The city of Delhi, India’s capital is a multicultural metropolis. Explore its glittering gems from ancient monuments to magnificent museums and vibrant arts scene to gourmet dining spots. The city is a melting pot of languages, faiths and cultures. The city features two different worlds in its layout, the 'old' and the 'new' and each of them offer different experiences. New Delhi was built by the British as the imperial capital of India while Old Delhi was the capital of Islamic India.

Delhi is also known as Dilli locally and officially as the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). By area, it is the India's largest metropolis and by population, the second largest in the country. Delhi is also the world's eighth largest metropolis by population with more than 13 million inhabitants. The National Capital Region has over 15.9 million residents and includes the areas of Faridabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Gurgaon, and Ghaziabad. The National Capital Region is a federally administered union territory.

Name of the city

There are many opinions regarding the name of Delhi. One of the most common is that the city was built in 50 BC by Dhillu or Dilu, who was a Mauryan king and named it after him. Another opinion is that the Tuar Rajputs referred to the city as dhili (meaning loose) in Hindi or Prakrit language which was a reference to the weak foundation of the Iron Pillar erected by Raja Dhava. The coins used in the region during the Rajputs were known as dehliwal. Others historians believe that Delhi is derived from Dilli which was a corruption of the Hindi word dehleez or dehali meaning ‘threshold'. Still others suggest that the original name of the city was Dhillika.

History of Delhi

Delhi has a long history of settlement and was the capital of various empires. Some of the earliest architectural relics go back to 300 BC during the Maurya Period. It is also believed to be the site of Indraprastha which was the legendary capital of the Pandavas mentioned in the Mahabharata. The modern city has the remains of several ancient cities. These are –

• According to Vibudh Shridhar and other authors, 'Dhilli' was founded by Anangpal a Tomar Rajput ruler.
• Lal Kot – It was built by the Tomar and was renamed by Prithvi Raj Chauhan as Qila Rai Pithora. This was a thirteen-gated fort. Prithviraj was the second last Hindu king of Delhi.
• Siri – It was built in 1303 by Alauddin Khilji
• Tughluqabad was built by Ghiyasuddin Tughluq (1321-1325)
• Jahanpanah was built by Muhammad bin Tughluq (1325-1351)
• Feroz Shah Kotla was built by Firuz Shah Tughluq (1351-1388)
• Purana Qila was constructed by Sher Shah Suri and Dinpanah was built by Humayun
• Shahjahanabad was the walled city built by Shah Jahan from 1638 to 1649. It was the Mughal Empire’s capital under Shah Jahan and is now known as ‘Old Delhi’. The city contains the Chandni Chowk and Lal Qila.
• New Delhi or Lutyens' Delhi was built by the British and served as the imperial capital of British India. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens a well known British architect.

Early History

According to legend, the city was the site of Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas mentioned in the Indian epic Mahabharata. According to Hindu texts, Delhi was referred to as Hastinapur meaning ‘elephant-city’ in Sanskrit. Till the early 19th century, a village named Indraprast existed here. It was demolished by the British for construction of New Delhi. There has been archaeological evidence suggesting Indraprastha was located at the site of the present Old Fort. Grey painted wares have been unearthed dating back to around 1000 BC at the site.

8th to the 16th Century

Lal Kot was founded by the Tomar Rajput dynasty in 736 near the Qutub Minar located at Mehrauli. Anangpal was the founder of this city as given by Prithviraj Raso. His name was inscribed on the Iron Pillar located at Qutb complex. In 1180, Lal Kot was invaded by the Chauhan Rajput kings of Ajmer and renamed it as Qila Rai Pithora. In 1192, Prithviraj III, the Chauhan king was defeated by the Muhammad Ghori. The Chandravanshi Rajput ruler of Delhi, Anangpal Tomar is regarded as the city’s founder. He built the citadel around 731 nearly 10 kilometers from Suraj Kund.

