Delhi india population size. Delhi - the capital of modern India

DELHI, capital of India, administrative status - National Capital District of Delhi. Area 1484 km 2 ; population 16 314.8 thousand people (2011, census; Muslims - 10%, Sikhs - 5%), including urban 11,007.8 thousand people; The 2nd most populous city in the country after Mumbai. New Delhi is located within the borders of Denmark, south of Old Delhi (Shahjahana-bad) (New Delhi; area 42.7 km 2, population 295 thousand people, 2011)– the official capital of the country, the seat of all the highest bodies of state power.Located in the north of India, in the central part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (the height of the central part of the city is 300 m), on the Jamna River (basin of the Ganges River), at the confluence of the Najafgarh Canal; in the east it is bordered by the state of Uttar Pradesh, in the south, west and north - with the state of Haryana. Together with numerous suburbs [in the state of Uttar Pradesh - Ghaziabad in the east, Noida (Noida) and Greater Noida in the southeast; in the state of Haryana - Faridabad in the south, Gurgaon in the south-west, Bahadurgarh and Jajar in the west, Rohtak in the north-west, Sonipat in the north] forms an agglomeration with an area of ​​46.2 thousand km 2 and a population of approx. 21.8 million people (2011). One of the largest transport hubs in India. Here originate the national highways Delhi - Mumbai (expressway on the Delhi - Gurgaon section; part of the Atari - Delhi - Kolkata - Petrapol highway), Delhi - Calcutta (expressway on the Delhi - Noida - Agra section; both form the frame of the "Golden Quadrangle" of India), Delhi - Lucknow, Delhi - Fazilka (border with Pakistan), Delhi - Himalayas (border with China). Internal and external ring roads have been built. The largest bus passenger system in the country (includes a system of high-speed transit buses). Seven railways converge in D. lines; within the city - railway ring (also used for passenger traffic); several large railways operate. stations. Suburban rail system messages. Indira Gandhi International Airport (formerly Palam, built during World War II; passenger traffic since 1962; modern name since 1986; in the southwestern part of the National Capital District of Delhi; 40.9 million passengers in 2015). Safdarjung Airport (1929; main until 1962; closed as a passenger airport in 2002; in southern New Delhi; now used as a training and government helipad). Metro (2002; 6 lines, 146 stations in 2015).

It is believed that D. grew up on the site of a settlement founded in the first centuries of the new era on the ruins of an ancient Indian city. Indraprastha... This settlement eventually received the name Dhillika, or Dilli (Delhi). From the 8th century. D. played an important role in the internecine struggle of the Rajput dynasties, primarily the Tomars and Chaukhans. In 1206, after the conquest of North India by the Turkic-Afghan troops of Muhammad Guri, the capital Delhi Sultanate... In the 13-18 centuries. a major trade and craft center in North India. In the end. 14th century, after the invasion of the sultanate of Timur's troops, the capital was moved to Agra. However, the first Mughal ruler Babur returned D. to its original status. From 1526 D. - the capital Mughal Empire... Under Akbar and Jahangir, the capital of the empire was transferred from Denmark to, respectively. Fatehpur Sikri and Agra, but Shah Jahan again proclaimed D. the capital. After the collapse of the Mughal state in the 2nd quarter. 18th century D. was exposed to the raids of the Marathas and the invasion of the troops of Nadir Shah. Captured by the British in 1803; until 1858 it remained the residence of the Mughal emperors who had lost real power. In 1857-59 it was one of the centers Indian popular uprising... In 1911, the capital of British India was moved from Calcutta to Denmark (now Old Delhi) and the construction of New Delhi began. After India gained independence (1947), the importance of Denmark as an administrative, political, economic, and cultural center gradually increased.

The city is famous for its preserved historical and architectural monuments. From the 12th century. it became the center for the formation of Indo-Muslim art in India with new types of portal-dome architecture for it. On the site of a Hindu fortress of the 10th century. the city of Lal-Kot (on the southern outskirts of modern D.) was created, in which the monuments included in the listWorld heritage: a stainless iron column (early 5th century), the Kuvvat-ul-Islam mosque (built of stones from Hindu temples of the 7th-11th centuries in 1193-98), the Qutb-Minar minaret (early 13th century), the Alai- Darvaza (1311, openwork carving); as well as heavy early mausoleums, reminiscent of fortresses (Iltutmysh mausoleum, after 1235). New residences of rulers were erected near Lal-Kot: Siri (built from 1303), Tughlakabad (from 1321; mausoleum of Giyas ad-Din Tughlak, 1325), Jahanpanakh (14th century), and others. The period of active development and expansion of D. - 2- I am gender. 14th century; the buildings are constructed of rubble stone and are almost devoid of decor (the ruins of Firozabad, 1351–88; the tombs of the rulers from the Lodi dynasty, 1451–1526). AtGreat Mughalsin the architecture of palaces and religious buildings erected of red sandstone with marble inserts, the color and decorativeness increased (the Kilai-Kukhna mosque in the Purana-Kila palace and fortress ensemble, 1541; the Humayun mausoleum, 1562–76, included in the list World heritage). The heyday of Mughal architecture in Old Delhi falls on the 2nd Thursday. - ser. 17th century: the huge palace and fortress ensemble Lal-Kila (Red Fort, 1639–48; it includes the Archaeological Museum and the Indian War Memorial), including the palaces of Rang-Mahal, Divani-Am, Divani-Khas (1627–58 ), so-called. Pearl Mosque (1662); dominating the panorama of Old Delhi, the 3-domed Cathedral Mosque (Jami Masjid) (1644–58). Old Delhi is still a traditional eastern city abounding in narrow streets and shopping malls... New Delhi with a multicentric layout and wide streets was built in 1911–31 (under the direction of architects E. Lachens and H. Baker: the ensemble of government buildings, India Gate All India War Memorial, 1931; Lakshmi-Narayan Temple, 1933–39) and actively developing: the memorial park Reg-Ghat with the places of cremation of M.K.Gandhi (1948), I. Gandhi (1984) and R. Gandhi (1991); the buildings of the Belgian Embassy (1983, architect S. Gujral), the National Institute of Immunology (1990, architect R. Reval); Baha'i Temple of the Lotus (1980–86, architect F. Sahba).

