'New Delhi' (, , ) is a modern metropolis that is the capital city of the
Republic of India. Located within the city of
Delhi, New Delhi was planned by
Edwin Lutyens, a leading 20th century
British architect. It houses the
Indian Government and the Government of the
National Capital Territory of Delhi, making it the powerhouse of Indian politics.
History
Delhi has been traditionally the capital of India, although Calcutta was the capital until 1911 during the British Raj. However, Delhi had served as the political and financial centre of several empires of
ancient India, most notably of the
Mughal Empire. During the early
1900s, a proposal was made to the British administration to shift the capital of the Indian Empire from Calcutta to Delhi. Unlike Calcutta, which was located on the eastern coast of India, Delhi was located in northern India and the
Government of British India felt that it would be easier to administer India from Delhi rather than from Calcutta. Owing to its historic and cultural importance,
George V, the then
Emperor of India, made the announcement the capital of the Raj was to be shifted from
Calcutta to Delhi.
[ Cities of Tomorrow, , P, Hall, Blackwell Publishing, 2002, ]
New Delhi was laid out to the south of the ''Old City'' which was constructed by Mughal Emperor
Shah Jahan. However, New Delhi overlays the site of
seven ancient cities and hence includes many historic monuments like the
Jantar Mantar and the
Humayun's Tomb.
Much of New Delhi was planned by
Edwin Lutyens, a leading 20th century
British architect and it has been dubbed "
Lutyens' Delhi". Lutyens laid out the central administrative area of the city as a testament to Britain's
imperial pretensions. At the heart of the city was the magnificent
Rashtrapati Bhawan (then known as Viceroy's House) which sat atop
Raisina Hill. The
Rajpath, also known as King's Way, stretched from the
India Gate to the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
The Secretariat which houses various ministries of the Government of India, flanked out of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The
Parliament House, designed by
Herbert Baker, is located at the Sansad Marg, which runs parallel to the Rajpath.
After India gained independence in
1947, a limited autonomy was conferred to New Delhi and was administered by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the
Government of India. In
1956, Delhi was converted into a
union territory and gradually the Chief Commissioner was replaced by a Lieutenant Governor. The
Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991 declared the Union Territory of Delhi to be formally known as National Capital Territory of Delhi.
[ THE CONSTITUTION (SIXTY-NINTH AMENDMENT) ACT, 1991 ] A system of diarchy was introduced under which, the elected Government was given wide powers; except law and order which remained with the Central Government. The actual enforcement of the legislation came in 1993 .
Geography
The Yamuna River
New Delhi lies in
northern India, almost entirely in the
Gangetic plains. New Delhi was once a part of the
Aravalies, but all that is left now is the
Delhi ridge, the first prominent geographical feature. The second feature is the
Yamuna floodplains; New Delhi lies west of the Yamuna river, although for the most part, New Delhi is a landlocked city. East of the river is the urban area of
Shahdara. New Delhi falls under the
seismic zone-IV, making it vulnerable to major earthquakes.
[ Hazard profiles of Indian districts ]
New Delhi and its vicinity have a somewhat exaggerated continental climate due to its distance from the coasts and location with respect to mountain ranges. The temperature varies from 45 degrees Celsius in summers to around 4 degrees Celsius in winters.
[1]
Government
North Block and South Block, two key government buildings
As of 2005, the government structure of the
New Delhi Municipal Council includes a chairperson, three members of New Delhi's
Legislative Assembly, two members nominated by the
Chief Minister of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) and five members nominated by the central government. The current Chief Minister of the NCT is
Sheila Dikshit.
New Delhi is governed by its own
municipal government, known as the
New Delhi Municipal Council. Other urban areas of the metropolis of Delhi are administered by the
Municipal Corporation of Delhi and are hence not considered a part of the capital city. However, the entire metropolis of Delhi is commonly known as New Delhi in contrast to
Old Delhi.
Urban structure
Map of New Delhi
New Delhi is structured around two central
promenades called the
Rajpath and the
Janpath. The Rajpath, or King's Way, stretches from the
Rashtrapati Bhavan to the
India Gate. The
Janpath, formerly Queen's Way, begins at
Connaught Circus and cuts the Shantipath at right angles.
At the heart of the city is the magnificent Rashtrapati Bhawan (formerly known as Viceroy's House) which sits atop
Raisina Hill. The Secretariat which houses various ministries of the Government of India, flanks out of the Rashtrapati Bhawan. The Parliament House, designed by Herbert Baker, is located at the Sansad Marg, which runs parallel to the Rajpath.
Transport
Main articles: Transport in Delhi
Public transport in New Delhi is provided by
buses,
auto rickshaws, a
rapid transit system, taxis and suburban railways.
Bus
Buses are the most popular means of transport catering to about 60% of the total demand.
[ Chapter 12: Transport ] The state-owned
Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is a major bus service provider for the city, which operates not-only in Delhi, but also many inter-states routes. The mofussil buses operate around 34 depots, and the inter-state buses operate from the three
Inter State Bus Terminals in
Kashmere Gate,
Sarai Kale Khan and
Anand Vihar. DTC cordinates with
Delhi Metro to connect commuters in areas surrounding the metro stations. The DTC now operates the world's largest fleet of environment-friendly CNG buses.
[ Citizen Charter ] While the buses in Delhi are very cheap, they have a mixed safety record and are often overcrowded. In 2007, only 750 of 4500 buses passed their safety inspections and many were taken off the road for repairs.
Metro
Main articles: Delhi Mass Rapid Transit System
A world class
metro system has been instituted in New Delhi. In order to meet the transport demand in Delhi, the State and Union government started the construction of a mass rapid transit system, including the
Delhi Metro.
