General information and history
Delhi (in Hindi - दिल्ली (Dilli), in Punjabi - ਦਿੱਲੀ, in Urdu - دِلّی), is the capital of India and the second city in the country after Mumbai in terms of territory. It is located on the Jumna River, in the northern part of India. It has the status of a union territory. It houses 6 thousand historical monuments of world significance, several millennia old. The area of the city is 1483 km².
The first city (Indraprastha) near present-day Delhi was, according to legend, founded by the Pandava dynasty around 3000 BC. From the 2nd century BC, the territory between the Aravalli mountains and the Jumna River belonged to the emperors of the Maurya dynasty. Then, after several centuries, the city was depopulated, after which in 340 it was resurrected by the king of Kanauja Dehlu. Delhi is probably named after him. In 736, not far from the city, the Rajput rulers from the Tomar dynasty built the fortress of Lal Kot.
Almost three centuries after that, Delhi was taken by Sultan Mahmud Geznevi and turned into a province of the proto-Uzbek state of the Geznevids. A century later, Delhi was conquered by the Afghan commander Qutb ud-din Aibek, who made it the capital of his sultanate, which lasted until 1526. During this period, the city became one of the richest in Asia. In 1288, Delhi came under the rule of the second Turkic Gilji dynasty, after which the Mongols repeatedly unsuccessfully tried to take it. In 1325, the Tughlaqabad Fort was founded in Delhi, after which the city became the most significant cultural, handicraft and shopping mall. After 73 years, Delhi was destroyed and burned by Tamerlane. Then a period of unrest began in the city, until the Lodi dynasty came to power in 1450. In 1526, Delhi was conquered by the Mughals, who in 1533 made it their capital. But after some time, the functions of the capital were transferred from the city to Agra, and then, for a while, to Fatehpur Sikri.
Delhi again regained its importance in the middle of the 17th century, during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. The Red Fort was built and new town, Shahjahanabad, from which Old Delhi subsequently grew. In 1739, Delhi was conquered by the Shah of Iran, Nadir Shah, after which the collapse of the Mughal Empire was completed. When the British entered the city in 1803, the Great Mogul remained in power, but was only a nominal ruler. In 1857, during the sepoy uprising, Delhi was liberated and the Mughals regained power again, but only for a few months. After that, Delhi was taken by storm by General Wilson, and the Great Mogul, along with his family, was captured.
At the end of 1911, the Viceroy of India moved to the city from Calcutta, after which New Delhi was founded. After 36 years, Delhi became the capital of independent India.
Districts of Delhi
The National Capital Territory of Delhi is officially divided into three "City Corporations" or "Regulatory Cities" administered by separate bodies: the Delhi Municipal Corporation, the New Delhi Municipal Committee and the Delhi Military Council.
In addition, the National Capital Territory of Delhi is divided into nine districts, each of which is divided into three districts. The districts are led by executive commissioners and the districts by their magistrates. The districts are named mainly according to the cardinal directions: East, West, North, Northeast, Northwest, Central, Southwest, South Delhi and New Delhi.
The total area of the Delhi agglomeration is 33,578 km². It is part of the National Capital Region, which is governed by a single governing council. In addition to the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the National Capital Region includes such districts as: Alwar in the state of Rajahstan, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Gautambudhnagar, Merath in the state of Uttar Pradesh and Gurgaon, Jajar, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak, Sonipat, Faridabad in state of Haryana.
The largest cities in the National Capital Region are Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Noida and Faridabad.
Population of Delhi in 2018 and 2019. Number of people in Delhi
The data on the number of city residents are taken from the federal state statistics service. The official website of the Rosstat service www.gks.ru. Also, the data were taken from the unified interdepartmental information and statistical system, the official website of the EMISS www.fedstat.ru. The site published data on the number of inhabitants of Delhi. The table shows the distribution of the number of residents of Delhi by years, the graph below shows the demographic trend in different years.
Delhi population change graph:
The population of Delhi in 2011 was about 11.1 million people, and the eponymous agglomeration - about 16.8 million. The population density in Delhi is 11,297 people / km².
Delhi is a cosmopolitan city where many cultures and ethnic groups are concentrated. Also, since it is the political and economic center of Northern India, Indian citizens from all over the country move there to work in offices and industry. In addition, as Delhi is the capital of India and also hosts offices of a number of international companies, a significant number of foreign nationals live here.
The 2001 census showed that the sex ratio in Delhi is as follows: 821 women to 1,000 men. The percentage of Delhi literate was 81.82%. The birth rate was found to be 20.03/1000, the post-child mortality rate was 5.59/1000, and the mortality rate was 13.08/1000. In the same year, the natural population growth in the capital Delhi was 215 thousand people, and migration there amounted to 285 thousand people, making the population growth in the city one of the largest in the world.
It is in Delhi that the world's largest residential area built according to a centralized plan, Dwarka, is located.
In 1999-2000, the number of urban residents below the poverty line was 8.23%, which is 19% below the general Indian level.
82% of Delhi residents are Hindus, 11.7% Muslims, 4% Sikhs, 1.1% Jains and 0.9% Christians. In addition, there are such religious and ethnic minorities in the city as Anglo-Indians, Buddhists, Jews and Parsis (Zoroastrians). The most popular spoken language is Hindustani (Urdu and Hindi) while the written language is English. In addition, all major linguistic groups of India are represented in Delhi. In 2001, 81% of Delhi people spoke Hindi, 7.1% Punjabi, 6.3% Urdu, 1.5% Bengali, 0.67% Tamil, 0.66% Malayalam. , 0.62% in Maithili, 0.33% in Gujarati, 0.31% in Sindhi, 0.21% in Oriya, and 0.2% in Telugu. At the same time, criticism of the censuses is widespread in the country, for the fact that during it, in favor of Hindi, some of the languages that are officially recognized by linguists are ignored. For example, non-census languages and dialects such as Bihari, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani and Haryanvi have become widespread.
Since India's independence, the population of the Delhi agglomeration has increased from 2 to 20 million people. Basically, people moved here in search of employment. Active migration has led to overpopulation, due to which slums have appeared in Delhi, where safety rules are not observed, there are no necessary communications and sanitary facilities. In the late 2000s, more than 4 million people lived in 1,500 urban slums. With a population density of 300,000 people/km², there is approximately one artesian well for every 750-1,000 people. Most of the slum dwellers are unemployed, and those who do not fall into this category receive an average of less than $30 per month. Although the government is trying to change the situation for the better, the problem is not predicted to disappear in the near future.
In addition, Delhi holds such an anti-record as the highest crime rate among all cities in India with a population of more than 1 million people, although it serves quite a large number of policemen. Also, Delhi is a leader in India in juvenile and female crime.
Burial name: Delians, Delians, Delians.
Delhi city photo. Delhi photography
Information about the city of Delhi in Wikipedia:
Link to Delhi website. You can get a lot of additional information by reading them on the official website of Delhi, the official portal of Delhi and the government.
