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 Delhi
is the capital of India, and it's also the travel hub of
northern India. It's an excellent base for visiting Agra and
the Taj Mahal, and the Rajasthani colour of Jaipur is less
than five hours away. If you're heading north to the
Himalaya or east to the ghats of Varanasi, you'll probably
pass through Delhi. So you might as well grit your teeth,
hold your breath and dive on in.
Delhi stands at the western end of the Gangetic Plain,
bordered on the eastern side by the state of Uttar Pradesh,
and on the other three sides by the state of Haryana.
Travelers to Delhi get two cities for the price of one.
'Old' Delhi, the capital of Muslim India between the
mid-17th and late 19th centuries, is full of formidable
mosques, monuments and forts. It's a lively area of colorful
bazaars, narrow streets and barely controlled chaos. In
contrast, New Delhi, the imperial city created by the
British Raj, is composed of spacious, tree-lined avenues and
imposing government buildings, and has a sense of order
absent in other parts of the city.
The city is expansive but easy to navigate. The hub of New
Delhi is Connaught Place, where you'll find most of the
airline offices, travel agents and banks. 'Old' Delhi is a
couple of kilometers north, and its main thoroughfare is
Chandni Chowk. The two main centres for accommodation are
Paharganj, near New Delhi Railway Station (budget), and
Janpath, on the southern side of Connaught Place (budget and
mid-range). There are a number of cinemas and performing
arts centers around Connaught Place, but Delhi's strict
licensing laws effectively curtail nightlife.
The main bus station, the Interstate Bus Terminal, is at
Kashmiri Gate, north of the (Old) Delhi Railway Station.
Area:
1483 sq km (572 sq mi)
Population: 13.8 million
Country: India
Main language: Hindi
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