The largest scientific and educational center in the country. Indian National Academies: Sciences (originated in 1935 as the National Institute of Sciences of India; modern name since 1970), Music, Dance and Drama (AcademySangeet Natak; 1952), arts (AcademyLalit Kala; 1954, officially opened 1957) and literature (Academy"Sahitya"; 1954 ... Indian Council for Social Research (1969), Indian Council for Historical Research (1972). National Physics Laboratory (1950), Laser Research Center (1950), Defense Research and Development Organization (1958; both under the Indian Ministry of Defense), Biochemical Technology Center (1966), Telematics Development Center (1984), Indian Spine Injury Center ( 1997); Institute of Pulmonology and Tuberculosis "Rajan Babu" (1935), All India institute medical sciences (1956), institute physiology and related sciences of the Ministry of Defense (1962; research in the field of military physiology and neuroscience), defense research and analysis (1965; research and training in the field of international relations, strategy and security), National institute Urban Planning (1976), National institute Immunology (1981), Institute of Liver and Bile Sciences (founded in 2010 as a clinical hospital; implements educational programs); Central Forensic Laboratory (one of 4 in India), andresearch laboratory amerthe Ican company IBM (1998; one of the 8 largest laboratories of the company in the world), etc.Among the institutions that simultaneously carry out research and educational activities, universities: National Islamic (1920), D. (traces history from 3 colleges; 1922; one of the largest in the country; there are 84 colleges in its structure), Technological D. (1941 ), named after J. Nehru (1969); National Academies: Medical Sciences (1961), Engineering (1987), Agricultural (1990); institutes: Agricultural Research (1905), Indian Technological (1961), Pharmaceutical Sciences and D. Research (1964), Indian Mass Communications (1965), National Fashion (1986). Academy of Music (2000); D. School of Music (1966; teaching Western classical music). Numerous colleges. The public library of Denmark (1951; over 1.8 million storage units; with 35 branches). The National Archives of India (arose in 1891 in Calcutta; in D. since 1911).

National Museum(1949; over 200 thousand exhibits). National Museums: Crafts and Handlooms (1956), Natural History (1978), Railway (1977); The National (Memorial) Museum of MK Gandhi (founded in Mumbai in the late 1940s; in Denmark since 1951; officially opened in 1961; with a library); National Science Center (National Science Museum; 1992). National Gallery of Modern Art (1954; over 14 thousand exhibits). International Museums: Dolls (1965) and Toilets (1992). The Teen Murti Bhavan complex, which includes the J. Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (1964), the J. Nehru Memorial Fund (1964), the Center for Contemporary Research (2004) and the Planetarium (1984). Other museums: Parliament (originally opened in 1989; re-opened in a new building in 2002; modern interactive in 2006), Sanskriti (1990; consists of 3 museums: Everyday Art, Terracotta tribal art and textiles), multimedia The Eternal Gandhi (2005; in the Gandhi Smriti building, the former Birla House, where he spent his the last days and on January 30, 1948, MK Gandhi was killed), the Indian Air Force (at the Palam Indian Air Force Base). The Ghalib Institute (1969; named after the Indian poet M. Ghalib; it includes a museum of the poet, a library, an art gallery and a concert hall " Ghalib Auditorium "). Concert hall Kamani Auditorium (1971; theater, dance and music performances). Chamber Theater "Akshara" (1972). D. festivals are held annually: the cultural Phool Walon Ki Sair (since 1812) and Diwali, the musical Qutub, the religious Durga Puja, Mahavir Jayanti, Maha Shivaratri and Krishna Janmashtami, and Dr. Zoo (1959). City parks: M.K. Gandhi (1961), Buddhas (1964), J. Nehru (1969), "Hills of Delhi" (1993; "green lungs" of the city), "Garden of Five Senses" (2003), etc.

D. - organizer of numerous international sports competitions and events (1951 - 1st Asian Games; 1982 - 9th Asian Games; 1989 - Asian Athletics Championship; 2010 - Commonwealth Games; 2010 - World Field Hockey Championship among men ; 2011 - one of the sites of the Cricket World Championship). Half Marathon (2005; annually). Nehru Cup (1982; football; did not take place in 1998-2006). Stadiums: "Feroz Shah Kotla" (1883, one of the oldest operating cricket stadiums in the country; 40.7 thousand seats; base of the D. cricket team), National "Dhyan Chand" (1951; reconstruction 2010; 16.5 thousand seats; ball hockey), Karnail Singh (1954; athletics, football, field hockey, boxing, badminton; owner - state company Indian Railways), named after J. Nehru (1982; reconstruction 2010; 60 thousand seats; base of the Indian national football team), "Ambedkar" (2007; 20 thousand seats; football), named after I. Gandhi (1982; 14.3 thousand seats; the largest indoor stadium in India). Sports complexes: Siri Fort (1982; basketball, swimming, shooting, tennis, aerobics, etc.), Yamuna (1999; tennis, rugby, boxing, etc.), Thyagaraj (2010; netball, kabbadi, etc.) etc.). Swimming complex named after S.P. Mukherjee (1982; reconstruction 2010). Tennis courts "R. K. Khanna "(1982; reconstruction 2009; 5 thousand seats; they hosted the women's tournament" Indian Open "). Shooting range "Dr. Karni "(1982). Int. the Buddha circuit (in Greater Noida; it hosted the Formula I Indian Grand Prix; 1st race in 2011).

