About Delhi
Delhi is the capital city of India and is regarded to be officially called the National Capital Territory of India. Delhi is also a City as well as a Union Territory bordered by Haryana from three sides – North, South, West and Uttar Pradesh from the eastern side. The city is spread over an area of 1,484 sq. km. and lies at an altitude between 700 and 1000 feet. It is situated on the bank of the Yamuna River. The city is the largest and most important commercial center in the northern part of India bustling with business activities along with political activities being the capital city of India. It is serving as the Indian capital since 1911.
| Established | 1 February 1992 |
| Districts | 11 |
| High Court | Delhi High Court |
| National Parks | National Zoological Park, Asola Bhatti WS |
| Rivers | Yumuna |
| Languages | Hindi, English, Punjabi, Urdu |
| State Bird | Sparrow |
| Population (2011) | 1,67,87,941 |
| Density | 11,312/km2 |
| Area | 1,484.0 km2 |
| Literacy Rate (2011) | 87.40% |
| Females per 1000 males | 866 |
| Lok Sabha constituencies | 70 |
| Assembly constituency | 7 |
| Official Website | www.Delhi.gov.in |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 |
History
Delhi and its surrounding areas were possibly inhabited before the second millennium BC and there is evidence of constant inhabitation since at least the 6th century BC. It was also believed that Delhi was the legendary Indraprastha kingdom of the Pandavas during the Mahabharata times. Delhi has a rich historical background and it has been ruled by the eminent dynasties like the Mauryans, Tomara dynasty, Chauhan Dynasty Slave dynasty, Tughluq dynasty, Khilji dynasty, Sayyid Dynasty, Mughals and finally the Britishers till its independence in 1947.
Geography
As per Indian geography Delhi is located at the center of the Indian subcontinent amidst the Himalayan ranges and the Aravallis and is surrounded by Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Delhi is divided into three parts- the Delhi ridge, the Yamuna flood plain and the plains. The Yamuna river plains are very fertile as they are flooded by the river and are rich in alluvial soil. The Delhi ridge is the most important feature of the state and is a part of the Aravalli range that passes through Delhi. The latitude and longitude location of Delhi are 23.38 degree north and 77.13 degree east. Delhi has varied climatic conditions and the city is characterized by the weather extremes since it has tropical steppe type of climate.
Demographics
According to the census of 2011, the population of Delhi is 16,787,941 and the number of females per 1000 males is 867. The literacy rate of Delhi is 87.1%. In terms of area, Delhi is the largest metropolis and holds the second position according to the population after Tokyo. United Nations has estimated the population of Delhi to be 26 million.
Economy
Delhi is the largest commercial centre of North India and recently it was counted that the GDP ranking is second most metro city with Rs. 6,224 billion. The economic contribution of Delhi is made by Tertiary sectors up to 70.95% and followed by contribution of secondary and primary sectors with 25.20% and 3.85% respectively. Important service industries like information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and tourism has flourished in this Indian capital. Construction, power, health and community services and real estate are also important to the city’s economy. Delhi has one of India’s largest and fastest growing retail industries. Manufacturing also grew considerably as consumer goods companies established manufacturing units and headquarters in the city. Delhi’s large consumer market and the availability of skilled labor have also attracted foreign investment.
Tourism
According to Euromonitor International, Delhi is ranked as 28th most visited city in the world and first in India by foreign visitors in 2015. Delhi offers its tourists historical, religious and modern attractions. The worth visiting places are Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutab Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Jantar Mantar, Laxminarayan Temple, Akshardham Temple, Lotus Temple, ISKCON Temple, Raj Ghat, The Secretariat, Rajpath, Vijay Chowk. Safdarjung’s Tomb, Mughal Gardens, Lal Bangla, Mutiny Memorial, Sunehri Masjid (Red Fort), Tomb of Safdarjung, Jahaz Mahal, Tomb of Adham Khan, Iron Pillar, Chandni Chowk, Dilli Haat, etc.
Sports
Delhi has hosted many major international sporting events, including the first and also the ninth Asian Games, the 2010 Hockey World Cup, the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Delhi is also a member of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21. Cricket, Football and Hockey is the most popular sports played in Delhi. Some of sports stadium and complexes here are Feroz Shah Kotla stadium, Jawahar lal Nehru stadium, Dhyan Chand National stadium, Shivaji Stadium, Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, etc. Delhi is also the home to the Indian Premier League team Delhi Daredevils. Some of the noted sports personalities based out at Delhi are Gautam Gambhir, Ajay Jadeja, Virendre Shehwag, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Warren Lee, Ashish Nehra, Manoj Prabhakar, Geet Sethi and many more on the list.
Transport
Delhi is well connected to rest of the Indian cities and world via by great air network. Indira Gandhi International Airport is the busiest airport in Asia and offers daily domestic and international flights. Delhi is a main junction in the Indian railway network and is the headquarters of the Northern Railway. There are five main railway stations: New Delhi railway station, Old Delhi Railway Station, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, Anand Vihar Railway Terminal and Sarai Rohilla. In addition to this there is also the service of Delhi Metro which is a rapid transit system connecting Delhi, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is the world’s 10th largest metro system in terms of length. Delhi Metro is the most modern public transportation system, which has revolutionized travel by providing a fast, reliable, safe, and comfortable means of transport. The road transport of Delhi is also very good with large number DTC buses and auto rickshaws plying on the road. Moreover, taxis and cycle rickshaws also help the people to commute easily. Delhi is also connected to other parts of India by NH-1, 2,8,10 and 24.
Culture
The main languages spoken here are Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. Religious festivals include Diwali (the festival of lights), Mahavir Jayanti, Guru Nanak’s Birthday, Raksha Bandhan, Durga Puja, Holi, Lohri, Chauth, Krishna Janmastami, Maha Shivratri, Eid ul-Fitr, Moharram, Christmas and Buddha Jayanti. Since peoples of all regions live here so the culture of Delhi is a mixed one having unique flavor.
Education
Delhi is the educational hub of India due to eminent and premium institutions like National Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Mass Communication, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Indira Gandhi National Open University, TERI University, Faculty of Management Studies (DU), NLU and many more on the list.
Hospital and Health care
Delhi is also the home to premium hospitals and peoples from all parts of India come here for good medical treatment. Some of the best hospitals are All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Moolchand Medcity, BLK Super Speciality Hospital, Batra Hospital & Medical Research Centre, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Rockland Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Fortis, Max, etc.