Delhi official website
Delhi city map. Delhi yandex maps
Created using the Yandex service People's map (Yandex map), when zoomed out, you can understand the location of Delhi on the map of Russia. Delhi Yandex maps. Interactive Yandex map of the city of Delhi with the name of the streets, as well as house numbers. The map has all the designations of Delhi, it is convenient and not difficult to use it.
On the page you can find some description of Delhi. Also see the location of the city of Delhi on the Yandex map. Detailed with descriptions and labels of all objects of the city.
Delhi is considered one of the oldest cities in the world - its history dates back to 3000 BC. e. and described in the Indian epic Mahabharata. According to legend, the city in honor of the god Indra on the banks of the Yamuna River, called Indraprastha, was founded by the legendary Pandava brothers, who conquered this land from the native tribes.
The favorable geographical position on the trade routes from Afghanistan, Persia and Central Asia to the south of India and to the plains determined the economic prosperity of the city. The influence of many peoples, cultures and religions has led to the emergence of a unique agglomeration of our days.
Throughout its history, Delhi has repeatedly experienced ups and downs, became the center of various civilizations, was subjected to conquest and destruction. Modern Delhi stands on the ruins of several ancient capitals.
How the name Delhi came about is still debated. The main version is in the IV century. the already long-destroyed city of the Pandavas was rebuilt by King Dhelu, in whose honor the city received a new name. Under the name "Daidala", the Greek historian Claudius Ptolemy (c. 87-165), who lived in Alexandria and visited India, mentioned this city and depicted it on the map.
The first fortress on the territory of Delhi - Lal-Kot appeared in the VIII century, it was built by Prince Anangpal II. In 1011, Delhi was captured and sacked by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni (971-1030) and became a provincial city in the Ghaznavid state.
In 1193, Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibek captured Delhi and made it the capital of the Delhi Sultanate, which lasted more than three hundred years. During this period, Delhi becomes one of the richest cities in Asia. Against the army of Tamerlane (1336-1405) in 1348, Delhi could not resist - the richest city was destroyed and devastated, but was rebuilt again.
In 1526, after the Battle of Panipat, the ruler of Ferghana, a descendant of Tamerlane Babur (1483-1530), captured Delhi and founded the Mughal Empire. The capital of the country moved to the city of Agra, but Delhi continued to play a significant role in the economy and politics of the state.
Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) in 1648 moved the capital of the empire to Delhi. It was on his orders that the famous Red Fort (Lal-Kila) was built today and the new city of Shahjahanabad, which is the core of Old Delhi, grew. By the way, the mausoleum also appeared at the behest of Shah Jahan, who grieved over the loss of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The collapse of the Mughal Empire was tragic and for Delhi in 1739 the city was captured and plundered by the troops of the Iranian Nadir Shah. Since the beginning of the XIX century. Delhi passes under the control of Great Britain - the rule of the Great Mughals is preserved only formally.
In the early 1900s there was a decision to move the capital of British India from Calcutta to Delhi. On December 12, 1911, the residence of the British Viceroy of India was moved to Delhi. Soon New Delhi was founded, King George V himself (1865-1936) arrived at the laying of the first stone, in whose honor the central avenue of the new city was named Kingsway.
The construction of the new capital was entrusted to the outstanding English architects Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) and Herbert Baker (1862-1946) and was completed by the beginning of 1931.
In 1947, with the declaration of independence of India, the city became its capital. The Indian Constitution of 1991 states that the official name of the Union Territory of Delhi is the "National Capital Territory of Delhi".
The turbulent history of Delhi has left its marks in all parts of the city. The capital of India today attracts many tourists - there is something to see here.
The official government bodies of India are located in the Delhi region, which is called New Delhi and covers an area of just over 40 km 2. In the New Delhi agglomeration, 23,200,000 people live, which makes this city one of the most overpopulated in the world. The districts of Delhi differ significantly from each other.
New Delhi, or New Delhi, is the most comfortable area with administrative buildings, wide avenues and quarters of colonial-style mansions, government offices and embassies, luxury hotels and huge shops, banks and corporate offices. The commercial and commercial center of Delhi is Connaught Square.
Old Delhi with monuments of the Mughal era of the XVI-XVII centuries. and noisy bazaars populated predominantly by Muslims, here stands the largest of the Indian mosques Jamia Masjid. And there are many narrow and dirty streets, along which cows roam and monkeys rush, beggars crowd, rickshaws and used cars hardly make their way. In Old Delhi, there are also beautiful temples and palaces, casually coexisting with filth and poverty.
About 20 km from Old Delhi, in South Delhi, there is the famous architectural ensemble Qutb Minar and the world's tallest brick minaret at 72.6 m, built by several generations of the rulers of the Delhi Sultanate. There is also a seven-meter Iron column weighing six and a half tons, whose age is 1600 years. There is a version that it is made of meteorite iron and that is why it does not corrode.
The National Museum of India in Delhi, established in 1955, is one of the most interesting museums in the world. Unique exhibits of Indian history are exhibited here. The museum's collection includes more than 150,000 works of art and is constantly updated.
Delhi is a multinational city with many faces. Representatives of numerous nationalities and castes of India live here, temples of several religions work and people with very different incomes live nearby, adhering to different lifestyles. The slums of the city outskirts, where there are no basic amenities and millions of people live below the poverty line, and the luxurious homes of the richest people in India, all this is Delhi. Modern scientific and educational institutions and multibillion-dollar economic turnover, hundreds of thousands of students and crowds of beggars and this is the current Delhi.
Delhi fully symbolizes India with many faces, striving for the future, preserving and respecting its history and trying to solve social problems. But overcrowding and the low standard of living of a large part of the population of India are clearly represented in its capital. Therefore, tourists visiting Delhi have conflicting impressions - on the one hand, the richest opportunities to get acquainted with historical and cultural monuments, on the other hand, constant concerns about compliance with sanitary standards, even in relatively prosperous areas of the city.
At the same time, despite the many poor and low-income residents, Delhi has a relatively low crime rate, murders and robberies are rare. True, there are a lot of pickpockets and scammers, guidebooks warn about this. But these warnings do not stop tourists from visiting the bazaars of Old Delhi, because nowhere else can you find such a variety of fabrics, carpets, spices, decorations.
general information
Delhi, the capital of India
Administrative-territorial division: Delhi has the status of a union territory, divided into 9 districts.
Ethnic composition: Hindustanis, Telugu, Marathas, Bengalis, Tamils, Gujaratis, Kannara, Punjabis, other nationalities.
Languages: Hindi, English, 21 other languages.
Religion: Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, other religions.
Currency unit: Indian rupee.
The most important airports: international Airport them. Indira Gandhi, Safdarajang Airport.
Major river: Jumna (Yamuna).
Numbers
Area: 1483 km2.
Population: 13,782,976 (2010).
Population density: 9294 people/km2.
highest point: 300 m
Climate and weather
Monsoonal, January average temperature: +14ºС, July - +31ºC.
Average annual rainfall: 660 mm.
hottest period: March-June, rainy season - July-October.
Economy
Large business center and transport hub.
Chemical and pharmaceutical industry, metalworking, mechanical engineering, electronics industry, glass and ceramic industry, textile, leather, clothing, food industry.
