Delhi is one of the largest cities in Asia. This is an ancient and incredibly contrasting city in which the close old quarters are adjacent to the new wide boulevards and spacious squares. In this article we will introduce you to New Delhi - one of its areas and, concurrently, the official capital of India.
The geography of the Indian capital: we understand toponyms
Before starting our story, it is worth distinguishing between the concepts of “Delhi” and “New Delhi”. Delhi (officially - the National Capital Territory of Delhi) is the center of the second largest metropolitan area in the country, within which at least 17 million people live. The first settlement on the site of this huge metropolis arose in the VI century BC.
What is New Delhi? De jure is a separate city. Apo facto is just one of the Delhi districts located in its central part. The total area of New Delhi is 42.7 square meters. km The Government of India and several other government agencies are located here.
New Delhi translated from English means "New Delhi." It is logical to assume that somewhere there should be Old Delhi. And he really exists. The old city is located north of New Delhi, closer to the banks of the Jamuna River. This is incredibly dirty, noisy and, perhaps, the most colorful part of the metropolis.
On the whole, the national capital territory of Delhi is divided into nine districts (see map below). With the exception of New Delhi, all other counties are named according to their geographical location on the city map: Western, Northern, Southern, Eastern, Northeast, Northwest, Southwest, and Central Delhi.
Location and geographical coordinates of New Delhi
The city is located in North India, between the states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Its territory is completely located within the flat Indo-Gangetic plain. Below you can see where New Delhi is located on a map of India.
On the eastern outskirts of the city, the Jamuna River flows, the valley of which is extremely fertile.
Geographic coordinates of New DelhiIn degrees, minutes and seconds | In decimal degrees |
Latitude | 28 ° 42 ′ 00 ″ North | 28.6357600 ° |
Longitude | 77 ° 12 ′ 00 ″ East | 77.2244500 ° |
The average altitude of the city is 212 meters. New Delhi time zone: UTC + 5: 30 (used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). The time difference with Moscow is 2.5 hours.
A Brief History of New Delhi
The very name of the city speaks of its insignificant age. The official year of its foundation is 1911.
As you know, the capital of India from the end of the XVI century was Calcutta. And Delhi back in the Middle Ages has become an important financial center throughout South Asia. In the early twentieth century, the British government decided to move the capital from the seaside Calcutta to Delhi, inland. So, according to the British, it was easier to manage a huge colony.
At the end of 1911, George V solemnly laid the first stone of the future capital. Most of New Delhi was planned by the famous architect Edwin Lachens (1869-1944), in fact, the chief architect of the British Empire during the interwar period. He built a new city in India, even called "Lacensi Delhi."
The official opening ceremony of the capital took place on February 10, 1931.
New Delhi: climate and ecology
The city is located in a zone of humid subtropical climate. Summer is long and sultry, and winters are short and moderately cold. The hottest months of the year are May and June (average air temperatures are 32.6 ° and 33.3 °, respectively), the coldest is January (+ 13.8 °).
The period from March to May is the least pleasant in the weather and climate plan. At this time, southwestern winds (the so-called “lu”) dominate, which bring dryness, incredible heat and a lot of sand to the city. In mid-June, the situation is slightly mitigated by wet and cool monsoons blowing from the northeast. In November, a climatic winter begins, which is accompanied by thick fogs. However, air temperatures very rarely drop below +10 degrees.
According to WHO (World Health Organization), the level of air pollution in New Delhi is 90 times higher than all acceptable standards. The head of the city once even compared the capital with a "gas chamber." What caused such an unfavorable environmental situation? There are actually several reasons. Firstly, the air is badly polluted by the operation of a coal-fired power plant in Badarpur. Secondly, local residents actively burn garbage and plant debris from their gardens in the city. All this leads to a high smoke atmosphere.
Population and economics
The population of New Delhi is about 300 thousand people, which is approximately one-fiftieth of the total number of residents of the Delhi metropolis. For 1000 men in the city, there are only 821 women. Residents mainly profess Hinduism. In the capital, there are also adherents of Islam (11%), Sikhism (about 4%) and Christianity (no more than 1%).
