Delhi

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Quick Facts

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Coordinates

• Latitude: 28.635308
• Longitude: 77.22496

On Travellerspoint

• 3 Delhi Apartments
• 26 Delhi Guesthouses
• 21 Delhi Hostels
• 106 Delhi Hotels

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Introduction

Dehli - India

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Delhi is a sprawling and ancient city of 13 million people in northern India. New Delhi, the national capital, forms a small part of the wider metropolis. Most people, however, use New Delhi and Delhi interchangeably to mean the greater city of Delhi.

Old Delhi today has a rich and colourful character, stemming from its organic growth over several centuries and its still somewhat medieval ambience, majestic monuments, labyrinthine alleys, crowds of beggars and street-vendors, bazaars of jewellry market at Dariba Kalan, the embroidery brocade market at Kinari Bazar or the parathewali Gali (Indian bread street) all within the limits of Chandni Chowk (literally, “moonlit square”). A cycle Rickshaw tour through the winding lanes and by-lanes will show you all it has!

In contrast the New Delhi of Edwin Lutyens - who besides the city, designed the vice-regal palace to represent "the ideal of British Empire", sadly thereafter the Viceroys ruled only for 16 years, while even today after 60 years of independence it is still called Lutyens Delhi, and something of the empire lives on in the British tradition. The Beating of the Retreat in the square below the palace, replayed every Republic Day when the sun goes down showing off the monumental pink sandstone of the secretariat, where the bands assemble to play, besides others the English hymn "Abide with Me", reminiscent one of the Colonial past!

Today Delhi is growing at a breathless pace, beyond the scattered citadels of erstwhile dynasties and far beyond the ken of the colonial and latter-day town plan. Delhites display an amazing ability to adjust to influences from various communities and regions yet retain their culture.

Neighbourhoods

There are hundreds of neighbourhoods, which is too much to mention here. The following is a very broad list:
1 South Delhi
2 North Delhi
3 "Walled City", Old Delhi
4 Old Delhi - Outside Walled City
5 East Delhi
6 North East Delhi
7 Central Delhi
8 West Delhi
9 National Capital Territory of Delhi

Sights and Activities

• Red Fort (Open sunrise to sunset. Closed on Monday. Entrance Rs.100): Laid along the River Yamuna (which is almost dry most of the time), Red Fort was built by Emperor Shaha Jahan (of Taj Mahal fame). It is today a symbol of independence. Depending on the time of year (not the winter), visit the Fort at night when they have a very good light and audio show that tells the history of the Red Fort and India.
• Jama Masjid (Open sunrise to sunset. Entrance Rs.110) was built in 1656, Jama Masjid is the country's largest Mosque, opposite the Red Fort.
• Chandni Chowk or the moonlit square was the eyes and ears of the Mughal instincts, and still is by way of the largest whole sale commercial hub, designed by Jahanara Begum one of the daughters of Shan Jahan. This entire region was then known as Shahjahanabad. You can join a Heritage Walk (24641304) through the lanes on a Sunday and explore it on a rickshaw on other days.
• India Gate is a symbol of Edward Lutyens' architectural heritage. It is 42 metres high and was built as a War Memorial in dedication to the Indian Jawans (soldiers) who gave up their lives fighting in World War 1.
• Old Fort (Purana Quila) (Open sunrise to sunset. Entrance Rs.110) is a ruin of an old Fort in the heart of this capital, which gives a great character to the city. Built by the great Sher Shah Suri some time in the 16th century. It was from one of the towers of the Old Fort that Humayun fell and died.
• Jantar Mantar (Open sunrise to sunset. Entrance Rs.100) is a natural observatory to see the movements of the stars and the planets. It was built on the lines of the one in Jaipur by Sawai Jai Singh in 1724.
• Humayuns Tomb (Open sunrise to sunset. Entrance Rs.250) is aptly called the predecessor of the Taj Mahal because of its ornate Mughal style architecture, later perfected in the Taj Mahal, also built by the grieving wife of Humayun in 1565-66. The great architectural splendour becomes overpowering upon entering the lofty double-storied gateway. Simple, yet a work of highly developed engineering skill of the Mughal period.
• Parliament House: Can only be admired from outside. Close to India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential palace) and the North and South Blocks.
• Qutab Minar (Open sunrise to sunset. Entrance Rs.250) is considered one of the most perfect towers in the world and is 72 metres high. In front is an iron pillar built in the 5th century that has not caught rust to date. Belief has it if you can encircle your hands and hold both from drawing across your wish can be fulfilled.
• Bahai Temple (Open 9.30am to 5.30pm. Closed on Mondays.) is also called The Lotus Temple from the shape of its marvellous architecture built very recently.
• Dilli Haat is a place that gives promotion to rural artisans who otherwise do not have a way to get their products to market.

Events and Festivals

Weather

Delhi, like most of India, has three seasons. In general, from June to October the country is influenced by wet monsoon from the southwest. The coolest, driest time is from December to February, when light northerly winds bring clear skies and little rain. From March to May, Delhi becomes hotter and hotter and the drought continues. The rains only come when the wind turns again to the southwest.
Temperatures are extremely high from March to June, just below 40 °C on average, but over 45 °C has been recorded. Winters are nice, but nights can be chilly to cold, around zero. December to February is the best period to visit though, as you avoid the hot weather and the rainy months of July to September.