Large educational center.
Tourism.
Attractions
■ Temples and mosques: Gurdwara Sis-Genj Sahib (Sikh Temple), Jamiya Masjid, Kuwaat-ul-Islam, Fateh Puri, Yogmaya Temple, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, Digambar Jain Jain Temple. Chandni Chowk Baptist Church, St. James Anglican Church, Vihara Buddhist Stupa, Lotus Baha'i Temple, Kalkaji Goddess Kali Temple.
■ Monuments and museums: Ajmeri Gate, Turkmen Gate, Raj Ghat Memorial, Puppet Folk Museum, Rashtrapati Bhavan Presidential Palace, National Museum, Parliament of India, India Gate Monument, Crafts Museum, Exhibition Center Delhi, National Gallery of Modern Art, Purana Qila Fort, Nehru Planetarium, Nehru Memorial Library, Mahatma Gandhi Museum, Tibet Museum.
■ tombs: the mausoleum of Adkham Khan, the dargah of Kutbuddin-Bakhtiyar-Kaki, the tomb of Sultan Shamsuddin Iltutmysh, the dargah of Nizamuddin Chishti Auliyi, the architectural ensemble of the tomb of the Sultan of Guria, the tomb of Firuzshah Tughlak, the tomb of Safdarjung, the tomb of Sultana Razi, the tomb of Humayun.
Curious facts
■ There is Leo Tolstoy Street in Delhi, and there is a monument to the great Russian writer on it.
■ Like Hollywood's "Avenue of Stars", the "Avenue of Stars" of Bollywood, India's famous "movie factory", has been created in downtown New Delhi.
■ According to surveys and studies in 2010, it turned out that Delhi is the cheapest taxi in the world. True, the quality of the cars used for transportation corresponds to the cheapness of the services.
■ Considerable obstacles to movement along the streets of Delhi are created by sacred animals - cows that roam the city. So far, all the efforts of the Delhi authorities to call the owners of animals to order do not help. It was not possible to minimize the damage from another sacred animal - rhesus monkeys, which continue to live their own lives in Delhi, causing a lot of trouble to the townspeople and tourists. Indians do not want to catch macaques, preferring to endure the inconvenience. But the movement of elephants in Delhi was managed to be streamlined. Now elephants have the right to move around the city only from 10 pm to 6.30 am, and during the day - from 12.00 to 15.00.
In the north of India, on the coast of the Yammuna River, there is a millionaire city, the capital of this extraordinary state is the city of Delhi. A major economic, cultural, historical and political center. A modern metropolis that attracts with its bright colors, dynamic and interesting. A city devoted to its culture and traditions, the center of the Hindu religion, charming with its originality. For some time now it consists of two parts - New Delhi and Old Delhi. A huge number of attractions, as well as monuments of culture, architecture and history are concentrated on the territory of the Indian capital.
A bit of history
The history of Delhi is rooted in ancient times. According to official sources, the city appeared around the 1-2 centuries. The heyday of Delhi fell on the 12th century, the reign of Kutbuddin Aibek. Thanks to active trade with the Middle East and Central Asia, the city's economy has grown significantly. In the 17th century, power passed into the hands of Emperor Shah Jahan. By his order, Delhi became the capital of India. In the 20th century, New Delhi was built according to the project of the British architect Edwin Lutyen - the modern part of the city, adjacent to Old Delhi, the new Indian capital. Since 1947, New Delhi has become an independent unit, a separate autonomous region with its own mayor. Today it is the official capital of India, part of the large conglomeration of Delhi. It is in New Delhi that the residence of the president, the main government offices, international companies, and banks are located. In recent years, Delhi has become incredibly popular with tourists.
Sights of Delhi
Lakshmi Narayan
One of the most striking sights of New Delhi is the Lakshmi Narayan Temple. An unsurpassed masterpiece of architectural art, made of white and pink marble. A huge "gingerbread house", decorated with small and large domes and turrets, graceful columns and pediments, and numerous decorative elements. The temple was built in honor of two Hindu Gods - Lakshmi and Krishna. In the evenings, it is lit up with illumination, during these hours it is especially beautiful, like a wonderful palace from the fairy tale about Scheherazade. The interior decoration is not inferior in beauty to the appearance of the temple. Spacious bright halls are decorated with national Indian paintings, the walls and ceiling are finished with gilding, graceful columns complete the overall picture. The figures of two gods sit in the center of the hall.
sikh temple
In the heart of the city in Connaught Place rises the snow-white marble temple of the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib - the sanctuary of the Sikhs. This is a majestic building with a large gilded dome. Outwardly, it resembles a Christian church. The temple stands on the banks of the picturesque pond Sarovar. The townspeople claim that the water in this reservoir has miraculous powers. Gurdwara was built in the 18th century during the reign of Emperor Shah Alam II, designed by the Indian architect Sardar Bhagel Singh. The interior decoration is striking in luxury and splendor. The main hall of the temple is decorated in red and beige tones, decorated with gilded arches, there are special mats for prayers on the floor. You can cross the threshold only by taking off your shoes and covering your head.
Gate to fallen soldiers
After the First World War, in memory of the fallen Indian soldiers, a monument was built - the Triumphal Gate. The brainchild of British architect Edwin Lutyens, located in New Delhi. A huge sand-colored arch made of Bharatpur stone. Around the picturesque natural Park a great place to walk and relax. At the very foot of the monument, an eternal flame burns. The grand opening of the monument took place in 1931 in the presence of the head of state and foreign guests.
Lal Qila
The pearl of the Old City is Lal Qila - a wonderful architectural monument of the 17th century. It was built during the reign of the Emperor of Mongolia - Shah Jahan. A powerful defensive fortress made of red sandstone. The roof is crowned with numerous turrets. A thick fortress wall was built around the fort. The inner courtyard is covered with a neat well-groomed lawn. Inside the fortress there is the Divan-i-Am hall, intended for festive events, as well as the Divan-i-Khas hall, reserved for business receptions and meetings.
Qutub Minar Tower
In 1368, the opening of the Qutub Minar tower took place, its other name is the Victory Tower. This is an incredibly beautiful building built of red sandstone and decorated with decorative carvings. A real work of art, amazing and incomparable. The height of the tower is about 73 meters. It rises in the middle of the ruins of ancient temples, some of their elements were involved in the construction of the tower. Tourists like to wander through the ruins of Hindu and Sikh shrines, plunge into the distant Middle Ages and deep antiquity.
Entertainment complex Fun n Food Village
In 1993, a large entertainment center appeared on the territory of the Indian capital. It is located in the Old Town area, close to the airport. This is a wonderful place for family holidays. Inside the complex there are numerous shops, markets, craft shops, concert halls, cinemas, discos, mini-theatres. The pride of the center is the Ice Palace and the children's amusement park. Several dozens of exciting rides, swimming pools and water slides, as well as playgrounds and sports grounds are concentrated on the territory of the park.
