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About Delhi
Delhi is the capital of India and the third-largest city
after Mumbai and Calcutta. Delhi has not always been the
capital of India but it has played an important role in Indian
history. Delhi is a relatively easy city to find your way
around in, although it is very spread out.
The section of
interest to visitors is on the west bank of the Yamuna River
and is divided basically into two parts, viz. Old Delhi and
New Delhi. Old Delhi is basically the 17th century walled city
of Shahjahanabad, with city gates, narrow alleys, the enormous
Red Fort and Jama Masjid, temples, mosques, bazaars and the
famous street/area known as Chandni Chowk. New Delhi is a
planned city of wide, tree-lined streets, parks and fountains.
Its hub is the great circle of
Connaught Place and the streets that radiate south from it.
Here you will find most of the airline offices, banks, travel
agents, the various state tourist offices, the national
tourist office, economical rest/guest houses and several of
the big hotels. However, of late, the focus of business
activity has shifted to South Delhi, i.e. Chanakyapuri and
beyond (and even upto the outskirts of Gurgaon). Most of the
popular residential areas are also concentrated there. The
Indira Gandhi International Airport is to the south west of
the city ( towards Gurgaon ), and about halfway between the
airport and Connaught Place is Chanakyapuri, the diplomatic
enclave.
Most of embassies in Delhi are concentrated in
this modern area and most diplomats reside there or nearby.
The major attractions of Delhi are India Gate, Raj Ghat,
Jantar Mantar, Connaught Place, Parliament House, Baha'i
Temple, the National Museum, the Railway Museum, Red Fort,
Purana Qila, Qutab Minar, Safdarjang's Tomb, Humayun's Tomb,
Lakshmi Narain Mandir, Delhi Zoo, Mughal Gardens, Pragati
Maidan, Badkal Lake, Suraj Kund and Kalindi Kunj. The major
Shopping centres are Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Karol
Bagh, South Extn., Santushti (Chanakyapuri), Hauz Khas Village
and Lajpat Nagar. |