
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.