It is not easy to understand how many inhabitants New Delhi has . The number gravitates between 100,000 and 150,000 people, and only in the historic center. The entire metropolitan area has between 20 and 30 million inhabitants! This uncertainty is given by the difficulty of keeping a certain and complete registry of Indian inhabitants, but also by the high number of migrants who arrive or leave Delhi every day.
Because the Indian capital attracts everyone , and everyone hopes to become its vibrant lifeblood.
Then looking at India, with a population estimated at about 1.28 billion people (a good number considering that we have about 7 billion inhabitants on Earth), the country represents 18% of the world population and so India is the second largest. most populous country on the planet after China, although, according to experts, the Indian country could overtake it in about ten years.
What is the history of New Delhi?
The history of this city has its roots in the past millennia. It seems it was inhabited since prehistoric times and has hosted seven different ruling dynasties. Between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, New Delhi was the capital of the Mughal Empire and was destroyed during the assaults of 1739. Rebuilt at the beginning of the nineteenth century by the British, it became the national capital only in 1911.
New Delhi, what to see in the city
New Delhi, what to see? Here is a list of things to see in the Indian capital in the following lines.
There are so many itineraries to plan in New Delhi. Because the beauties to see are numerous and a single trip will certainly not be enough to admire them all. Being a capital, it has a purely political face: the Connaught Place district, where the Parliament and Government buildings are located. This is a commercial and financial center that develops around the Georgian-style buildings with colonnades in which there are chains of shops, cinemas, bars and restaurants of Indian cuisine. Also here you will find the Janpath market stalls , where they sell saris, embroidered bags and costume jewelery. The tranquil Sikh Temple Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is known for its reflecting pool, while Jantar Mantar is an astronomical observatoryof the eighteenth century.
Do not miss to visit the square in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan , the grandiose palace where the President of the Republic resides, which is somewhat reminiscent of the White House and St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican!
The Red Fort and the imperial city of Shahjahanabad
One of the wonders of New Delhi is the Red Fort , a fortified seventeenth-century castle of impressive dimensions that stands out for the red of the stone and for the mighty walls, even 33 meters high, in which marvelous decorated doors open. Next to it stands a smaller sixteenth-century fort, Salimgarh , to protect the ancient imperial city of Shahjahanabad . Inside, jewels of Indian architecture such as the House of Drums, the Khas Mahal, the House of Audience, the Pearl Mosque.
The Khas Mahal was the private residence of the Mughal emperor in Delhi. The structure is located inside the Red Fort and consists of three parts: the beaded room, the bedroom and the wardrobe or living room.
Remaining in the old center of the capital, one should admire the ancestor of the Taj Mahal , or the palace of Humayun’s Tomb, the Qutb Minar that is the tallest brick minaret in the world, and the most beautiful and crowded market in the city, the Chandni . Chowk .
Western-inspired is the India Gate monument , a triumphal arch dedicated to Indian soldiers who died to serve the British army in the various wars. One of the most beautiful mosques in India is located right here in the capital and is the elegant Jama Masjid.
You cannot leave New Delhi without having seen Casa Birla, the palace where Mahatma Gandhi lived for the last few years and the park where he was assassinated. The initiatives to remember the important figure are summarized in the museum erected in memory of him.
What to see around New Delhi
The territory of Delhi is a tiny federal district occupied almost entirely by the metropolitan area of the city. So the surroundings of New Delhi are also actually part of the city of New Delhi. Just as a border, the course of the Yamuna river , beyond which you will find a breathtaking monument: the great temple of Akshardham which includes a monastic complex and a Hindu university.
Another beautiful temple is Laxminarayan , with its bright colors, located north of the city. Other places of great importance to be admired in the surroundings are: the Tughlakabad fort, the Bhatti Nature Reserve, the Okhla Ornithological Sanctuary, the archaeological ruins of Islam Masjid and Haus Khaz, the Deer Monumental Park.
Do not miss the Bahai Lotus Temple is a temple built exclusively for the Baha faith but is still open to all religious faiths. The building was designed by Fariborz Sahba and has the appearance of the bud of a lotus flower formed by twenty-seven marble “petals”.
