi is a city of originality and uniqueness. Various architectural monuments, ashrams, as well as religious centers form a huge variety of everything that is in this magnificent capital.

City of contrasts

Delhi is a city of real contrasts. Such an amazing combination of the incongruous is created by 2 parts of the city - New Delhi and Old Delhi. The magnificent and unique contrast between the narrow streets that wrap around Old Delhi, as well as modern infrastructure, queues at cinemas and many other things that New Delhi has, impress and fascinate everyone who comes here.

Lotus Temple

Capital of modern India

Delhi is the place where night life beats with a stormy key. All night festivities, as a rule, are concentrated in five-star hotels, which include bars, restaurants of excellent service and quality of service, as well as clubs that work until the morning. Tourists can be transported here by both conventional transport and.

Urban transport of the Indian capital

There are a huge number of restaurants in the central part of the capital of India, and that is why it will never be a problem to find a restaurant where you can have a delicious lunch for a small price.

Attractions

Guide

Delhi is not just the capital of India, but also one of the largest and oldest cities in the world. It is located in the north of the country, on the banks of the Jamna (Yamuna) River. Delhi has a very well developed infrastructure, it is the technical and scientific center of the country.

The city was formed 5 thousand years ago - the first mention of it can be found in the epic Mahabharata. It was then called Indraprastha. The successful geographical position of Delhi allowed it to become a center of trade in Asia in ancient times, since it was on its territory that many trade routes crossed - from Persia, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Therefore, it is not surprising that so many rulers throughout almost the entire history of the city wanted to get their hands on it. According to legend, it was destroyed 11 times and rose from ruins the same number of times. At one time, Delhi was under the rule of the Maurya and Tomar dynasties, the emperors Humayun and Akbar, Shah Jahan and Nadir Shah.

The city is divided into nine major districts: South, East, North, West, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast, Central and New Delhi District.

With such a long and eventful history, Delhi is a real paradise for the inquisitive tourist. It has a huge number of religious, architectural and cultural monuments left behind by numerous peoples who have ever inhabited this territory.

One of the most interesting sights of the city is the India Gate - a monument in memory of the Indian soldiers who died in the Anglo-Afghan wars; Red Fort - a huge fortress built during the time of the Great Mughals; the largest mosque in the country Jama Masjid; amazingly beautiful Lotus temple; Qutub Minar is a temple complex, which is famous for the world's tallest minaret. In addition, Delhi has a huge number of temples, churches, mosques, museums, galleries and universities.

Delhi is very chaotic and foreign visitors to India are often disoriented or frustrated at the hands of unskilled service or scammers. At the same time, the city has enough qualified service, and the police are taking serious measures to protect tourists.

A striking contrast between the narrow streets of Old Delhi and the colonial mansions of the more modern part of the city - New Delhi, the incessant hum of cars and rickshaws demanding to give way, the incredible queue at the cinemas, the spicy smells of spices wafting through the streets from numerous cafes here and there Indian music sounding from the loudspeakers, crowds in the markets and at the stations make a very strong impression on anyone who is in South Asia for the first time.

Nighttime activity in Delhi is concentrated mainly in five-star hotels, where there are very good restaurants, bars, and clubs open until the early hours of the morning. In Delhi, especially in the city center, it will never be a problem to find a restaurant where you can have a tasty and inexpensive lunch.

In Delhi, on Janpath Street, starting at Connaught Square, you can buy souvenirs from almost all Indian states, although they will cost much more than if you buy them on the spot. However, it will not be possible to travel all over India in one trip anyway.