Delhi transport system
In the vicinity of Delhi, there is a large international airport named after Indira Gandhi, serving flights from all over the world. There is a direct flight from Moscow to Delhi from Russia. From other Indian cities, the capital can be reached by bus or train. Within the city there are four railway stations that accept not only domestic flights, but also trains from Europe. Internal transport communication is represented by the city subway, bus routes and taxi. The original mode of transport is autorickshaws - mini-cars that can accommodate about 4 people. A distinctive feature of such a taxi is the presence of three wheels.
Delhi
capital of India. Founded in XI in. on the spot ancient city Indraprastha, who is mentioned in ind. epic "Mahabharata". In other Greek. geographer Claudius Ptolemy (c. 90-160) the city is referred to as Indrabara. In these names, Indra - the mythical king of the gods, bara - "great". Later, the ruler of the Mauryan dynasty, Raja Dillu, established his capital here. The name of the city, which in Hindi sounds Dilli, is presumably associated with the name of this raja. As part of modern cities distinguish between Old and New Delhi. Old Delhi was built by Shah Jahan in the 17th in. and bears his name - Shahjahanabad (abad "city") ; New Delhi (New Delhi) arose after the transfer in 1911 G. to Delhi the capital of India from Kolkata.
Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. - M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001 .
Delhi
(Delhi), the capital India, to the center. parts Indo-Gangetic Plain , on the right bank Jumny. 9817 thousand inhabitants (2002). It is believed that the city was founded by the heroes of the Mahabharata in the 12th century. BC e. and was called Indraprastha . Name dilly appeared in the I-II centuries, when a raja named Dilli founded his capital here. The rapid growth of the city began in the 12th century, shortly after the invasion of the Islamic conquerors. At first the city was the capital of the Delhi Sultanate, then the Mughal Empire and British India. Only three times the capital was transferred to other cities: in the XIV century. for 10 years in Dilatabad, in the XVI century. to Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, in the 19th century. to Calcutta. D. almost did not change its position and name. Modern D. combines on its territory 7 capitals that arose after the 11th century. New Delhi became the eighth after being moved here in 1911–12. capital of British India from Calcutta. Despite the endless series of invasions and destruction, the city's nodal position on the plain between the desert Tar and mountains Aravali and Himalayas led him to an invariable revival. In his appearance, the fabulousness of Hinduism, asceticism and the severity of Islam are woven with Persian sophistication and British harmony. To the south outskirts in Mahrauli (the first capital), the Qutb Minar minaret, 72.6 m high (1220) has been preserved; not rusting for many centuries yellow. 4th century column dedicated to the God Vishnu. Nearby developed. second and third capitals ( Siri and Jahanpannaha ). East is the fourth capital Tughlaqabad - a fortress city with high stone walls 6.5 km long. Fifth capital Firozabad - downtown. sixth Purana Qila ("old fortress") is located nearby and was built on the site of ancient Indraprastha, on the banks of the Jamna in the 16th century. The walls and towers have been preserved; the ditches are still partly filled with water. The seventh capital is Old D. proper, or Shahjahanabad , - located to the north of modern. city center. Part of the walls, the Red Fort (Lal-Kila), surrounding the imperial palace, have been preserved. The flag of independent India was raised in it; museums. To the west of the fort stretches a straight Chandni-Chowk ("silver") street with shops of jewelers and artisans. Near the Fort, Jamna Masjid, or the Pyatnitskaya Mosque (1651–56), is one of the outstanding monuments of Islamic architecture. Industrial production is concentrated in Old D. potential of the city: flour, cotton paper, polygraph. and metalworking pr-tiya, artist. crafts. New Delhi was intensively built until 1931 as the capital of a huge empire: government buildings; large areas for office ceremonies. Rajpath, a spacious park street with a width of 358 m, leads from the Arc de Triomphe to the Presidential Palace. Residential areas are located freely, they have a lot of greenery. Foreign embassies occupy a separate quarter. The modern production: chemical, electronic, production of car parts, etc. In 1977, the ban on the construction of tall buildings within the city was lifted.
Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Yekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of Acad. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .
Delhi - the capital of India (cm. India) since 1947, administratively includes Old and New Delhi (New Delhi), other districts. The official capital is New Delhi. The administrative center of the Union Territory of Delhi. Population - 13 million inhabitants (2000), including New Delhi - 1.8 million people.
It is located in the northern part of India, on the high right bank of the Jumna River, a tributary of the Ganges, at the foot of the hilly Aravali ridge (at an altitude of 216 m). The climate is monsoon. Spring and summer are hot (the hottest period is March - June, the average temperature in July is +31 °C), winters are warm (the average temperature in January is +14.2 °C). Precipitation is 660 mm per year (the maximum amount during the monsoon rains is July-October).
One of the leading industrial centers of India: light, chemical-pharmaceutical, glass, ceramic, food, construction, printing, engineering, metallurgical industries. Artistic crafts and hand weaving retain their importance. Two airports (Palam - international, Safdarjang - local).
Four universities (including J. Nehru University, University of Delhi). Academy of Music and Dance, "Lalit Kala Akademi" (Academy of Fine Arts). Library and planetarium. Nehru, library. Gandhi. Children's Palace, National Children's Museum and Aquarium, Shankar Children's Library. The National Museum (the largest in the country), the National Gallery of Modern Art, the Museum of Applied Crafts and the "Village Complex", the International Puppet Museum, the Museum of the History of Railway Transport, the Museum of Natural History, the memorial museums of Mahatma Gandhi, J. Nehru, Indira Gandhi.
Delhi is one of the oldest cities in the world. In ancient times it was known as Indraprastha (approximately 13-12 centuries BC). Some Indian scholars, who do not question the authenticity of mythical events, believe that the creation of Indraprastha can be attributed to the 30th-25th centuries. BC e.
According to legend, Delhi was founded by Raja Dehlu (Dhilu) on the ruins of Indraprastha. The city then adopted its current name, possibly in memory of the founder. The modern name is Delhi - an anglicized version of the word "Dilli". For the first time, approximately under this name, the city was mentioned in the 1-2 centuries. n. e. Ptolemy, who visited India in the 2nd century. n. e., depicted on his map the place "Daidala". Its mark almost coincides with the modern coordinates of the city.
In the Middle Ages, the city was transferred several times within the territory of modern Delhi. The history of early Delhi before the beginning of the Muslim conquest (mid-12th century) is so full of legends that it is sometimes difficult to separate events that actually took place from fiction. The documented history of the city begins only from the 11th-12th centuries.
In 1206 it became the capital of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1526 - the Mughal Empire. In 1803 it was captured by the British. It was one of the centers of the Indian uprising of 1857-1859. In 1911 in Delhi ( Old city) the capital of British India was moved from Calcutta and New Delhi (New Delhi) began to be built. After India won its independence (1947), the importance of its capital as an administrative, economic and cultural center greatly increased.