Delhi became the capital of the Delhi Sultanate in 1206 under the Slave Dynasty. Qutb-ud-din Aybak was the first Sultan of Delhi. He was a former slave who later became a general, a governor and then ruler of the city. He started the Qutub Minar’s construction which is one of the popular symbols of Delhi. It was built to commemorate his victory. He also built the Quwwat-al-Islam (might of Islam) mosque in the Qutb complex. It is said that as many as twenty-seven Jain temples in the Qutb complex was destroyed and building material and beautifully carved pillars were used for the construction of this mosque.

After the Slave dynasty ended, various dynasties like the the Khilji dynasty, the Tughluq dynasty, the Sayyid dynasty and the Lodi dynasty ruled Delhi in the late medieval period and constructed forts and townships. Timur Lenk invaded India in 1398 and later attacked Delhi which was destroyed and left in ruins. In the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, the former ruler of Fergana, Zahiruddin Babur defeated the last Afghan Lodi sultan, Ibrahim Lodhi. With this defeat, Babur founded the Mughal dynasty and ruled from Delhi, Agra and Lahore.

17th to the 19th Century

There was a disruption in Mughal rule in the mid-sixteenth century when Humayun, Babur’s son was defeated by Sher Shah Suri and was forced to flee to Persia and Afghanistan. Sher Shah Suri founded the sixth city of Delhi and the Purana Qila, the old fort. After his death, Humayun regained the throne with assistance from the Persians. Akbar, the third and greatest Mughal emperor, shifted the capital to Agra which resulted in the decline of Delhi. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1628-1658), built the seventh city of Delhi, Shahjahanabad in the mid-seventeenth century. It is now commonly known as Old Delhi. The city features beautiful architectural monuments such as the Red Fort (Lal Qila) and the Jama Masjid.

From 1638 onwards, the old city was the capital of the later Mughal Empire. Shah Jahan shifted the capital back to Agra later. Aurangzeb (1658-1707) the son of Shah Jahan was crowned emperor in 1658 at the Shalimar garden in Delhi. In February, 1739 the Mughal army was defeated by Nader Shah at the Battle of Karnal who later sacked Delhi. Slowly the Mughal Empire declined after Aurangzeb’s death in 1707 and the Maratha Confederacy gained numerous territories. The Marathas were made protectors of the Mughal throne in Delhi by a treaty in 1752. The empire was weakened with rebellions by the Marathas and the de-facto separation of states like Bengal and Hyderabad. Later the Marathas conquered most of the Mughal territories in north and central India. Thus the Mughals were reduced to just titular heads of Delhi till 1857.

At the Third battle of Panipat in 1761, Ahmed Shah Abdali raided Delhi. On 11 September 1803, General Lake of the British East India Company defeated the Marathas at the Battle of Delhi. With the Revolt of 1857, Delhi passed under British control. Bahadur Shah Zafar II, the last Mughal Emperor was exiled to Rangoon by the British and the surviving Mughal territories were taken over as part of British India.

20th Century

Since 1773, Calcutta was the capital of British India. But in 1911, the capital was shifted to Delhi by the British. Some parts of the old city were demolished for creation of New Delhi which was designed by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. With India’s independence in 1947, New Delhi was officially declared as India’s capital and seat of the Government of India. During partition, thousands of Sikh and Hindu refugees migrated to Delhi from West Punjab and settled in northern and southern part of the cities. In the late 60’s, Hindus from East Pakistan settled at EPDP (East Pakistan Displaced Persons) Colony in South Delhi which was later named in the 80’s as Chittaranjan Park. According to the Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991, the Union Territory of Delhi was formally renamed as the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Geography of Delhi