GRP of the National Capital District of Delhi approx. 4.51 billion ind. rupees (2014/15; 9th place in the country among the states and union territories of India). This is where the "growth corridors" of Delhi - Mumbai and Delhi - Kolkata originate, linking the city with the two most important economic centers of the country. In the structure of the economy, the leading role is played by the service sector - 82% of the GRP (2010/11), the share of industry - 17%, agriculture - 1%. The main sectors of the service sector are: administrative, financial (including real estate), transport and logistics, business, telecommunications and information services, social welfare, culture, research activities, education, health care, tourism and maintenance of military facilities. The civil service employs 0.6 million people. (2010/11). D. is the center of the political life of India; all the supreme authorities, the headquarters of the leading political parties (Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata, and others), and diplomatic missions of states are located here. D. is the second center of corporate governance in India after Mumbai. It is home to the Delhi Stock Exchange (DSE; 1947; about 3000 companies are listed), the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX; 2008), the headquarters of a number of major state-owned companies [Indian Oil Corporation (oil industry), ONGC Videsh "(In the structure of" Oil and Natural Gas Corporation "; oil and gas industry)," Gas Authority of India "(sale and transportation of natural gas)," National Thermal Power Corporation "(thermal energy)," Steel Authority of India "," Jindal Stainless "(both - ferrous metallurgy)," Bharat Aluminum Company "(aluminum industry)," Bharat Heavy Elecrticals "(heavy and power engineering)," Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals "(pharmaceutical industry)," Indian Railways " (railway transport) and its regional branch - the Northern Railway, " Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India "(carriage of goods on special railway freight corridors)," Air India Regional "(domestic air transportation)," Pravan Hans "(helicopter transportation)," Airport Authority of India "(development of airports)," Bharat Sanchar Nigam "," Mahanagar Telephone Nigam "and" Bharti Airtel "(all three are telecommunications services),"National Small Industries Corporation"(Support for the development of small businesses), etc.], a private diversified conglomerate Delhi Land & Finance (DLF), a private cooperative company Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (production of mineral fertilizers), some private companies [Bhushan Steel ( ferrous metallurgy), "Hindustan Aluminum Corporation"(Aluminum industry)," Suzuki Motorcycle India "(a division of the Japanese" Suzuki Motor Corporation ")," Hero MotoCorp "(both - the production of motorcycles and scooters)," Avtec "(automobile engines and other auto parts)," Computer Maintenance Corporation "(IT technologies), etc.], the State Bank for the Development of Small Enterprises and the Refinancing Agency (MUDRA Bank), state commercial banks National Housing Bank (serves the housing sector) and Punjab National Bank (various financial services), the state financial company Tourism Finance Corporation of India (supports tourism development), Rajkamal Prakashan, Motilal Banarsidass, Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers and Allied Publishers, representative offices of leading foreign companies and monetary institutions.

There are production divisions of IT companies: American MetaOption, Indian MindExtend Technologies, Netsity Systems, NextGen IT Solutions, One Earth Infotech, etc. The tourism business is developing rapidly; in 2008 D. was visited by approx. 2.4 million foreign tourists (15% more than in 2007 and 2.8 times more than in 2004). The city hosts the annual World Book Fair (since 1972; one of the largest in the world), international festivals: photography (since 2011), cars (the largest in Asia; both - once every two years), mango, etc. Exhibition and congress centers: Vigyan Bhavan (1956), Pragati Maidan (1972; opened for the 25th anniversary of Indian independence) and India Habitat (1993). On the territory of the National Capital District of Delhi, there are several medical centers and hospitals of national importance (including at medical research and educational institutions), as well as large military facilities (including the Western Command of the Indian Air Force).

The suburbs of D. Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad host the headquarters of a number of companies producing cars, motorcycles and scooters, tractors, electronics, pharmaceuticals, IT development, etc., as well as the Indian Inland Waters Authority. paths (in Noida).

In the National Capital District of Delhi, there are 29 industrial zones (2010), of which 12 are in the northern part, 7 in the south, 6 in the west, 4 in the east. Leading industries: mechanical engineering and metalworking, chemical, light and food industries. Production of electrical equipment, electronic equipment and components, products made of polymeric materials, household chemicals and personal hygiene products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, clothing, footwear, food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, etc. Handicraft production of carpets, furniture, dishes is widespread. textile, leather, pottery, wicker, chased, jewelry and other products.

Large industrial centers are the suburbs of D. Gurgaon (production of cars and trucks, motorcycles and scooters, auto parts, tractors, medical and electronic equipment, pharmaceuticals, etc.), Noida and Greater Noida (cars, auto parts, electronic equipment, oil and gas equipment and others), Ghaziabad (auto parts, etc.) and Faridabad (motorcycles, tractors, etc.). Industrial enterprises in Gurgaon and Noida operate within the special economic zones of the same name. The industrial zones of Noida and Gurgaon are among the largest in the country.

Energy supply to the National Capital District of Delhi and its suburbs is provided by three gas-fired (capacity, respectively, 1,500 MW, 330 MW and 270 MW) and two coal-fired (705 MW and 135 MW) TPPs.