Among researchers of the history of Delhi, there is no consensus on how many settlements existed on the territory of the current Indian capital. J. Nehru wrote that seven Delhi are noted in history, and New Delhi is the eighth city built on this ancient land. Modern historians believe that there were three main settlement centers around which up to 16 fortifications and settlements existed in different historical epochs:
Indraprastha (Indrapat) - the city of the time of the legendary Pandava brothers; Lalkot (Lal-Kot) - the city of the king Anangpala of the 12th century; the city of Prithviraja Chauhan (Rai Pithora) of the 12th century; the capital of Kutbuddin Aibek in the 12th-13th centuries; Kilokheri - a city of the times of Jalaluddin Khilji in the 13th century; Siri - the city of Alauddin Khilji since 1304; Tughlaqabad - the city-fortress of Giyasuddin Tughlaq 1321-1325; Jahan Panah - the city of Muhammad Shah Tughlaq of the 14th century; Adilabad - the city of Muhammad-ibn-Tuglaq of the 14th century; Firozabad (Firozshah-Kotla) - the city of the times of Firozshah 1354-1388; Khizarabad - the city of the Sayyid ruler Khizr Shah (Khizr Khan) since 1414; Mubarakabad - the city of the Sayyid ruler Mubarak Shah (1421-1451) - is not traced archaeologically; Din Panah - the city of the time of Emperor Humayun since 1533; Salimgarh; Shahjahanabad - the capital of the Great Moghuls since 1638; New Delhi - since 1911
Historical and architectural monuments
Delhi was the capital of powerful empires and small sultanates, witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties. High minarets, palaces, majestic temples, beautiful mausoleums and impregnable forts have always delighted and surprised travelers. There are more than a thousand historical and architectural monuments in Delhi.
Minaret Qutub Minar
The Qutb Minar Minaret is the tallest tower in India, one of the tallest minarets in the world, only the minaret of the Sultan Hassan Mosque in Cairo is higher. Qutb Minar is called the "seventh wonder of Hindustan". Height - 72.55 m, diameter at the base - 15.5 m, diameter at the top - 2.44 m. Qutb Minar is built of red sandstone, above its third tier there are strips of white marble. Noticeably different from traditional Muslim minarets. With its characteristic "corrugated" surface, it vaguely resembles the Shikhara tower of a Hindu temple. 24 faces cut it vertically, and some of them are rectangular, while others are round. The balconies are at a height of 33, 49, 63, 71 m.
The Qutub Minar was built gradually. The first floor of the tower, Vijay Stambh (Column of Victory), was erected in 1191. In 1199, the first floor was allegedly remade by the Muslim ruler Qutbuddin Aibek, after which it received a new name - Qutb Minar. The descendants of Aybek completed the second and third floors in 1210-1236, and the fourth and fifth were added under the emperor Firuzshah Tughlak in 1370. Previously, Qutb Minar was crowned with a dome that collapsed during the earthquake of 1803: the dome remained lying in the garden near the tower. As a result of earthquakes and rains, the ancient tower tilted somewhat, but survived "thanks to the sayings" from the Koran, carved in Arabic script on its outer surface.
Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque
Kuvwat-ul-Islam Mosque (Arabic for “the power of Islam”) is the first mosque on Indian soil. Kutb-ud-din Aibek, the famous commander of Muhammad Guri, who conquered Delhi in 1191, turned the temple of the god Vishnu (1143) into a mosque (1192-1198); at the same time, the temple was deprived of Hindu idols, stone carvings on the walls were chipped off. Stone from 27 Hindu and Jain temples destroyed by Qutb-ud-din was also used in the construction of the mosque. The mosque was greatly expanded in 1229 and 1310.
Only the facade wall and fragments of the prayer hall with stone columns covered with images of people and animals have survived. The facade wall is decorated with ornamental carvings combining traditional Indian floral ornaments with Arabic inscriptions. The height of the preserved arches of the mosque is up to 16.5 m, the width of the walls is 7.7 m.
In 1311, Sultan Alauddin Khilji added to the mosque the majestic gates of Alai-Darvaza, or the Gate of Allah. Decorated with fine marble carvings, the arch of this gate (height 18.3 m) resembles a curved horseshoe in shape. Opposite Alai-Darvaz in 1311, the sultan began the construction of the Alai-Minar tower, ordering it to be twice as tall as Qutb-Minar, but after the death of Alauddin in 1315, work ceased, and the tower was not completed.
iron column
In front of the central arch of the Kuvwat-ul-Islam mosque, the famous Iron Column rises - one of the most mysterious monuments of Indian culture. The column is an iron pillar 7.2 m high with a diameter of 41.7 cm at the base and 30.5 cm at the top. The column weighs almost 6 tons, its pure iron is 99.72%. It is noteworthy that despite temperature fluctuations, high humidity and the time that has passed since its creation, the column does not bear any traces of rust! ancient secret such metal processing has not yet been unraveled.
The origin of the Iron Column has not been precisely established. Some historians claim that according to the Sanskrit inscription on the column, it was cast in 895 BC. e. by order of Raja Dhava, who then ruled in Delhi. Muslim chroniclers prove that it was brought from the northern Muslim countries. Still others, according to the word "Chandra" found in the inscription on the column, call it the creator of Emperor Chandragupta II (5th century). There is a version that it was cast during the time of the Mahabharata and transported to the ancient capital of India, Magadha (Bihar), and later to Delhi, where it was installed in the temple of Vishnu by the Rajput prince Anangpal, since his name is also carved on the surface of the column.
The Persian Nadir Shah, who tried to take out the column in 1739, could not pull it out of the ground. Desperate, he ordered to bombard her with cannonballs, which left only minor scratches on the surface of the column.
There is a belief that if someone manages to clasp a pole with his hands, standing with his back to it, then happiness is provided for him for life. Therefore, the metal at the bottom of the column is thoroughly polished by tourists.
Mausoleum of Iltutmysh
The mausoleum of Sultan Shams-ad-Din Iltutmysh was built in 1235 by his daughter Razia Begam, who ruled in Delhi in 1236-1240. Considered one of the oldest Muslim tombs in India. The marble carvings decorating the tomb, classical ornaments and sayings from the Koran are well preserved. Above the white marble tombstone once stood a dome of impressive size. The mausoleum of Alauddin Khilji, built in 1317, is located directly opposite the tomb of Iltutmysh.
Yogmaya temple
At 200 meters from Qutub Minar is the temple of Yogmaya, the sister of the god Krishna. According to legend, this brave goddess fought the cruel king Kansa, who cut Krishna's sister into pieces with a sword and scattered them around the world. In the place where the head of the defeated goddess fell, a temple was built. There is no image of the deity in the temple. Rites are performed near a small recess in the floor, which allegedly remained after the fall of Yogmaya's head. In its modern form, the temple has existed since 1827. Bells are hung at the entrance, which, with their chime, attract the attention of the goddess.
Not far from the temple on a hill stands the mausoleum of Adham Khan, the foster brother of Emperor Akbar. In a fit of anger, Akbar threw his brother off the wall of the Agra fort, but then ordered that a beautiful tomb (1562) be built for him from bluish-gray stone. Merciless time has not preserved either the original color of the walls of the tomb, or its fabulously beautiful mosaics. Only a few panels on the inner plafond have survived. The passages in the walls of the tomb are interestingly made, which is why it was called “bhul-bhulaya”, which means “labyrinth” in translation.