Delhi is situated at 28.61°N 77.23°E in northern India. Delhi’s terrain is inconsistent and has dry and arid hills in the south and agricultural fields in the north. In the south, it had large natural lakes but due to mining, these have dried up. The river Yamuna borders the city and the area east of the river is NCR and not Delhi.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi has an area of 1,484 square kilometers. Of this area, 783 square kilometers is rural while 700 square kilometers is urban. Delhi spans from Sarup Nagar in the north till Rajorki in the south. The furthest western point is Najafghar while river Yamuna is its eastern point. The city area of Delhi ends in the south at Saket and its northern limit is Connaught Place while the NH8 highway is its western limit. It is bordered by the states of Uttar Pradesh in the east, and Haryana in the north, south and west. The city lies in the Gangetic plains and the Delhi ridge and the Yamuna flood plain are the two main geographical features of the city. The fertile alluvial soil from the Yamuna flood plains is ideal for agriculture. The ridge reaches up to a height of 318 meters and begins in the south from the Aravalli Range and surrounds the west, northwest and northeast parts of the city. The only major river in the city is the Yamuna which is a sacred river of the Hindus.

Delhi has a humid subtropical climate with brief mild winters and long hot summers. There are long summers from early April to June which are extremely hot. ‘Loo’ which is hot winds blows in from Rajasthan in early March and is one of the main features of the summer in the city. The monsoons are from end June till October. 29th June is considered as the advent of monsoon in the city. From late November, winter starts and peaks in January with occurrence of heavy fog.

Demographic of Delhi

Delhi is a cosmopolitan city with diverse cultures, faiths and ethnic groups residing peacefully together. The city is both the political and economic center of north India. It attracts both blue and white collar workers from every part of India. It is also a diplomatic hub with 160 embassies of various countries and having a large expatriate population.

The population of Delhi was 13,782,976 according to the 2001 census. Population density was 9294 persons per square kilometers. There are 51.21 million males and 42.49 million females. Dwarka located in the National Capital Territory of Delhi is the largest planned residential colony in Asia. Hinduism is practiced by 82% of the city’s population. The city has 11.7% Muslims, 4 % are Sikhs, 1.1 % are Jains and 0.9% is Christians. There are also small communities of Jews, Parsis and Buddhists.

The main language spoken is Hindustani in Delhi while English is the main written language. Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi are the other common languages spoken in the city. Other linguistic groups include Bihari, Bengali, Rajasthani, Tamil, Haryanvi, Telugu, North-East, Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati, and Malayalam.

Tourist Attractions in Delhi

Since the city is one of the historic capitals of the world, it has numerous heritage and architectural gems. Old Delhi features forts, mosques, and various monuments which are witness to different eras of India’s history. Some of the main attractions are Red Fort, Jama Masjid etc. New Delhi has impressive government buildings, memorials and sprawling gardens. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the city are Humayun's Tomb, Qutub Minar and Red Fort. Some of the major attractions are -

• Rashtrapati Bhawan - This splendid building is built in a mix of Western and Indian styles. This was built for the Viceroy of India and Governor General of India during British rule. It was inaugurated as the Viceregal Lodge in 1931 and afterwards named as Rashtrapati Bhawan when India became a republic.
• India Gate and Rajpath- India Gate is located along the ceremonial Rajpath Avenue (King's Way). It is a memorial in honor of the Indian and British soldiers who died in World War I and Afghan wars. The walls are inscribed with names of soldiers killed in the wars. A memorial of black marble with an eternal flame known as Amar Jawan Jyoti (meaning Immortal Warrior) is also located here. It is dedicated to the soldiers killed in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. The green lawns surrounding the gate are a popular place for enjoying the evening
• Laxminarayan Temple - This temple is also known as Birla Mandir and was built in 1938 by the Birla family. It features a large garden with fountains. On Janmashtami which is the birthday of Lord Krishna, thousands of devotees visit the temple.
• Qutub Minar - This monument is situated in Mehrauli in South Delhi. It was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak in 1193. It is a beautiful red sandstone tower with a height of 72.5 meters. The tower has delicate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. He built the first storey while his successor, Iltutmush constructed three more storeys. The fifth storey was constructed by Firoz Shah Tughlak in 1368.
• Red Fort - The Red Fort was built in 1639 when Shah Jahan shifted his capital to Delhi from Agra. This is Delhi's seventh fort and was completed within eight years along with Shahjahanabad to welcome the Emperor. The Lahore Gate is the main gate where each year Independence Day celebrations are held. Inside the fort are the Hall of Public Audiences, Drum House, Hall of Private Audiences, Royal Baths, the Pearl Mosque, and Palace of Color.
• Chandni Chowk - This is Delhi’s main marketplace and was created by Emperor Shah Jahan. The market is one of the oldest in central north Delhi. Various crafts which were patronized by the Mughals still flourish here.
• Jama Masjid - This mosque is also known as Masjid-i-Jahan Numa and is the main mosque of Old Delhi. It was built in 1656 under the direction of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It is the largest mosque in the country.
• Raj Ghat - The Raj Ghat on the banks of the Yamuna River is the final resting place of Mahatma Gandhi. Close by are two museums dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi.
• Shanti Van - Close to Raj Ghat is Shanti Van where Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister was cremated. This is a beautiful park fi;lled with trees and gardens.
• Lotus Temple -This temple is a Bahá'í House of Worship built by the Bahá'í community. It is shaped like a lotus and located in South Delhi.
• Sansad Bhavan - The Sansad Bhavan or the Parliament of India was designed in 1912–1913 by the British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. This construction of this circular building started in 1921 and was opened in 1927 as the home of the Council of State, the Chamber of Princes and the Central Legislative Assembly.
• Connaught Place - It is one of the largest commercial, financial and business centers in Delhi. Its construction was started in 1929 and was completed in 1933. It was designed by the chief architect of the Government of India, Robert Tor Russell.

Accommodation in Delhi

Delhi boasts of various types of accommodation from budget to luxury ones. There are numerous hostels catering to backpackers and budget travelers. Some budget hotels are –

• Hotel Star Paradise
• Vivek Hotel
• Hotel Namaskar
• Hotel Kelson
• Major's Den

Some mid range hotels include –

• Caravan Homestay
• Alpine Park - Bed and Breakfast
• Cabana Hotel
• Lemontree Hotels
• Hotel Marina
• New Haven Hotel
• Hotel Sunstar Residency

Some of the luxury hotels in Delhi include –

• Claridges
• The Oberoi Grand
• Hyatt Regency Delhi
• The Maurya Sheraton
• Radisson
• Le Meriden

You can find both modern specialty restaurants in hotels and age old eateries in the by lanes of Delhi. Both international and Indian cuisines are available at various prices. The city is also popular for its Frontier and Mughlai cuisines. Enjoy Mughlai cuisine at Kariam which is located at Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin. They prepare recipes dating from Mughal times.

Some of the luxury range of eateries is -

• Delhi ka Aangan (Hyatt Regency)
• Darbar (Ashoka Hotel)
• Corbetts (Claridges)
• Bukhara (Maurya Sheraton)
• Frontier (Ashoka Hotel)
• Baluchi (The Hilton)

Modest budget eateries include Angeethi (Asiad Village), Gulati Restaurant (Pandara Market), and Degchi (Regal Building). Specialty restaurants include –

• Awadh (Maurya Sheraton) for Dum Pukht food
• Chor Bizarre (Hotel Broadway) for Kashmiri food
• Baan Tahi (The Oberoi) and Sukothai ( Hauz Khas village) for Thai food
• Tokyo (Ashoka Hotel) and Osaka (Haus Khas village) for Japanese food
• Rodeo (Connaught Place) for Mexican food
• Eateries close to Chanakya Theatre for Tibetan food

You can enjoy continental cuisine at five-star hotels like Captains Cabins (Taj Man Singh), Orient Express (Taj Palace) and La Rochelle (The Oberoi). Visit Dilli Haat to get a taste of a variety of Indian cuisines. And don’t forget to taste the omnipresent tandoori chicken and tandoori roti.

Culture and Lifestyle of Delhi

The culture of Delhi is influenced by various empires which had ruled the region. There are numerous monumen

ts reflecting these eras. There are 175 monuments and 1200 heritage buildings declared as national heritage sites by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The beauty of architecture can be seen in monuments such as the Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutab Minar, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Purana Qila and Jantar Mantar. Modern architectural beauty include the Bahá'í Lotus Temple, Laxminarayan Temple and Akshardham. The city has splendid British colonial architecture and these can be seen in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Rajpath, the Secretariat, the Parliament of India and Vijay Chowk.