Delhi

capital of India. Founded in XI v. on the site of the ancient city of Indraprastha, which is mentioned in ind. epic "Mahabharata"... In ancient Greek. geographer Claudius Ptolemy (c. 90-160) the city is referred to as Indrabara. In these names, Indra is the mythical king of the gods, bara - "great"... Later, the ruler of the Mauryan dynasty, Raja Dillu, founded his capital here. The name of the city, which in the Hindi language sounds Dilli, is supposedly associated with the name of this rajah. As part of modern cities distinguish Old and New Delhi. Old Delhi was built by Shah Jahan in the XVII v. and bears his name - Shahjahanabad (abad "town") ; 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), capital India, to the center. parts Indo-Gangetic Plain , on the right bank Jamny... 9817 thousand inhabitants (2002). It is believed that the city was founded by the heroes of the "Mahabharata" in the XII century. BC NS. and was called Indraprastha ... Name Dilly appeared in the 1st-2nd centuries, when a rajah named Dilly 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 moved 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 his position and name. Modern D. unites on its territory 7 capitals that arose after the 11th century. New Delhi became the eighth after being transferred here in 1911–12. the capital of British India from Kolkata. Despite an 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 a permanent revival. In its appearance, the fabulousness of Hinduism, asceticism and severity of Islam are intertwined with Persian sophistication and British harmony. To the south. outskirts in Mahrawi (the first capital) preserved minaret Qutb Minar, 72.6 m high (1220); not rusting for many centuries yellow. column of the 4th century, dedicated to God Vishna. Nearby development. second and third capitals ( Siri and Jahanpannaha ). To the east is the fourth capital Tughlakabad - a fortress city with high stone walls 6.5 km long. Fifth capital Firozabad - downtown. Sixth Purana Kila ("old fortress") is located nearby and was built on the site of ancient Indraprastha, on the banks of the Jamna in the 16th century. Walls and towers have been preserved; the ditches are still partially filled with water. The seventh capital is Old D. proper, or Shahjakhanabad , - located north of the present. city ​​center. Preserved parts of the walls, the Red Fort (Lal-Kila), surrounding the imperial palace. The flag of independent India was raised in it; museums. To the west from the fort there is a straight Chandni-Chowk ("silver") street with shops of jewelers and artisans. Near Fort Jamna-Masjid, or Pyatnitskaya Mosque (1651–56), is one of the outstanding monuments of Islamic architecture. Industry is concentrated in Old D. potential of the city: flour., hl.-boom., polygraph. and metalworking. production, artist crafts. New Delhi was intensively built until 1931 as the capital of a huge empire: government buildings; vast areas for officers. ceremonies. Rajpath, a spacious park street 358 m wide, leads from the Arc de Triomphe to the Presidential Palace. Residential quarters are located freely, they have a lot of greenery. Foreign embassies occupy a separate block. The present-day is developing. pr-st: chemical, electronic, production of car parts, etc. In 1977, the ban on the construction of high 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 areas. Official capital considered New Delhi. Administrative center union territory of Delhi. Population - 13 million inhabitants (2000), including New Delhi - 1.8 million people.
Located in the northern part of India, on the high right bank of the Jamna River, a tributary of the Ganges, at the foot of the hilly ridge Aravali (at an altitude of 216 m). The climate is monsoon. Spring and summer are hot (the hottest period is March - June, average temperature July +31 ° С), winter is warm (average January temperature +14.2 ° С). Annual precipitation is 660 mm (the maximum amount during the monsoon period is July-October).
One of the leading industrial centers in India: light, chemical-pharmaceutical, glass, ceramic, food, construction, printing, machine-building, metallurgical industries. Arts and crafts and hand-weaving remain important. Two airports (Palam - international, Safdarjang - local).
Four universities (including J. Nehru University, Delhi University). 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. National Museum (largest in the country), National Gallery Contemporary Art, Museum of Applied Crafts and "Village Complex", International Puppet Museum, Museum of History railway transport, Museum of Natural History, 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 reliability of mythical events, believe that the creation of Indraprastha can be attributed to the 30-25 centuries. BC NS.
According to legend, Delhi was founded by Raja Dehlu (Dhilu) on the ruins of Indraprastha. Then the city took current name perhaps in memory of the founder. Modern name- Delhi is an English version of the word "Dilly". For the first time, approximately under this name, the city was mentioned in the 1-2 centuries. n. NS. Ptolemy, who visited India in the 2nd century. n. e., depicted on his map the town of "Daidal". Its elevation 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 11-12 centuries.
In 1206 it became the capital of the Delhi Sultanate, in 1526 - the Mughal Empire. In 1803 it was captured by the British. Was one of the centers of the Indian uprising of 1857-1859. In 1911, the capital of British India was moved to Delhi (Old City) from Calcutta and the construction of New Delhi (New Delhi) began. After India gained independence (1947), the importance of its capital as an administrative, economic and cultural center has greatly increased.
There is no consensus among scholars of the history of Delhi as to how many settlements existed in the territory of the current Indian capital. J. Nehru wrote that history marks seven Delhi, and New Delhi is the eighth city built on this ancient land. Modern historians believe that there were three main centers of settlement, around which in different historical epochs there were up to 16 fortifications and settlements:
Indraprastha (Indrapat) - the city of the times of the legendary Pandava brothers; Lalkot (Lal-Kot) - the city of King Anangpala of the 12th century; the city of Prithviraja Chauhana (Rai Pithora) 12th century; the capital of Qutbuddin Aybek 12-13 centuries; Kilokheri - the city of the time of Jalaluddin Khilji in the 13th century; Siri - the city of Alauddin Khilji since 1304; Tughlakabad - the fortress city of Giyasuddin Tughlak 1321-1325; Jahan Panah - the city of Muhammad Shah Tughlak of the 14th century; Adilabad - the city of Muhammad-ibn-Tughlak 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 - a city from the time of Emperor Humayun from 1533; Salimgarh; Shahjakhanabad - the capital of the Great Mughals since 1638; New Delhi - since 1911

Historical and architectural monuments
Delhi was the capital of powerful empires and small sultanates, and has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties. High minarets, palaces, majestic temples, beautiful mausoleums and impregnable forts have always delighted and surprised travelers. Delhi has over a thousand historical and architectural monuments.

Minaret Qutb 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 taller. 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 made of red sandstone, above its third tier there are stripes 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 edges cut it vertically, some of them are rectangular and others are round. The balconies are located at a height of 33, 49, 63, 71 m.
The Qutb Minar was built on gradually. The first floor of the tower, Vijay Stambh (Victory Column), was erected in 1191. In 1199, the first floor was allegedly redesigned by the Muslim ruler Qutbuddin Aibek, after which it received a new name - Qutb Minar. Aibek's descendants completed the second and third floors in 1210-1236, and the fourth and fifth were added during the reign of Emperor Firuzhah Tughlak in 1370. Earlier, Qutb Minar was crowned with a dome that collapsed during the earthquake of 1803: the dome remained in the garden. not far from the tower. As a result of earthquakes and rains, the ancient tower tilted somewhat, but withstood "thanks to sayings" from the Koran, carved in Arabic script on its outer surface.

Quwvat-ul-islam mosque
The Kuvvat-ul-Islam Mosque (Arabic for "the power of Islam") is the first mosque on Indian soil. Qutb-ud-din Aibek, the famous military leader of Muhammad Guri, who conquered Delhi in 1191, turned the temple of the god Vishnu (1143) into a mosque (1192-1198); while the temple was devoid of Hindu idols, stone carvings on the walls were chipped off. During the construction of the mosque, stone from 27 Hindu and Jain temples destroyed by Qutb-ud-din was also used. The mosque was significantly expanded in 1229 and 1310.
Only the front wall and fragments of a prayer hall with stone columns covered with images of people and animals have survived. The front wall is decorated with ornamental carvings that combine traditional Indian floral designs with Arabic script 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 attached to the mosque the majestic gate of Alai-Darwaza, or the Gate of Allah. The arch of this gate (height 18.3 m), decorated with fine marble carvings, resembles a curved horseshoe in shape. Opposite Alai-Darvaz in 1311, the sultan began construction of the Alai-Minar tower, ordering it to be twice as high as Qutb-Minar, but after the death of Alauddin in 1315, the work stopped 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 with a height of 7.2 m with a diameter at the base of 41.7 cm, at the top - 30.5 cm. The column weighs almost 6 tons, its pure iron is 99.72%. It is noteworthy that despite the temperature fluctuations, high humidity and the time elapsed since its creation, the column does not bear traces of rust! The ancient secret of such metal processing has not yet been solved.
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. NS. by order of Raja Dhava, who then ruled in Delhi. Muslim chroniclers prove that it was brought from northern Muslim countries. Still others, according to the word "Chandra" found in the inscription on the column, call it the creator of the Emperor Chandragupta II (5th century). There is a version that it was cast during the "Mahabharata" and transported to the oldest capital India Magadhu (Bihar), and later in Delhi, where it was installed in the Vishnu temple 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 shells to be fired at her, which left only minor scratches on the surface of the column.
There is a belief that if someone manages to grab the pillar with his hands, standing with his back to it, then that person is guaranteed happiness for life. Therefore, the metal at the bottom of the column is thoroughly polished by tourists.