Getting There

By Plane

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) serves Delhi and is one of the busiest airports in southern Asia and the biggest in India itself.
International flights are numerous. Air India has flights from Delhi to Chicago, Dammam, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Jeddah, London, New York, Osaka, Paris, Riyadh, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington, D.C..
Indian Airlines flies from Delhi to Bangkok, Dubai, Kabul, Kathmandu, Muscat, Sjarjah and Singapore, while Jet Airways serves London, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Brussels, Dhaka, Dubai, Hong Kong, Kathmandu, Singapore and Toronto.
Several dozens of airlines have many other places served, including Amsterdam, Moscow, Almaty, Beijing, Mauritius, Seoul, Vienna, Rome, Taipei, Guangzhou, Addis Ababa, Helsinki, Bahrain, Kuwait, Munich, Tehran, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, Karachi, Amman, Kabul, Colombo, Zürich, Istanbul and Tashkent.

Besides this it has two other domestic terminals for flight departures to other parts of the country and one domestic terminal for all arrivals from all over India. Destinations throughout India include Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Agra, Varanasi, Khajuraho, Jaipur, Udaipur, Nagpur, Jodhpur and Goa, among many more cities.

By Train

Train services only link to Pakistan during times of peace and are not very reliable. There are numerous trains connecting the rest of India though. There are two main stations in Delhi – (Old) Delhi train station in Old Delhi, and New Delhi train station at Paharganj. There’s also the Nizamuddin train station, south of Sunder Nagar, where various trains (usually for south-bound destinations) start or finish. Many trains between Delhi and Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Udaipur operate to and from Sarai Rohilla train station, about 4 kilometres northwest of Connaught Place

By Car

Delhi is connected by highways to most major Indian cities .By road one can visit nearby historical places like Jaipur ,Agra and also hill stations in Himachal . Must have a road map for this one .

By Bus

Good Luxury buses are advised for road travel. Delhi’s main bus station is the Inter State Bus Terminal, north of the (Old) Delhi train station. There are numerous services to other Indian cities. There are services to Jaipur (six hours, several services daily between 6am and midnight), Udaipur (15 hours, one daily service at 7.30pm), Ajmer (nine hours, daily at 7.30pm, 10pm and 11.15pm) and Jodhpur (11 hours, one daily service at 10pm). Buses connect many more cities, but sometimes travelling by train on long journeys is far more comfortable and faster as well.

By Boat

Not really an option here.

Getting Around

By Car

The best way to see India is by car in its regional areas after arriving on a domestic flight. Plenty of taxis, ranging from the most down to earth to luxurious limousines are available.

By Public Transport

The Delhi Metro is a world class rapid transit system which became operational from December 2002. The metro uses both elevated and underground lines and has received the ISO 14001 certification for environmentally friendly construction. Currently three lines are operational covering many parts of the city. A dedicated metro line from the International Airport to New Delhi railway station is currently under construction and is scheduled to become operational by September 2010. An ambitious plan is in place to connect Delhi with its adjoining areas by additional metro lines, which will become fully functional by 2020, taking the length of all lines to 413 kilometres.

There is a choice of tickets to choose from:

• Token is available for a single journey and the fare ranges from Rs 6 to Rs 22.
• Smart Cards, which are valid for year are convenient for frequent commuters and are available in denominations of Rs 50 to Rs 800 and usually a discount of 10% is given on all travels made using them.
• Tourist Cards are popular amongst the tourists and are available for 1 day (Rs 70) and 3days (Rs 200). These can be used for unlimited travel on the metro network within the specified period.

Most of the city buses plying in Delhi are non air-conditioned and can be quite uncomfortable during the summer months. Recently a fleet of A/C buses have been introduced on select routes and many more such buses will be introduced in the coming years.

By Foot

Walks are recommended in the historic old Delhi areas in the evenings when the city is buzzing with activity. Summer months (April to June) can be extremely hot and is not recommended to cover the city on foot especially during the day

By Bike

You can hire bikes in small colonies and residential areas. City limits are too congested and over populated to even think of biking. Leave it for visit in small towns.

Eat

• Bengali Market is located off the greater circle of Connaught Place. It is like a regular fast-food restaurant, except you get sweet, sour, spicy delights very cheap and at fast speeds of service. (Faster than Macdonald's). Recommendations would be Delhi Papri Chat, Aloo Tikki, Samose, Gulab Jamun, Kulfi, Chole Barute,
• Nizam's is located in the inner circle of Connaught Place. It is one of the oldest Kebab and Biriyani fast-food restaurants.
• China Fare located in Khan Market, South Delhi. It serves delicious, mouth-watering Chinese-Indian spicy dishes.
• Big Chill also located in Khan Market, South Delhi. One may have never thought about where the best Italian food is served in the world but that's right, it is served in big-chill. Italian pastas with Indian touch...

Delhi has eateries to suit every palate and pocket. The chaats are the best but you get food from throughout the world.

Drink

Sleep

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

• University of Delhi
• Hindu College, University of Delhi
• Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Post

The Post Office in Paharganj is hidden away on the second floor of a building opposite the Relax hotel with no signs indicating it is there at all.

The service takes quite a long time for parcels and involves some effort.

You need to show up to have your parcel inspected, making sure it is in a strongish box. Take note of the persons face you dealt with. Then you need to be given out to a little and sent off to have it wrapped up in material, this service is usually available out on the same street, just look for a man with a sewing machine. Head back to the post office and go too the trouble of being told that the parcel needs to be inspected so why did you have it stitched up? This is a good time to remember the face of the person you originally dealt with and ask for them to remember you. You then need to fill out 3-4 duplicate forms before being asked to wait a while. Then the parcel is weighed, and lots of questions asked. Finally you pay as your parcel is tossed in a heap under a table. It should arrive at its destination a month or so later, and usually does.