Being the capital of the country, the city hosts various national events and holidays. These include Independence Day, Republic Day and Gandhi Jayanti (Gandhi's birthday). India’s cultural diversity and military excellence can be seen in the Republic Day Parade.

The city has had a composite culture for centuries and it can be seen through the Phool Walon Ki Sair festival. This festival is held in September where flowers are offered to the shrine of Khwaja Bakhtiyar Kaki who was a 13th century Sufi saint and Yogmaya Temple.

Various religious festivals are also celebrated like Diwali (the festival of lights), Guru Nanak's Birthday, Mahavir Jayanti, Durga Puja, Eid ul-Fitr, Lohri, Holi, Maha Shivaratri, and Buddha Jayanti. The cultural event, Qutub Festival is held at night near the Qutub Minar where performances of Indian musicians and dancers are held. Other annual events include International Mango Festival, Kite Flying Festival and Vasant Panchami (the Spring Festival.

Asia's largest auto show, the Auto Expo is held biennially. The World Book Fair is held at the Pragati Maidan biannually which is the second largest exhibition of books in the world.

The rich Mughal past can be seen in the old bazaars and lanes of Old Delhi. You can buy delicious pickles, herbal potions, material and linen, sweets, bridal attire, silver jewelry etc. You can shop for Zari saris and jewelries at Chandni Chowk. Zardozi (which is embroidery with gold thread) and Meenakari (the art of enameling) are one of the main arts and crafts of the city. You can buy Indian handicrafts and handlooms at Pragati Maidan, State Emporia, Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Karol Bagh, Dilli Haat and Hauz Khas.

Since it is a cosmopolitan city, you can get various Indian cuisines like Hyderabadi, Rajasthani, South Indian, Maharashtrian, and Bengali. The city also hosts numerous food festivals. The city also boasts of numerous clubs, bars and discos for those who want to enjoy the nightlife.

Transportation in Delhi

Reaching Delhi

Air:

If you want to reach Delhi by air, you need to land at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). There are three terminals in Delhi Airport. The domestic terminals, viz. Terminal 1A through Terminal 1D are commonly known as Palam Airport. Flights from all parts of the country come to this airport. Terminal 2 is earmarked for international flights. Flights from a number of major destinations across the world are coming down to this airport regularly. A new terminal, Terminal 3 is coming up soon, which is predicted to be the third largest in the world after Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport and Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport. There is another terminal in Delhi airport, called Hajj Terminal, which comes into action during the annual Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj.

Delhi airport is connected to the city by Delhi Gurgaon Expressway. You will also find low floor buses that ply between the city and the airport. A number of buses operated by Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) are also available. Delhi Metro link is going to be another mode of transportation to reach airport from the city, which is scheduled to be completed by 2010.

Bus:

You can reach Delhi by buses from almost all corners within the country. Buses are also coming down from Kathmandu and Chitwan in Nepal. Buses are also convenient and economical option to travel within the city and also to other adjacent cities. There are also some nearby mountainous regions where one can only reach by buses and cars.

There are a number of inter-state bus termini (ISBT) in Delhi, which connect Delhi with various destinations of nearby states. Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is a major operator that offer bus services to a range of destinations across the country. However, there are other state-run bus services as well as hundreds of private operators that offer comfortable services to various places.

Following are some of the major inter-state bus termini that one can use to travel to different places across the country:

• Kashmere Gate ISBT or Maharana Pratap: It is the largest inter-state bus terminus in Delhi. This terminus offers bus services towards north including Nepal.
• Sarai Kale Khan ISBT Vir Hakikat Rai: This inter-state bus terminus of Delhi is located just beside Nizamuddin railway station. This terminus offers bus services towards south.
• Anand Vihar ISBT or Swami Vivekanand: This terminus is located on the east bank of river Yamuna. Buses towards east are available from this terminus.
• Bikaner House Bus Stop: Travelers would find bus services to Jaipur of Rajasthan from here. Less crowded than the ISBTs, this bus stop offers various type of buses including air-conditioned Volvo buses.