Iltutmysh mausoleum
The mausoleum of Sultan Shams-ad-din Iltutmish was built in 1235 by his daughter Razia Begam, who ruled in Delhi in 1236-1240. It is 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, there was once a dome of impressive size. The mausoleum of Alauddin Khilji, built in 1317, is located directly opposite the tomb of Iltutmysh.

Yogmaya temple
200 meters from Qutb 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 himself in the temple. The ceremonies are performed near a small depression in the floor, which supposedly remained after the fall of Yogmaya's head. The temple has existed in its present form since 1827. Bells are hung at the entrance, which, with their chimes, 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 from the wall of the Agra fort, but then ordered to build for him a beautiful tomb (1562) of gray-bluish stone. The merciless time did not preserve 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 executed, which is why it got the name "bhul-bhulaya", which means "labyrinth".
2 km southwest of Qutb Minar is the Dargah (tomb) of St. Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, who died in 1235. Some of the Great Mughals are also buried there, including Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Indian emperor from this dynasty.

Jahaz Mahal
In the town of Mehrauli there is an interesting building made of red sandstone - Jahaz-Mahal ("palace-ship"). Once there was a large artificial reservoir near this palace, built in 1229-1230. at Iltutmysh. Almost nothing has survived from the graceful pavilions that surrounded the lake or stood right in the water, but this place is sacred for Muslims, because, as legends say, in a dream the Prophet on a white horse appeared to Iltutmysh and indicated the place where the pool should be dug. In the morning, the Sultan discovered a spring in that place! In 1311, in the middle of the lake, a gazebo - "chhatri" (umbrella) was erected, it was supported by 12 columns.
The Phulwalon-ki-sair Flower Fair is held annually in Mehrauli: Muslims bring flowers to the Yogmaya temple, and Hindus bring flowers to Qutbuddin's darga.

Tughlakabad
The Tughlakabad fortress (1321-1325) was built to protect against Mongol raids by Giyasuddin Tughlak. Tughlakabad 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 dry, was called "elephant lake" as it was used for bathing elephants.
Today, only ruins have survived from 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 Giyasuddin Tughlak lived here, below ground level 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, trading rows.
During his lifetime, Giyasuddin built his own mausoleum. The tomb was located in the middle of a lake, across which a bridge was thrown from the main gate, the fortress was connected to the mausoleum and an underground passage. The tomb itself is made of red sandstone topped with a white marble dome and resembles a miniature fort, not a tomb.
According to legend, during the construction of Tughlakabad, the Muslim saint Nizamuddin Auliyya was working to create a large reservoir, but the construction workers were not enough, so the ruler and the saint quarreled. And although both structures were completed on time, Saint Nizamuddin allegedly cursed the fortress (they say, the city will either be completely empty, or will be inhabited by Gujars (wild tribes) alone). Indeed, Tughlakabad was soon abandoned, and at the beginning of the 20th century. archaeologists have discovered that the only inhabitants after the Tughlaks were the Gujars!

Hauz-Khas
The Khauz-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 the reservoir now practically does not exist, the steps are perfectly preserved.
Among the structures adjacent to Khauz-Khas is the tomb of Firozshah Tughlak, made in the correct proportions, with a somewhat pointed dome. It was built during the life of Firozshah. Uncomplicated in appearance, inside it amazes with the most interesting colored painting of the dome.
The Moth-ki-Masjid Mosque (early 16th century) is known for its unique play of light and shadow, especially at sunrise and sunset. The mosque was allegedly built with money from the sale of a crop obtained over several years from a single grain of wheat. The newly built mosque was named “The Mosque of One Grain”. Its interior is well preserved.
Not far from Khauz-Khas there is a round tower Chor Minar (height about 8 m, diameter 3 m at the base). There are 225 holes in the walls of the tower, in which the severed heads of thieves and criminals were exposed. When soldiers of enemy armies were captured, a pyramid of human heads grew up next to Chor Minar, for 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 on August 15, 1947 that 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 from 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. On all sides (except for the one facing the river), the fortress was surrounded by a 9-meter ditch. Inside, mosques, official buildings, personal chambers of the emperor were gradually erected.
In shape, it is an irregular octagon with edges elongated to the west and east. The main gate of the fort - Lahore - to the west, in front of them is a large square area. The Lahore gate is guarded by two stone elephants, on one of them are sculptures of the 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 mx 12 m) stands the Divan-i-Am (General Audience Hall) of red sandstone. Once the walls of the hall were decorated with silver panels. Divan-i-Am was encircled 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 Divan-i-Ama rises the white marble structure 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 - a low marble elevation, from where the vizier reported the news to the emperor. On the walls are images of birds, floral designs and still lifes. During the suppression of the 1857 uprising, most of the precious stones that adorned the walls were plundered by the British.
Next to the Divan-i-Am stands the Rang-Mahal (“The Multicolored Palace”), so named because of its multicolored decorations. The ceiling of the Rang Mahal was silver 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 there is a small pool with a white marble lotus, decorated with gems carved in the form of flowers and leaves.
The white marble pavilion of the Divan-i-Khasa (Private Audience Hall) 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, which was taken away in 1739 by the Persian Nadir Shah, was adorned with the famous Kohinoor diamond.
On the north side of Divan-i-Khas there are three marble pavilions connected to each other: a prayer hall, a bedroom and a living room. Bathrooms are located nearby - Hamam. Hamam's carved windows were of Venetian glass. To the east of the bedroom is the Samman Burj tower, its dome was gold. Near the Hamam there is a white marble Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque), built in 1662; after the Sipai uprising of 1857, its gilded domes had to be replaced with marble ones.