[ As of 2007, the metro operates three lines with a total length of 65 km (40 miles) and 59 stations while several other lines are under construction.][ Station Information ]
As of November, 2006:
| Line name | Number | Between stations |
|---|
| ● 'Red Line' | 1 | Shahdara - Rithala |
| ● 'Yellow Line' | 2 | Vishwa Vidyalaya - Central Secretariat |
| ● 'Blue Line' | 3 | Indraprastha - Dwarka Sub City |
Taxi and rickshaw
Auto rickshaws are one of the most popular means of public transportation in Delhi.
Auto-rickshaws are popular in New Delhi, and are popularly known as ''scooters''. They are usually coloured green and yellow and many run on CNG. Taxi-cabs are not as prevalent and tend to be more expensive. However, both private taxis and the state-permit taxis (which are black and yellow in color) are easily accessible.
Private vehicles account for 30% of the total demand for transport.[ At 1922.32 km of road length per 100 km², Delhi has one of the highest road densities in India.][ Delhi is well connected to other parts of India by five National Highways: NH 1, 2, 8, 10 and 24. Roads in New Delhi are maintained by MCD, NDMC, Delhi Cantonment Board, Public Works Department (PWD) and Delhi Development Authority.][ GIS Based Maintenance Management System (GMMS) For Major Roads Of Delhi I.Prasada Rao ]
Suburban railway
Railways served only 1% of the local traffic until 2003.[ However Delhi is a major junction in the and is the headquarters of the Northern Railway. The four main railway stations are Old Delhi, Nizamuddin Railway Station, Sarai Rohilla and New Delhi Railway Station.][ ]
Air
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) is situated in the southwestern corner of Delhi and serves for domestic and international connections. In 2006–07, the IGI airport recorded a traffic of more than 19.4 million passengers,[ Delhi – Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) information ] making it the second busiest airport in South Asia. Safdarjung Airport is the other airfield in Delhi used for general aviation purpose.[ VIDD - Airport ]
Demographics
Hindus make up a majority of New Delhi's population
In 2003, New Delhi had a total population of 295,000. The National Capital Territory of Delhi, of which New Delhi is a part of, had a population of 14.1 million people making it the second largest metropolitan area in India after Mumbai.[ World Urbanization Prospects The 2003 Revision. ] There are 821 women per 1000 men, and the literacy rate is 81.82%.
Culture
New Delhi's capital status has amplified the importance of national events and holidays. National events such as Republic Day, Independence Day and ''Gandhi Jayanti'' (Gandhi's birthday) are celebrated with great enthusiasm in New Delhi and the rest of India. On India's Independence Day (15 August) the Prime Minister of India addresses the nation from the Red Fort. Most Delhiites celebrate the day by flying kites, which are considered a symbol of freedom.[ Independence Day ] The Republic Day Parade is a large cultural and military parade showcasing India's cultural diversity and military might.[ R-Day parade, an anachronism? ][ Fairs & Festivals of Delhi ]
The Lotus Temple is a popular landmark in New Delhi
Religious festivals include Diwali (the festival of light), Durga Puja, Holi, Lohri, Maha Shivaratri, Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha and Buddha Jayanti.[ The Qutub Festival is a cultural event during which performances of musicians and dancers from all over India are showcased at night, with the Qutub Minar as the chosen backdrop of the event.][ It's Sufi and rock at Qutub Fest Madhur Tankha ] Other events such as Kite Flying Festival, International Mango Festival and ''Vasant Panchami'' (the Spring Festival) are held every year in Delhi.
Akshardham is a Hindu temple complex in Delhi, India. It was inaugurated in November 2005 by the President of India, Abdul Kalam, the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS - the organization responsible for the creation of Akshardham. Sitting on the banks of the Yamuna River, adjacent to the proposed Commonwealth Games village, the complex features a large monument, crafted entirely of stone, permanent exhibitions on Bhagwan Swaminarayan and Hinduism, an IMAX cinema, musical fountain, and large landscaped gardens.
Economy
With an estimated net State Domestic Product (SDP) of 83,085 crores (830.85 billion) Indian rupee (INR) (for the year 2004–05),[ Chapter 2: State Income ] Delhi is an important commercial center in South Asia. Delhi has a per capita income of 53,976 INR which is around 2.5 times of the national average.[ The tertiary sector contributes 70.95% of Delhi's gross SDP followed by secondary and primary sectors with 25.2% and 3.85% contribution respectively.]
Commercial Store in New Delhi
In 2004, the total workforce in all government (union and state) and quasi government sector was 620,000. In comparison, organised private sector employed 219,000.[ Chapter 5: Employment and unemployment ] Delhi's service sector has expanded due in part to the large skilled English-speaking workforce that has attracted many multinational companies. Key service industries include information technology, telecommunications, hotels, banking, media and tourism. Delhi's manufacturing industry has also grown considerably as many consumer goods industries have established manufacturing units and headquarters in and around Delhi. Delhi's large consumer market, coupled with the easy availability of skilled labour, has attracted foreign investment in Delhi. In 2001, the manufacturing sector employed 1,440,000 workers while the number of industrial units was 129,000.[ Chapter 9: Industrial Development ] Construction, power, telecommunications, health and community services, and real estate form integral parts of Delhi's economy. Delhi's retail industry is one of the fastest growing industries in India.[ India's Retail Industry ]
References
1. Delhi Tourism - Climate
External links
★ New Delhi India CityGuide
★ New Delhi Municipal Council
★ Interactive Map of Delhi using Google API
★ MapmyIndia's interactive map of New Delhi, along with directions and local search
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