The main language used in the city in both oral and written language is Hindi. Urdu and Punjabi are also used, as well as languages of other linguistic groups in India (Telugu, Marathi, Maithili and others). In New Delhi, English is often heard.
The modern capital of India is also one of the main financial, cultural and scientific centers of the country. The tertiary sector ( services) occupies a leading position in the structure of the urban economy. It accounts for at least 78% of New Delhi's GDP. The main employer in the Indian capital is the government sector. The city has a very developed banking, information technology, hotel and tourism business.
Urban transport
The transport of the capital is represented by the subway, suburban railways, taxis, buses and auto rickshaws. The fastest and most convenient way to get around the city is the subway. It is cool and there are no traffic jams from which the streets of the capital so often suffer. Four (out of six) metro lines run directly through New Delhi.
Buses compared to the metro - transport is cheaper. Therefore, it is the most popular in the city, providing up to 60% of passenger traffic. It is important to know that in Delhi there are two types of buses - public (red or green) and private. On hot days it is better to use the latter, since air conditioners are installed in their salons.
One taxi ride to New Delhi costs about 250-300 Russian rubles. Popular in the city and rickshaws. They move more slowly than a taxi, but with a breeze.
Features of planning and urban architecture
New Delhi embodies the imperial traditions of the interwar Great Britain. The heart of the city is the Presidential Palace, located on a hilltop. In close proximity to it is the Parliament and the Anglican Cathedral. Rajpat Marge Park Street connects the President’s Palace with the Public Garden and the Gateway of India. It is these two buildings that are dominant in the planning structure of New Delhi.
The city was built by Edwin Lachens. He also designed the key buildings of the ensemble - the Capitol, the Presidential Palace, the Cannot Place shopping center, as well as residences for numerous English nobles. The main goal that the architect faced was to create a kind of “British Rome” in India - majestic and monumental. And the architect coped with this task.
During the construction of the city for the first time in India, a radial-ring scheme of street and square layouts was applied. An important feature of the Indian capital is the presence of vast spaces of parks and gardens. In total, they occupy about 40% of the total area of New Delhi. In the development of the capital, an ensemble of government buildings - the Capitol, stands out spectacularly. In its pomp, it very much resembles similar architectural ensembles in Canberra or Washington.
Reviews of tourists and travelers about the city
“New Delhi is least like India.”
Almost all tourists evaluate Delhi as a noisy, bustling and saturated city with all kinds of transport. From early morning until late at night, its cramped streets are filled with barking dogs, people screaming, signals from cars, bicycle rickshaws and motorbikes. But New Delhi is the exact opposite of all this.
The capital is known for its wide avenues, monumental buildings, fountains and manicured lawns. But in general, according to blogger Ilya Varlamov, the area is "terribly boring and uninteresting." And many travelers agree with him.
Another famous blogger and traveler Levik describes the capital of India in a similar way:
“This is the cleanest part of the city. First of all, due to the fact that there are no people here. Absolutely not! But there are huge boulevards that stretch for kilometers from one intersection to another. Along the boulevards there is a lot of greenery ... But in general, in pure New Delhi there is absolutely nothing to do. Most likely, you will see it from the windows of a taxi or tuk-tuk, heading to more interesting areas of the city. "
The main attractions of the city
New Delhi is, first of all, a unique museum of colonial architecture. The main and most visited sights of the city include the following objects:
- Presidential palace.
- "Gateway of India."
- Red fort.
- National Museum.
- National Zoo.
- Parliament of India.
- The Raj Ghat Memorial is the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi.
- Qutb Minar (the tallest brick minaret in the world - 72.5 meters).
Perhaps the most significant architectural monument of the city is the “Gateway of India”. This is a triumphal arch, erected in 1931 in honor of 90 thousand Indian soldiers who died in the First World War. The names of 13 thousand fallen soldiers are carved on the slabs of the memorial monument. The height of the arch itself is 42 meters.
The city has many interesting museums. For example, in the National Museum you can get acquainted with the history of the Indian state, its natural and cultural wealth. Its expositions are striking in their size, therefore it is better to set aside a separate day for visiting this object. No less interesting is the National Gallery of Modern Art. But it is completely unexpected to meet in the capital of India a private Puppet Museum. It presents a huge collection of toys from around the world, assembled by journalist Shankar Pillai.