Train:

There are four major stations in Delhi, viz. (i) Delhi Junction, also known as Old Delhi or Purani Dilli, (ii) New Delhi – located in the Central Delhi, (iii) Hazrat Nizamuddin – located a few kilometers south and (iv) Anad Vihar – a new station located to the east, coming up soon. New Delhi Railway Station and Delhi Junction are connected by Metro Line 2, whereas Anand Vihar is connected by Metro Line 3.

Delhi is connected to the rest of the country through an extensive rail network. Trains from almost all corners of the country come to this capital city. Indian Railways also ply fully air-conditioned elite trains, called “Rajdhani Express”, which connects Delhi with the major cities across the nation.

Getting Around the City

A number of options are available to get around the city for the travelers. Following are the options available.

Metro:

Delhi Metro offers services to its commuters through three lines. Metro provides cheap, quick and hassle-free transportation across the city. The journey in the air-conditioned coaches is quite comfortable at the same time.

• Line 1 (Red Line): Line 1 runs from Dilshad Garden through Rithala via Kashmere Gate.
• Line 2 (Yellow Line): This line runs form Jahagirpuri to Central Secretariat via Vishwa Vidyalaya, Kashmere Gate and Connaught Place. This line is useful to travel to Old Delhi as well as New Delhi Railway Station and ISBT bus terminal.
• Line 3 (Blue Line): In this line, metro services are offered from Yamuna Bank to Dwarka Sector 9 via Connaught Place. If you love shopping and want to move towards Karol Bagh, you need to take Line 3.

Train:

Local train service in Delhi is quite limited. Stations are also not conveniently located.

Bus:

It is one of the most convenient ways to move around the city. Buses are also quite cheap. However, buses can be quite crowded at the same time. Two types of bus services are available, viz. Government run DTC buses and privately run Blue-Line buses.

Taxi:

One can also hire taxi to move between places in Delhi. You can log on to www.tricabs.com or call +91-11-2621-1290 to book your taxi. There are other taxis also:

• Delhi Cab (Ph: +91-11-44-333-222)
• Metro Cab (Ph: 1923)
• Easy Cab (Ph: +91-11-43434343)
• Quick Cab: (Ph: +91-11-45333333)

Auto Rickshaw:

This is another mode of transportation in Delhi. These three-wheel scooters are quite cheap at the same time. One can also hail those from the streets. There are also a number of “Pre paid” Auto stands, where you can hire your autos from.

Economy of Delhi

The city is the largest commercial center of northern India. For the FY 2007, it had a net State Domestic Product of Rs. 1,182 billion and Rs. 3,364 billion in PPP terms. The city had a per capita income of Rs. 66,728 at current prices in 2007. The secondary sector is 25.2%, primary sector is 3.85% and the tertiary sector is 70.95% of Delhi's gross SDP. Delhi's workforce is 32.82% of the population.

The city’s unemployment rate dropped from 12.57% in 1999–2000 to 4.63% in 2003. About 636,000 people were registered with different employment exchange programs in December 2004. Around 620,000 people were employed in union, state and quasi government sectors in 2001.

The main service sectors include information technology, media, hotels, telecommunications, banking, and tourism. With the availability of skilled labor and a large consumer market, the city has attracted huge foreign investments.

Around 1,440,000 workers were employed in the manufacturing sector in 2001. The main components of Delhi's economy are construction, community services, telecommunications, power, health and real estate. The city also has the largest retail business. With land prices soaring, Delhi is the world’s 7th most expensive office hotspot.