"Silver Street" Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk is a 3.5 km long bazaar street where you can buy almost everything from a pin to a diamond.
The largest Jain temple, Digambar Jainpri, is located here. 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 “course of treatment”, the birds are not returned to their owners, but released on Sundays. 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, by virtue of its extremely peaceful nature, has been granted the privilege of being treated in the "bird hospital" is the rabbit. If the "patient" dies in the "hospital", his ashes are given over to the river ...
The Sikh temple of Sis Ganj 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 point, the Sikh guru Tegh Bahadur, who refused to convert to Islam, was executed by Emperor Aurangzeb. After the execution, lightning rained down, thunder struck, a strong wind rose and under the cover of a storm one of the guru's disciples moved his head to where the Rakabganj temple (New Delhi) is now.
Across the street is Central Baptist Church, the earliest christian temple, founded in 1814 and built shortly before the sepoy uprising in 1857. The street ends with the Fatehpuri mosque (1650), built with the donation of one of the ladies of Shah Jahan, Begam Fatehpuri. The height of the minarets of this mosque is 32 m. Inside there is a spacious prayer yard decorated with white and black marble. In terms of its significance, this mosque is the second in Delhi after the Jama Masjid.

Jama Masjid
A little away from Chandni Chowk there is a majestic and at the same time very graceful building - the famous Jama Masjid (Friday, or Cathedral Mosque), one of the largest in the world. Priceless Muslim relics are kept here: the reddish hair from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad, his shoe, the "imprint" of his foot in the 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 there is a spacious prayer yard with an area of ​​400 sq. m. The mosque accommodates 25 thousand worshipers. Construction began in 1650 by Emperor Shah Jahan. In 1658, the mosque was inaugurated by Emperor Aurangzeb.
At 800 m from Jama Masjid at the Turkmen gate stands 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 Razia - 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 insurgent Indians and British troops. On the stone walls, you can still see traces of bullets and potholes from cannonballs. Near the Kashmir Gate is one of the most graceful 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 Marathi Maharajah, and then transferred to the troops of the English king. Behind the Kashmir Gate are the Qudsia Gardens, which were laid out at the beginning of the 18th century. wife of Emperor Muhammad-Shah Qudsiya-Begam.
Not far from the gardens lies the Ridge, a hilly area covered with woodlands and home to several famous historical monuments, including one of the columns (stambha) of Ashoka, brought to Delhi by Sultan Firuzhah, and the building of the former Secretariat, from where the British ruled India before the construction of New Delhi. Now it houses the University of Delhi, the main building of which was in the past the residence of the British Viceroy of India.
To the south of the university are the famous Roshanar Gardens, the Coronation Park, Shalimar Gardens, the ruins of the famous Shish Mahal (Mirrored Palace).
Not far from the Red Fort is the main Tibetan temple of Delhi - the Buddhist vihara, built by refugees from Tibet, where tanks, sacred manuscripts and old books on the history of Buddhism in Tibet are kept.

Firozabad
Firozshah-Kotla, or Firozabad, was founded in 1354 by the emperor Firozshah (1351-1388). The outer wall of Firozabad has not survived, although chroniclers claim that the city stretched for more than 9 km along the banks of the Jamna.
From ancient city Little has survived: 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 mosque in Firozabad was crowned with four domes supported by 260 slender columns. Tamerlane prayed in this mosque, later he ordered to build a similar one in Samarkand.
Above the palace complex rises the monolithic column of Ashoka, made of 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 Ashoka's columns dates back to about 250 BC. NS. Inscriptions carved on the columns of the 3rd century. BC NS. the ancient Pali language could not be read until the 1830s.

Purana Kila (Old Fortress)
Emperor Humayun began 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 ancient capital of the Pandavas, Indraprastha, flourished. The annals of Akbar say that by the time of his reign, some parts of the fort wall were already 1176 years old.
The perimeter of the massive walls of Purana Kila is about 4 km, their height is up to 18 m, width in some places is up to 15 m. Three majestic arches lead to the courtyard of the fortress. The northern gate depicts a fight between a man and a lion (which is absolutely atypical for Islamic architecture). Perhaps an exception was made for Farid Khan, who slayed the lion in a direct battle, since after this incident he began to be called Sher-Shah ("shah with a lion's heart").
Today, only two buildings have survived inside the fort - the Kilai-Kukhna mosque, surrounded by an open pavilion, and the two-storey Sher-Shah-Mandal pavilion, which served as the library and observatory of the emperor during the time of Humayun. On the site of Sher-Shah-Mandal there was a temple of the Sun, built during the existence of Indraprastha. The Kilai-Kukhna Masjid Mosque (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 early years reign of Akbar. The ruins adjacent to the eastern wall of the Old Fort are considered remnants the oldest temple Bhairona and revered by the Hindus as the most ancient architectural monument in Delhi.
Adjacent to the Old Fortress is the Delhi Zoo, one of the largest in the world, opened in 1959. 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 chose the place for his tomb himself. For the first time in India, a well-planned garden was laid out around the tomb, and later such gardens became an indispensable attribute of all monuments of Mughal architecture. A light pink two-story mausoleum with a height of 43 m rests on a massive platform up to 7 m high. The tomb is crowned with a seemingly weightless white marble dome. This structure is called "the tomb of the Timurid House", because no other tomb in India contains such a number of tombs of the Mughal emperors. At this place in 1857 the last of the Great Mughals, Bahadur Shah, surrendered to the British.
In the southeastern corner of the garden there is a tomb with a blue mosaic dome, which, according to rumors, was built by Babur in honor of his beloved hairdresser. Immediately behind the wall are the Arab-sheds, built in the middle of the 16th century. for Arabian pilgrims.

Darga Nizamuddin
On the western side of the Humayun mausoleum, there is a number of notable Muslim monuments of Delhi - the darga (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 the Delhi sultans chose to be buried here.
Next to the mausoleum is the Jamat Khan Mosque (Khizri Mosque) made of red sandstone, built at the beginning of the 14th century. - the first building in Delhi, fully complying with the strict canons of Muslim architecture with skillfully executed arabesques and sayings from the Koran.
The tombs located here are striking with fine marble carvings, among them the most notable are the tombs of the beloved daughter of Shah Jahan, Jahanara-Begam, and the emperor Muhammad-Shah (1719-1748). In the center of the courtyard is the grave of Saint Nizamuddin. Around his mausoleum is a marble veranda. The famous poet of the Middle Ages Amir Khosrov Dehlevi (1253-1325) is also buried inside the darga. Every year, during the November festivities "Urs", which coincide with the day of the poet's death, musical and poetry competitions "qawwali" and "mushaira" are held here.
Not far from the darga there is a marble pavilion (1869), inside of which the great poet Mirza Asadulla Khan, who wrote in the Urdu language, is widely known under the pseudonym Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869), is buried. Next to the Ghalib mausoleum stands the beautiful white marble pavilion of Chowsath Khamba - a palace of 64 columns, built by Emperor Jahangir.