2 km southwest of Qutub Minar is the Darga (tomb) of the holy Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, who died in 1235. Some of the Great Mughals are also buried there, including Bahadur Shah Zafar - the last emperor of India from this dynasty.
Jahaz Mahal
In the town of Mehrauli there is an interesting building made of red sandstone - Jahaz-Mahal ("palace-ship"). Once near this palace there was a large artificial pond, built in 1229-1230. at Iltutmysh. From the graceful pavilions that surrounded the lake or stood right in the water, almost nothing has survived now, but this place is sacred to Muslims, because, as the legends tell, the Prophet on a white horse appeared to Iltutmysh in a dream and indicated the place where the pool should be dug. In the morning, the Sultan discovered a spring at that place! In 1311 in the middle of the lake an arbor - “chhatri” (umbrella) was erected, it was supported by 12 columns.
In Mehrauli, the Phulvalon-ki-sair Flower Fair is held annually: Muslims bring flowers to the Yogmaya temple, and Hindus to Kutbuddin's darga.
Tughlaqabad
The Tughlaqabad fortress (1321-1325) was built to protect against Mongol raids by Giyasuddin Tughlaq. Tughlaqabad consisted of a citadel, palaces and a city square. The perimeter of the walls was 6.5 km, their height was up to 22 m. The city was connected with the outside world by 13 gates. There were seven water reservoirs behind the fortress wall. The largest pool, now dried up, was called "elephant lake" because it was used for bathing elephants.
Today only ruins remain of the city. Giyasuddin's palace was allegedly built of gilded bricks and shone brightly in the sun. There are a number of underground rooms within the fortress wall. It is believed that here, below ground level, Giyasuddin Tughlak lived in beautifully furnished chambers. There was a hole in the ceiling of the rooms for air access, in other rooms there was a garrison of the fortress, shopping arcades.
Even during his lifetime, Giyasuddin built his mausoleum. The tomb was located in the middle of the lake, across which a bridge was thrown from the main gate, the fortress was connected to the mausoleum and underground passage. The red sandstone tomb itself is topped with a white marble dome and resembles a miniature fort rather than a tomb.
According to legend, during the construction of Tughlaqabad, the Muslim saint Nizamuddin Auliya was working to create a large reservoir, but there were not enough construction workers, which is why the ruler and the saint quarreled. And although both structures were completed on time, Saint Nizamuddin allegedly cursed the fortress (they say that the city will either be completely empty or will be inhabited only by Gujars (wild tribes)). And indeed, soon Tughlakabad was abandoned, and at the beginning of the 20th century. archaeologists have discovered that the only inhabitants after the Tuglaks were the Gujar tribes!
Hauz Khas
The Hauz-Khas reservoir was built in 1305. During the reign of Firozshah (1354), restoration work was carried out here and steps to the water were built. Although now the reservoir practically does not exist, the steps are perfectly preserved.
Among the buildings adjacent to Hauz-Khas is the tomb of Firozshah Tughlaq, made in the correct proportions, with a somewhat pointed dome. It was built during the lifetime of Firozshah. Uncomplicated in appearance, inside it amazes with the most interesting color painting of the dome.
The Moth-ki-Masjid (beginning of the 16th century) is known for its unique play of light and shadow, especially at sunrise and sunset. The mosque was allegedly built with the money received from the sale of the harvest obtained over several years from one grain of wheat. The constructed mosque was named so - “The Mosque of one grain”. Its interior has been well preserved.
Not far from Hauz-Khas is the round tower Chor Minar (about 8 m high, 3 m in diameter at the base). There are 225 holes in the walls of the tower, the severed heads of thieves and criminals were exposed in them. When soldiers of enemy armies were taken prisoner, a pyramid of human heads grew next to Chor Minar, because there were not enough holes in the tower...
Red Fort (Lal Qila)
The Red Fort (Lal Qila) holds a special place in the history of India. It was here that on August 15, 1947, the English flag was lowered and J. Nehru raised the flag of independent India for the first time. Built in 1639-1648. Emperor Shah Jahan, the fort until 1857 served as the residence of the rulers of the Mughal dynasty.
The walls of the fort (height - 11 m, perimeter of the walls - 2 km) were higher, thicker and stronger than the city walls. From all sides (except facing the river) the fortress was surrounded by a 9-meter moat. Mosques, official buildings, and the personal quarters of the emperor were gradually erected inside.
In shape, it is an irregular octagon with faces extended to the west and east. The main gate of the fort - Lahore - to the west, in front of them - a large square area. The Lahore Gate is guarded by two stone elephants, one is occupied by sculptures of Raja brothers: these heroes, together with their mother, bravely defended the Chitor fortress from Akbar's troops and died, but did not submit to the conqueror.
On a low stone platform (24 m x 12 m) stands the Divan-i-Am (Hall of General Audience) made of red sandstone. Once the walls of the hall were decorated with silver panels. Divan-i-Am was surrounded by an elegant gilded fence. Behind the fence - the gardens of Mahatab-bagh ("Giving Life"), between the alleys flowed Nehr-i-Bisht ("Paradise Stream").
In the center of the Divan-i-Am rises the white marble structure of Kursi, or the imperial box, next to it stood a multi-colored shamiana (tent), embroidered with pearls, gold threads and adorned with precious stones. In front of Kursi is a low marble elevation, from where the vizier informed the emperor of the news. On the walls - images of birds, floral ornaments and still lifes. During the suppression of the uprising in 1857, most of the precious stones decorating the walls were plundered by the British.
Next to the Diwan-i-Am stands the Rang Mahal ("Colorful Palace"), so named because of its colorful decorations. The ceiling of the Rang Mahal was silver, painted with beautiful floral designs. In one of the walls there are five carved windows, from here the concubines and princesses watched the battles of the elephants. In the center is a small pool with a white marble lotus, decorated with gems carved in the shape of flowers and leaves.
The white marble pavilion of the Diwan-i-Khasa (Hall of Private Audiences) is surrounded on three sides by open arches. The ceiling, once silver, is supported by 32 columns decorated with the finest carvings, which were also inlaid with gems. It was here that the Peacock Throne, taken away in 1739 by the Persian Nadir Shah, adorned with the famous Kohinoor diamond, stood.
On the north side of the Divan-i-Khas are three marble pavilions connected to each other: a prayer hall, a bedroom and a living room. Nearby are bath rooms - Hamam. The carved windows of the Hamam were made of Venetian glass. To the east of the bedroom stands the Samman Burj tower, its dome was golden. Next to Hamam is the white marble Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), built in 1662, its gilded domes had to be replaced with marble ones after the Sepoy uprising of 1857.
"Silver Street" door Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk is a 3.5 km long bazaar street, where you can buy almost everything, from a pin to a diamond.
Here is the largest Jain temple Digambar Jainpri. In the main hall of the temple there are many images of Jain saints. The temple contains a "bird hospital" - a unique institution, the only one in North India. There are several "wards" in the "hospital". At the end of the “treatment course”, the birds are not returned to their owners, but are released on Sundays into the wild. The crippled birds remain in the hospital for life. On the roof of the temple and the "hospital" you can always see a lot of birds - former patients who do not want to leave such a hospitable shelter! The only animal that, due to its extremely peaceful nature, is granted the privilege of being treated in the "bird hospital" is the rabbit. If a "patient" dies in a "hospital", his ashes are thrown into the river...
The Sis Ganj Sikh temple on Chandni Chowk is considered the main one in Delhi and the second most important in India after the Golden Temple in Amritsar. At this place, the Sikh guru Tegh Bahadur, who refused to convert to Islam, was executed by Emperor Aurangzeb. After the execution, lightning fell, thunder struck, a strong wind rose and, under the cover of a storm, one of the guru's disciples transferred his head to where the Rakabganj temple (New Delhi) is now located.
On the other side of the street is the Central Baptist Church, the earliest Christian church, founded in 1814 and built shortly before the sepoy uprising in 1857. The street ends with the Fatehpuri Mosque (1650), built with donations from one of the court ladies of Shah Jahan Begam Fatehpuri. The height of the minarets of this mosque is 32 m. Inside is a spacious prayer yard, decorated with white and black marble. By its significance, this mosque is the second in Delhi after the Jama Masjid.
Jama Masjid
A little away from Chandni Chowk stands a majestic and at the same time very elegant building - the famous Jama Masjid (Friday, or Cathedral Mosque), one of the largest in the world. Priceless Muslim relics are stored here: a reddish hair from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad, his shoe, the “imprint” of his foot in stone and one of the chapters of the Koran, according to legend, written under the dictation of the prophet.
The height of the mosque is 61.3 meters, the height of the side minarets is 41 meters. Inside - a spacious prayer yard with an area of 400 square meters. m. The mosque can accommodate 25 thousand worshipers. The construction was started in 1650 by Emperor Shah Jahan. In 1658 the mosque was inaugurated by Emperor Aurangzeb.
At 800 meters from the Jama Masjid, at the Turkmen Gate, there is the Kalan Masjid mosque (1386), so called because of the black color of its walls - Kali Masjid (“kali” in Hindi means “black”), built by the minister Firuzshah Khan Jahan, who converted from Hinduism to Islam. Not far from this mosque is the tomb of Sultana Raziya, the daughter of Sultan Iltutmysh and the only woman who ruled Delhi in 1236-1240.
The Kashmir Gate is the only gate of Shahjahanabad that has two arches for two-way traffic. In 1857, fierce battles were fought here between the rebellious Indians and British troops. On the stone walls and today you can see traces of bullets and hollows from cannonballs. Near the Kashmir Gate is one of the most elegant churches in Delhi - the Anglican Church of St. James (1836). Its founder, James Skinner, was an Anglo-Indian and served in the army of the Maratha Maharaja, and then moved to the troops of the English king. Beyond the Kashmir Gate are the Qudsiya Gardens, founded in the early 18th century. wife of Emperor Mohammed Shah Qudsiya Begam.
Not far from the gardens is the Ridge, a wooded hilly area where several famous historical monuments are located, including one of the pillars (stambha) of Ashoka, brought to Delhi by Sultan Firuzshah, and the building of the former Secretariat, from where the British ruled India before the construction of New Delhi. Now here is the Delhi University, the main building of which in the past was the residence of the English Viceroy of India.
To the south of the university are the famous Roshanar Gardens, Coronation Park, Shalimar Gardens, the ruins of the famous Shish Mahal (Mirror Palace).
Not far from the Red Fort is the main Tibetan temple of Delhi - a Buddhist vihara built by refugees from Tibet, where tanks, sacred manuscripts and old books on the history of Buddhism in Tibet are stored.
Firozabad
Firozshah-Kotla, or Firozabad, was founded in 1354 by Emperor Firozshah (1351-1388). The outer wall of Firozabad has not been preserved, although the chroniclers claim that the city stretched for more than 9 km along the banks of the Jamna.
Little remains of the ancient city: the ruins of the reception hall, the baoli pool, the round tower and the ruined Jama Masjid mosque. Europeans who visited Delhi in the 17th century noted that the Jama Masjid in Firozabad was crowned with four domes supported by 260 thin columns. Tamerlane prayed in this mosque, later he ordered the construction of a similar one in Samarkand.
Above the palace complex rises the monolithic Ashoka Pillar, made from a single piece of pale orange sandstone. The column was once crowned with a golden dome, later stolen by the Marathas and Jats. The approximate weight of the column is 27 tons, the height is about 12.8 m. In general, the construction of the columns of Ashoka dates back to about 250 BC. e. Inscriptions carved on the columns of the 3rd c. BC e. the ancient Pali language could not be read until the 1830s.
Purana Qila (Old Fortress)
Emperor Humayun started the construction of Purana Qila (Old Fortress) in 1530. During the reign of Sher Shah Suri (1540-1545), the fort was destroyed and rebuilt. Humayun, returning to the throne of Delhi in 1545, fortified the citadel and named it Din Panah.
The fort supposedly stands on the site where the Pandava capital Indraprastha flourished in ancient times. Akbar's chronicle states that by the time of his reign, some sections of the fort's wall were already 1,176 years old.
The perimeter of the massive walls of Purana Qila is about 4 km, their height is up to 18 m, the width in some places is up to 15 m. Three majestic arches lead to the courtyard of the fortress. The fight between a man and a lion is depicted on the northern gate (which is absolutely not typical for Islamic architecture). Perhaps an exception was made for Farid Khan, who killed a lion in a direct fight, since after this incident he became known as Sher Shah ("Shah with a lion's heart").
Today, only two buildings have survived inside the fort - the Kilai-Kuhna mosque, surrounded by an open pavilion, and the two-story Sher Shah Mandal pavilion, which served as the emperor's library and observatory in Humayun's time. On the site of Sher Shah Mandala stood the temple of the Sun, built during the existence of Indraprastha. The Kilai-Kuhna Masjid (1545), created by Shershah Suri, is considered the pinnacle of the Indo-Afghan architectural style: the proportions of the building are strictly maintained, the arches are richly decorated with floral ornaments.
Opposite the western entrance to the fort is the Kher-ul-Minazel mosque (1561), built in the early years of Akbar's reign. The ruins adjacent to the eastern wall of the Old Fort are considered the remains of the ancient Bhairon temple and are revered by Hindus as the oldest architectural monument in Delhi.
Directly adjacent to the Old Fortress is the Delhi Zoo, opened in 1959, one of the largest in the world. From here you can clearly see the building of the Supreme Court of India built after India gained its independence (the height of the dome is 37.6 m).
Mausoleum of Emperor Humayun
One of the most remarkable buildings in Delhi is the mausoleum of Emperor Humayun (1565) from the Mughal dynasty. Humayun himself chose the place for his tomb. For the first time in India, a clearly planned garden was laid out around the tomb, and later such gardens became an indispensable attribute of all monuments of Mughal architecture. The light pink two-story mausoleum 43 m high rests on a massive platform up to 7 m high. The tomb is crowned with a seemingly weightless white marble dome. This building is called the "tomb of the House of the Timurid", for no tomb in India contains such a number of graves of the Mughal emperors. At this place in 1857, the last of the Great Moghuls, Bahadur Shah, surrendered to the British.
In the southeast corner of the garden is a tomb with a blue mosaic dome, said to have been built by Babur in honor of his favorite barber. Immediately behind the wall are Arab-sheds built in the middle of the 16th century. for Arabian pilgrims.
Darga Nizamuddin
On the western side of the Humayun Mausoleum there are a number of noteworthy Muslim monuments in Delhi - the dargah (sacred place of worship) of the Muslim saint Nizamuddin Chishti Auliyi (1325). There are many other mausoleums around his grave, because, given the extraordinary holiness of this place, in the 14th century. entire generations of Delhi sultans chose to be buried here.
Next to the mausoleum stands the Jamat Khan Mosque (Khizri Mosque) made of red sandstone, built in the early 14th century. - the first building in Delhi that fully meets the strict canons of Muslim architecture with skillfully executed arabesques and sayings from the Koran.
The tombs located here amaze with fine marble carvings, among them the most remarkable are the tombs of Shah Jahan's beloved daughter Jahanara Begham and Emperor Muhammad Shah (1719-1748). In the center of the courtyard is the tomb of St. Nizamuddin. Around his mausoleum is a marble veranda. The well-known medieval poet Amir Khosrov Dehlavi (1253-1325) is also buried inside the dargah. Every year, during the November celebrations "urs", coinciding with the day of the death of the poet, musical and poetic competitions "qawvali" and "mushairy" are held here.
Not far from the darga there is a marble pavilion (1869), inside which the great poet Mirza Asadullah Khan, who wrote in the Urdu language, widely known under the pseudonym Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869), is buried. Next to the Ghalib mausoleum stands the beautiful white marble pavilion Chowsath Khamba - a palace of 64 columns built by Emperor Jahangir.
Okkhla and Kalkaji
Okhla, an industrial suburb of Delhi, is home to the Okhla Reservoir, one of picturesque places cities where thousands of citizens flock on Sundays in search of rest from the sweltering heat.
On the way to Okhla, next to the Jamiya Millia Muslim University, there is a white marble mausoleum of Zakir Hussein (President of India in 1967-1969).
Not far from Okhla in the village of Kalkadzhi there is a famous temple (1764) of the goddess Kali. According to legend, the temple stands on the site where thousands of years ago there was a battle between the gods and powerful bloodthirsty giants. Goddess Parvati created the goddesses Kushka and Kali, and all the monsters slain by Kushka were swallowed by the goddess Kali, who decided to settle forever on the battlefield. Since those mythical times, this place has been revered as sacred. Under the foundation of a modern temple, the ruins of a very ancient building(about 3000 BC), but since the temple is inviolable, historians have not been able to confirm the reliability of this fact. The entrance to the temple is guarded by two stone lions, with two bells above their heads - when entering and leaving the temple, the visitor must ring the bell, informing the goddess that he is entering the temple and leaving it.
Gardens of Lodi
In a spacious garden near Nizamuddin's darga are the graves of the last rulers of the Lodi dynasty (1450-1526). The architectural style of these monuments differs from the buildings of the Mughal era primarily in the presence of massive domes. At the entrance to the garden rises Bara Gumbad (Big Dome) - a large square building with a massive dome. According to the original plans, Bara Gumbad was supposed to serve as an entrance to the adjoining mosque (1494). On the walls of the prayer hall of the mosque, verses engraved in Arabic from the poem "Gulistan" by the great Persian thinker Saadi (1203-1292) are still preserved.
In the corner of the garden is the mausoleum of Sikander Lodi, the famous sultan commander. Sikander's tomb symbolizes the transition from Lodi to Mughal architectural style. The shady Lodi Road leads to the mausoleum of Safdarjang (1753), which symbolizes the decline of Mughal architecture, as can be judged at least by the very unfortunate proportions of the structure.
Lotus Temple
The Lotus Temple, or Baha'i House of Prayer (architect Fariborz Sahba, 1980-1986), was built with voluntary donations. The central hall with a diameter of 75 m for 1300 seats. The height of the temple is 35 m, there is not a single straight line in it. It has the shape of a half-opened lotus flower with 27 petals arranged in three rows. The central row forms the vault of the building in the form of an unopened bud. The petals are made of concrete and lined with white marble. The temple is surrounded by 9 artificial ponds, so it visually "rests" on the water surface.
Encyclopedia of Tourism Cyril and Methodius. 2008 .
Attractions
Guide
Delhi is not just the capital of India, but also one of the largest and oldest cities in the world. It is located in the north of the country, on the banks of the Jamna (Yamuna) River. Delhi has a very well developed infrastructure, it is the technical and scientific center of the country.
The city was formed 5 thousand years ago - the first mention of it can be found in the epic Mahabharata. It was then called Indraprastha. The favorable geographical position of Delhi allowed it to become a center of trade in Asia in ancient times, since it was on its territory that many trade routes crossed - from Persia, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. Therefore, it is not surprising that so many rulers throughout almost the entire history of the city wanted to get their hands on it. According to legend, it was destroyed 11 times and rose from ruins the same number of times. At one time, Delhi was under the rule of the Maurya and Tomar dynasties, the emperors Humayun and Akbar, Shah Jahan and Nadir Shah.
The city is divided into nine major districts: South, East, North, West, Southwest, Northwest, Northeast, Central and New Delhi District.
With such a long and eventful history, Delhi is a real paradise for the inquisitive tourist. It has a huge number of religious, architectural and cultural monuments left behind by numerous peoples who have ever inhabited this territory.
One of the most interesting sights of the city is the India Gate - a monument in memory of the Indian soldiers who died in the Anglo-Afghan wars; Red Fort - a huge fortress built during the time of the Great Mughals; the largest mosque in the country Jama Masjid; amazingly beautiful Lotus temple; Qutub Minar is a temple complex, which is famous for the world's tallest minaret. In addition, Delhi has a huge number of temples, churches, mosques, museums, galleries and universities.
Delhi is very chaotic and foreign visitors to India are often disoriented or frustrated at the hands of unskilled service or scammers. At the same time, the city has enough qualified service, and the police are taking serious measures to protect tourists.
A striking contrast between the narrow streets of Old Delhi and the colonial mansions of the more modern part of the city - New Delhi, the incessant hum of cars and rickshaws demanding to give way, the incredible queue at the cinemas, the spicy smells of spices wafting through the streets from numerous cafes here and there Indian music sounding from the loudspeakers, crowds in the markets and at the stations make a very strong impression on anyone who is in South Asia for the first time.
Nighttime activity in Delhi is concentrated mainly in five-star hotels, where there are very good restaurants, bars, and clubs open until the early hours of the morning. In Delhi, especially in the city center, it will never be a problem to find a restaurant where you can have a tasty and inexpensive lunch.
In Delhi, on Janpath Street, starting at Connaught Square, you can buy souvenirs from almost all Indian states, although they will cost much more than if you buy them on the spot. However, it will not be possible to travel all over India in one trip anyway.