Sports in Delhi

Possibly the most popular sport in the city is cricket. It has numerous cricket grounds or maidans in the city. One of the oldest cricket grounds in India is Feroz Shah Kotla stadium and hosts international cricket matches. The city is represented in the Ranji Trophy which is a first-class domestic cricket championship by the Delhi cricket team. It is also home to the Delhi Daredevils of the IPL team and Delhi Giants of the ICL team. Various other sports such as basketball, tennis, golf, kart racing, table tennis, badminton, football (soccer), field hockey, weightlifting and swimming are other popular sports.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is the third largest stadium in the country. The other major stadium is the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. Various domestic and international sporting events were also held in the city such as the First and the Ninth Asian Games. In 2010, the city will be hosting the nineteenth edition of the Commonwealth Games.

Government and politics in Delhi

The city was earlier a special union territory. The National Capital Territory of Delhi features its own Legislative Assembly, Council of Ministers, Lieutenant Governor and Chief Minister. There are direct elections to the legislative assembly seats from territorial constituencies in the NCT. New Delhi is jointly administered by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Government of India. New Delhi is the seat of both the Government of India and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The Delhi Government takes care of services like transport while police services are under the Central Government’s control. In 1993, the legislative assembly was re-established after 1956. Civic administration is handled by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

The Government of Delhi governs the NCR and its 9 districts. The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is the head of the state who is appointed by the President of India on the recommendation of the Central government. The Chief Minister is the head of the government of Delhi. The unicameral Legislative Assembly of Delhi comprises 70 Member of the Legislative Assembly (M.L.A).

The city has 273 assembly constituencies and 10 Lok Sabha constituencies (lower house of the Indian parliament). The Indian National Congress party has a traditional stronghold in the city. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled the city in the 1990s. The Congress regained power in 1998 under Sheila Dixit. Both in 2003 and 2008 elections, the Congress held the majority in the Legislative Assembly. Sheila Dixit has been the Chief Minister of Delhi thrice since 1998.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) comprises three local municipal corporations namely, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Cantonment Board and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). The Delhi High Court has legal authority over Delhi. It also consists of two lower courts namely the Sessions Court for criminal cases and the Small Causes Court for civil cases. The Delhi Police is headed by the Police Commissioner.

Important central government buildings are located in New Delhi. These include the Rashtrapati Bhavan (Presidential Palace), the Supreme Court of India, the Parliament of India, North Block and South Block. The Parliament of India is a circular building with 144 granite pillars in the outer circle. It is located at Janpath near the Rashtrapati Bhavan. It was inaugurated by in 1927 by the then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin. The building used to be the home of the Council of State, the Central Legislative Assembly and the Chamber of Princes during colonial rule. It now houses the Rajya Sabha (the upper house), the Lok Sabha (lower house) and the Library Hall.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan is the official residence of the President of India. Previously it was the residence of the Viceroy and Governor General of India. The building has a blend of British and Indian architectural styles. This vast palace has 340 rooms spread over four floors.

Media in Delhi

Being the capital of India, the city is the main hub of political reportage. There are regular Parliament sessions television broadcasts. Media agencies from various states, Press Trust of India and Doordarshan are based in the city. There are two free terrestrial television channels by Doordarshan and other English, Hindi, and regional-languages cable channels.

Print journalism is one of the main news medium in Delhi. Around 1029 newspapers were published in thirteen languages during 2004–05. There are 492 Hindi language newspapers. Some of the Hindi language newspapers include Navbharat Times, Punjab Kesari, Hindustan Dainik, Dainik Bhaskar, Dainik Jagran, and Dainik Desbandhu.

The Hindustan Times has over a million copies in circulation among the English language newspapers. Other major English newspapers include Business Standard, Times of India, The Pioneer, Asian Age, Indian Express and the Hindu. Magazines published include COVERT, Outlook, India Today and others.

The city has numerous FM channels. It also has state-owned radio stations like All India Radio (AIR) which broadcasts in ten languages over six radio channels. Other radio stations include Aaj Tak, FM Rainbow(102.4 MHz), Radio City(91.1 MHz), Meow FM(104.8 MHz), Red FM(93.5MHz), Big FM(92.7 MHz), Radio One(94.3 MHz), Apna Radio, Radio Mirchi(98.3 MHz), Hit FM(95 MHz), Fever FM(104 MHz) and FM Gold(106.4 MHz).