DELHI TRAVEL GUIDE

SHOPPING IN DELHI                 PLACE TO VISIT                      GETTING AROUND

Delhi - heart of India , mini India or Rome of the East there are many names to
describe this legendary city. A city of poor and rich where you can have meal just
spending 1 dollor to 100 dollors. Heaven for shopping and full of places to visit. The
city was destroyed 10 times in its 1000 years old history.
Delhi is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. Having been the
capital of several empires in ancient India, Delhi was a major city in the old trade
routes from northwest India to the Gangetic Plains.

As the seat of the Government of India, New Delhi houses important offices of the
federal government, including the Parliament of India. Delhi has grown up to be a
cosmopolitan city owing to the immigration of people from across the country.

The city is believed to be the site of Indraprastha, legendary capital of the Pandavas
in the Indian epic Mahabharata. Settlements grew from the time of the Mauryan
Empire (c. 300 BC). Remains of seven major cities have been discovered in Delhi.
The Tomara dynasty founded the city of Lal Kot in 736 AD. The Chauhan Gurjars of
Ajmer conquered Lal Kot in 1180 AD and renamed it Qila Rai Pithora. The Chauhan
king Prithviraj III was defeated in 1192 by the Afghan Muhammad Ghori. In 1206,
Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty established the Delhi
Sultanate. Qutb-ud-din started the construction the Qutub Minar and Quwwat-al-
Islam (might of Islam), the earliest extant mosque in India.

In 1526, Zahiruddin Babur defeated the last Lodhi sultan in the First Battle of Panipat
and founded the Mughal Empire that ruled from Delhi, Agra and Lahore.[12]

The Mughal Empire ruled northern India for more than three centuries, with a five-
year hiatus during Sher Shah Suri's reign in the mid-16th century. Mughal emperor
Akbar shifted the capital from Agra to Delhi. Shah Jahan built the seventh city of Delhi
that bears his name (Shahjahanabad), and is more commonly known as the Old
City or Old Delhi. The old city served as the capital of the Mughal Empire since 1638.
Nader Shah defeated the Mughal army at the huge Battle of Karnal in February, 1739.
After this victory, Nader captured and sacked Delhi, carrying away many treasures,
including the Peacock Throne. In 1761, Delhi was raided by Ahmed Shah Abdali after
the Third battle of Panipat. At the Battle of Delhi on 11 September 1803, General
Lake's British forces defeated the Marathas.Delhi came under direct British control
after the Indian Rebellion of 1857.

Many ethnic groups and cultures are represented in Delhi, making it a cosmopolitan
city. A seat of political power and a centre of commerce, the city attracts workers—
both blue collar and white collar—from all parts of India, further enhancing its diverse
character. A diplomatic hub, represented by embassies of 160 countries, Delhi has
a large expatriate population as well.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Time zone               IST (UTC+5:30)
Area                         1,483 km˛ (573 sq mi)
Elevation                239 m (784 ft)[1]
District(s)         New Delhi, Central Delhi, North Delhi, North East Delhi, East Delhi,
South Delhi, South West Delhi, West Delhi, North West Delhi
Population              13,782,976 (2nd) (2001)         
Density                    9,294/km˛ (24,071/sq mi)
Metro                       21.5 million (2007)
Language(s)          Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu