Delhi, the capital of India, is situated in northern India and stands on the west bank of Yamuna River bounded by Uttar Pardesh and on the north, west and south by Haryana.
History of Delhi enumerates a saga of various dynasties like the Mughals, Khilji and Tuglaks who once ruled this city. The first ever evidence of Delhi can be traced back to the times of Mahabharata in 1400 BC when it was known by the name of Indraprastha. According to the great epic, the place was originally a barren piece of land and was converted into a wonderful city by the efforts of the Pandavas. As other kings occupied the neighboring region, some other cities came up like Lal Kot, Siri, Dinpanah, Quila Rai Pithora, Ferozabad, Jahanpanah, Tughlakabad and Shahjahanabad. Later, these cities merged into one hustling and bustling metropolitan city, which finally emerged as the political capital of free India.
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". Delhi is very hot in the summers, summer season persists from April to August with average daytime temperature around 45°C (113°F). Most of the rain falls between July and September but they are not the tropical rains you'll experience in India's coastal cities. Winter Season starts from the end of November and continues till February-March. Winters in Delhi are a lot cooler with day temperature pleasant around 24°C (75.2°F).
Delhi economy is characterized by public and private sectors comprising of industries providing financial services, manufacturing industries, media and mass communication. Most important goods manufactured and exported in Delhi are readymade garments and imported things are electronic components. The important trading centres in Delhi are fruit and vegetable market, food grain market, fodder market, cloth market, bicycle market, dry fruit market and hosiery and general market. Real estate deals in Delhi cover a wide range of transactions that include business deals on flats, houses, plots, agricultural land, industrial sheds, industrial lands and residential plots. Delhi is not rich in agriculture except for the fact that there are some agricultural lands in the outskirts of Delhi. The major crops grown in the capital include wheat, gram, Bajra and Jowar.
Delhi Domestic and International Airports have flights from all major countries in the world. Domestic network within India has flights form main cities across India. General transportations in Delhi are Auto rickshaw and Radio Cabs because these are the good means to get around. Auto rickshaw is a cheap mode of transportation but drivers might not be friendly all the times. It is recommended to take rickshaw when you take congested roads, such as Old Delhi in order to avoid jams. Delhi Metro (subway) is the latest marvel, Delhi boasts of. This is a clean, fast and comfortable mode of transportation.
Delhi has always been the education hub of India with the track record of producing great talents, it has universities, colleges, schools that compete with the top in the country. The quality education imparted among the youth has resulted in better and efficient work force with great minds working forth towards making a rising economy of Delhi. Several educationalists have praised the quality of education in Delhi, it offers good educational facilities for primary, secondary and higher education. Delhi is fast developing as a technical education hub of India which is quite vivid from the number of engineering and management institutes that have emerged in the span of five years. English is the common medium of study in private schools whereas government schools still favor Hindi as the study medium. There are governing bodies of the government that control the curriculum and examination of schools in Delhi.
With a deep historical background as well as being a modern metropolitan city, Delhi offers several tourist attractions to the visitors.
The Lotus Temple is one of the modern tourist attractions in Delhi. The temple is built of marble, cement, dolomite and sand in the shape of a lotus. Fariborz Sahba, an Canada-based Iranian took ten years to design and construct this temple with the help of almost 800 engineers, technicians, artisans and laborers. The Lotus Temple comprises of three ranks of nine petals and nine reflecting pools that surround the building.
Akshardham Temple is a magnificent Hindu shrine, situated in the east region of New Delhi. Located on the banks of River Yamuna. The temple enshrines 11 ft tall gilded statue of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The building is constructed entirely from Pink Sandstone and Italian Marble, without any concrete or steel. The intricate carvings, magnanimous structure and the backdrop of River Yamuna, render the temple a masterpiece of art. Other than the main temple, there are a number of buildings in the complex where you can enjoy cultural and spiritual activities.
The war memorial arch, India Gate, was built by the British in the honor of the unknown martyrs, who lost their lives in the First World War and Second Afghan War. Vijay Chowk (the Victory Square) is the site of 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony held annually in New Delhi, on 29th January. Originally known as All India War Memorial, it has the names of the soldiers who died in the wars inscribed on its walls. Since 1971, there is the eternal soldier's flame burning under it, known as 'Amar Jawan Jyoti'.
The National Museum is the most apt place if you are inquisitive about history, culture and heritage of Delhi. The antiquities of the museum includes art objects, costumes, fallen or broken pieces of historical monuments, gems and jewelry, manuscripts, paintings of different schools of art, pottery, rare coins, religious scriptures and sculptures. One of the most popular and well-presented permanent galleries is the Harappan Gallery.
Qutub Minar is still the highest stone tower in India as well as one of the finest Islamic structures ever raised and Delhi's recognised landmark. It was started in the 12th C and it was completed in the 13th C. The Qutub Minar rises over 230 feet (73 meters) in the air, has five stories and is covered with intricate carvings. The first three stories are made of red sandstone, the fourth and fifth stories were built with marble and sandstone. The diameter of the base is 14.3 m while the top floor measures 2.7 m in diameter. The main mosque near the minar consists an inner and outer courtyard, the pillars of which is surrounded by an exquisite collonade, which are made of richly decorated shafts.