Okhla and Kalkaji
Okhla, an industrial suburb of Delhi, is home to the Okhla Reservoir, one of most picturesque places cities where thousands of citizens flock on Sundays in search of relief from the sweltering heat.
On the way to Okhla, next to the Muslim University of Jamia Millia is the 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 the battle of the gods with powerful bloodthirsty giants took place thousands of years ago. The goddess Parvati created the goddesses Kushka and Kali, and all the monsters slain by Kushka were swallowed by the goddess Kali, who decided to permanently settle on the site of the battle. Since those mythical times, this place has been revered as sacred. Under the foundation of a modern temple, ruins of a very ancient structure(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, over their heads there are two bells - when entering and leaving the temple, the visitor must ring the bell, informing the goddess that he is entering the temple and leaving it.

Lodi Gardens
In a spacious garden not far from Nizamuddin's darga are the tombs of the last rulers of the Lodi dynasty (1450-1526). The architectural style of these monuments differs from the buildings of the Mughal era, first of all, by the presence of massive domes. At the entrance to the garden rises Bara Gumbad (Big Dome) - a large square structure with a massive dome. According to the original plans, Bara Gumbad was supposed to serve as the entrance to the adjoining mosque (1494). On the walls of the prayer hall of the mosque are still preserved verses engraved in Arabic from the poem "Gulistan" by the great Persian thinker Saadi (1203-1292).
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 Safdarjung Mausoleum (1753), which symbolizes the decline of Mughal architecture, as evidenced by the very unfortunate proportions of the structure.

Lotus Temple
The Lotus Temple, or Bahá'í Prayer House (architect Fariborz Sahba, 1980-1986), was built with voluntary donations. 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-open lotus flower with 27 petals arranged in three rows. The central row forms the vault of the building in the form of an unblown bud. The petals are made of concrete and faced with white marble. The temple is surrounded by 9 artificial reservoirs, so it visually "rests" on the water surface.

Cyril and Methodius Encyclopedia of Tourism. 2008 .

Let's talk about the most famous city in India. How Delhi lives, what sights there are and other interesting moments. Read it.

Weekdays

Even after dark, birds begin to wake up the inhabitants. Every tree, every bush rings from their chirping and whistling and seems to sway, boil with movement: a myriad of various birds flutter in the dense crown. With the first ray of the sun, they soar upward and scatter onto the roads, the street, but most of all outside the city, where the peasant fields are spread out.

The first to shoot from the trees and leave the capital are green flocks of parrots - noisy, swift in flight. The pugnacious "black sparrows" fly away, a brown motley bird that looks a bit like a very large starling. Along with unfamiliar tropical birds in Russia, the ubiquitous sparrows and crows are flying in the air. And at the very top, as if suspended from the ceiling-sky, kites and eagles froze. They, along with the slow vultures dozing in the trees, are the main "orderlies" here, destroying the carrion of birds hit by a car at night, thrown by the peasants outside the outskirts of animals that died of old age or exhaustion.

At the same time, another stream flows to the city along the earth - a human stream. Day laborers are walking, alone, in families, almost entire villages. Men walk in front, in tattered, dusty dhoti, a piece of linen wrapped around their thighs, and a kurta, a long shirt that is worn out. The women follow behind, a little further away from the men. They are dressed more elegantly: once in bright, and now faded, but still catchy working sarees, four or five meter linen, with which they, instead of a dress, gracefully drape themselves.

There are groups of women in bright wide skirts and sweaters. This, in contrast to the residents of the neighborhood, comes from the ever-drought-torn state of Rajasthan. Women carry on their heads pots, jugs, bundles of food prepared ahead of time: rice or jovar (millet) porridge, gray, unleavened chapatis and spicy fatty gravy - curry. On the hips of women, babies, and next to them, clinging to the hem or slightly lagging behind, mince older children. The flow of people from villages devastated by drought or floods or in the off-season flows and flows into the city, then spreads in streams along the lanes and settles on the roads and construction sites being repaired: the rapidly transforming capital expands the streets, improves the asphalt cover, you can see scaffolding everywhere houses are bamboo poles tied with ropes).

The evening dawn repeats the morning dawn in reverse order: the birds, having worked in the fields and in the jungle, return to the city for the night, and the peasants, having finished their working day, rush to rest - home, to the village, if it is close, or to the huts spread out on the outskirts of the capital ...

In the morning, sportsmen or elderly people taking early walks appear on the streets for day laborers. Here, especially in summer, the whole sports life is mainly in the morning dawn, when the earth has not yet turned into a stuffy bathhouse. The sun threw the first rays on the city, and in the squares of the capital, adults and children are already chasing a ball on a wrinkling lawn (grass hockey is the most popular game here), fighting cricket, vaguely reminiscent of our rounders, playing football, badminton, tennis and less often volleyball ...

Those who have not yet met the sunrise on their feet will be woken up by street vendors. On scooters, bicycles, or simply with baskets in their hands, they wander under the windows, and in the neighborhoods of the rich - along the "black" alley that exists everywhere here, they are laid behind residential buildings and place rooms for staff and garages attached to mansions. In thunderous and shrill, ringing and hoarse voices, they shout out each his own:

Sabji-bhaji wala! (I am a vegetable merchant). Selling food!

Bombay bananas! Nagpur oranges! Kashmiri apples! Better quality and everything is cheap!

Here are gram cakes (one of the local legumes). Eat my hot cakes and you won't be afraid of the cold of winter!

Rush hour"

The capital woke up. The schoolchildren sat down at their desks or, curling their legs into a ball, settled down right on the floor, mats, grass with slate boards in their hands. Schools are not the same. Alone in comfortable modern buildings, others - on the street, under the crowns of spreading trees.

