Delhi is an historical city.  It is one of the oldest in the world and replete with cultural heritage.  The capital city of India (South East Asia) is situated on the banks of the river Yamuna and can be said to  represent India itself because of its multitude of peoples, cultures, religious beliefs and their diverse and distinct way of life.  Being the capital city, it is the seat of power of one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

India was ruled by the British for about four hundred years and the populous city Kolkotta (Calcutta) was the capital of India until 1911.  Prior to the British era, Delhi was both the political and financial centre of several empires of ancient and medieval India, particularly during the relatively recent Mughal Empire. After a proposal to shift the capital of the Indian Empire from Calcutta to Delhi due to its more central location, George V, promulgated the shift of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.

(Delhi actually comprises of Delhi and New Delhi).  New Delhi occupies a relatively small area of 43 square kilometres.  It serves as the capital of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) and of the Government of India.  It hosts the consulates and embassies of almost every country in the world and most of them are located in Chanakyapuri.

The tourist will have to allot many days to visit all of Delhi's ancient monuments or museums.   It is also quite an experience to be 'one with the city' browsing one's way on foot in the old city.  Like India's money capital Mumbai, there are numerous places to eat out catering to all tastes.  Typical cuisine would be a Mughal fare.

At the heart of the city is located the magnificent home of the president of India, 'Rashtrapati Bhawan' (originally known as 'Viceroy's House'). Famous locales are - The Rajpath, also known as' King's Way', that stretches from India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan; The Secretariat which houses ministries of the Government of India and Parliament House.

There is a wide difference in the high and low temperatures experienced in Delhi during the year with summers bringing scorching heat waves of over 40 degrees Celsius and winters with lows of freezing to around 4 degrees Celsius.  Being land locked, the climate almost through the year is semi-arid.

Officially the Summers are from early April to October, with the monsoon season from July to August in between. Winter begins in November and peaks in January.  The average annual rainfall is approximately 700 mm (28 inches)

There is a reasonably good public transport system in Delhi criss-crossing the city with arterial roads and a metro suburban service.

Hindi is the principal spoken and written language of the city. However, as is with the rest of India, written and spoken English is widely understood.  Other languages commonly spoken in the city are, Urdu and Punjabi.

New Delhi has grown into a cosmopolitan city due to the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural presence of the government machinery (bureaucracy and political system). Because it is the country's capital, national event such as Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti (Mahatma Gandhi's birthday) are celebrated with great enthusiasm.  It has been a tradition for the prime minister to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort each Independence Day (15 August). During this day most citizens celebrate by communal kite flying, which is considered a symbol of freedom.  On India's Republic Day (26th January) there is a large parade show casing India's cultural diversity and military strength.

Delhi hosted the 19th Commonwealth Games in October, 2010.  What began, almost, as a misstart turned out to be a success story.  Indian sports persons won a total of 101 medals of which 38 were gold at that prestigious event.  The Indian women won the gold, silver and bronze for the discus throw.

With each passing year, many of the shackles of the past are eroding away and one way of measuring this to note that the city held its first gay pride parade on June 30, 2008.
 

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