Later, workers appear on the streets in offices, banks, shops, although almost all of them woke up at dawn, redid a bunch of chores at home, some went in for sports. Institutions and shops only open at ten in the morning. So they had plenty of time for everything. But only when they go out into the street, the capital really comes to life, the rush hour begins. Delhi is a city of officials, merchants, and a wide variety of service personnel. There are few artisans and workers in the city itself.

Rush hour is the time of cyclists and scooters. It is sometimes difficult for a car to break through their moving walls. Cyclists and scooters ride in two, three, or even six in a row and do not pay any attention to the roar of the horns of the cars propping them up. It happens that riders of two-wheeled units on the go talk about something animatedly, gesticulate, make sharp turns in front of cars. Neglecting heavier transport costs them dearly: annually more than one and a half thousand cyclists and scooters get into accidents, and very often with a fatal outcome.

Bicycle and scooter - transport of workers. Every fifth inhabitant of the capital drives them down the street every day. Traffic policemen, not devoid of a sense of humor, reported after their survey that the path taken every day by all cyclists in the city is equal to thirteen routes from the Earth to the Moon in both directions.

The abundance of cyclists is also explained by the fact that urban transport in the capital is poorly developed. Rescues the subway. Rare buses, which do not go everywhere in the extremely sprawling city, do not always help. And a taxi or a little cheaper than his auto rickshaw - a motorcycle with a wagon hoisted on it - is not available to everyone. The metro is of great benefit.

National holidays

Independence Day

After ten in the morning, the streets of the city in those parts where there is no bazaar and shops seem to die out. People went to their offices. The working day has begun. These are the daily dawns of the Indian capital. On holidays they are somewhat different: people, however, get up just as early, but they do not rush to work, and, having dressed up, gather to the places of celebrations. It is worth telling a little more about the two dawns that have become historical in the destinies of India.

Morning August 15, 1947. Endless crowds of townspeople, residents of the surrounding villages, visitors from other parts of the country flock to the walls of the fortress Lal-Kila - "Red Fort". A huge square, dressed all year round with green lawns, which lies between the fortress and the uncomfortable two-story houses of old Delhi, swayed by the waves of the human sea. About three million people in one square!

The former redoubt of the fortress, and now the tribune covered with the same lawn. The flag of Great Britain, or, as it is called, "Union Jack", was raised above it yesterday. For many decades it soared over the city, personifying the domination of the British colonialists, a domination that was considered eternal, unshakable. The night before, the British secretly removed him from the flagpole to avoid public shame.

On the rostrum gathered the leaders of the national liberation movement and the English nobility - Viceroy Mountbatten, his entourage, retinue.

The rumble of the crowd fades away. The recognized leader of the national liberation movement, Jawaharlal Nehru, rises from the podiums, dressed in a modest Indian outfit: a long, open-top shirt - khadder kurta, on top of which is a vest, paper trousers tight-fitting shins - chudidar and a white cap. Nehru, the first head of the independent government, raises the national flag over the capital to the approving roar of the human sea. The square explodes with thunder of triumphant voices. And into the blue sky, someone launched giant snakes of the same three colors as the national flag: orange, white, green.

The simple and majestic flag-raising ceremony ushered in a new era in the country's life. Yesterday it was the fiefdom of the British colonialists, and today it woke up free. End of British rule! Freedom! These thoughts are in the minds of those gathered in the square, celebrating the victory of the Indians. Many have tears in their eyes: the memories of the difficult path to independence excite the soul. How many sacrifices were made to see this joyful dawn!

Nehru addresses the audience with a speech. He calls on Indians to look at themselves now as masters of the country, who will have to build a new life.

In order to create a powerful state, the first prime minister said then, all men, women, youth should have equal rights and equal opportunities for a full-blooded life.

The country became independent. Since that memorable dawn, the ceremony of raising the national flag over Lal Kila has been repeated every year this morning, invariably accompanied by the speech of the head of government. Seventeen times this ceremony was performed by Jawaharlal Nehru, who until his death was permanently serving as prime minister.

Republic Day

And another significant milestone in history - 26 1950. Two and a half years have passed since the country won its independence. But her freedom was limited. She remained a British dominion: the head of state was the English monarch. The Governor-General, who was the former Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, spoke on his behalf. The Dominion, however, could independently make decisions about the path of development, issue laws, govern the state. The governor-general had only formal power, but he could slow down the adoption of laws that did not meet the interests of England and instruct to select and head the government to an agreeable person in the event that none of the parties won the majority of parliamentary seats in the parliamentary elections.

India has taken another step forward towards freedom and prosperity. On this day, a new constitution came into effect. A country declared a republic. The power of the British crown is completely abolished. The post of governor-general has been eliminated. The head of state was the president, one of the leaders of the national liberation movement, Rajendra Prasad.

On the day of the proclamation of the republic, residents gather at the National Stadium. The main thoroughfare of the new city comes close to it. It was once called in English "Kingsway" - "Royal Route". Now she was given a name in Hindi - "Rajpath" - "The Way of the State."

The Republic Day celebration was only held for the first time at a nearby stadium, and then always at Rajpath, surrounded on both sides by green squares. And always squares, roofs of houses, giant mango trees, the most delicious and juicy Indian fruit, are strewn with townspeople. Human walls are also lined up along the many kilometers path along which troops and demonstrators pass - from the presidential palace, through Rajpath and further along the main streets to the old city, to the Lal Kila fortress.

Usually residents rise up after dark and go to the stands, pre-built from metal pipes and planks along the entire Rajpatha. Festively dressed Indians sit on benches or right on the grass, lay out food in front of them, have breakfast and wait for the start of the celebration.

... The parade begins. There are infantrymen, tanks, cavalrymen, riders on one-humped camels. Military units are marching, which have now embarked on the fight against terrorism. Each unit is dressed in a different way: green, red, orange berets or turbans, multi-colored uniforms. The orchestra members are brightly and fancifully dressed. Some, especially drummers, have animal skins thrown over their shoulders - tiger, leopard. Ahead of the orchestra is a flirtatious tambour major. He easily mints a step, as if dancing, and twists, sometimes throws it up and deftly catches his baton on the fly, doing all this to the beat of the music. With such an unusual technique, he conducts the orchestra.

The audience greeted the graceful gestures of the tambour major with a joyful roar and applause, followed the march of the army with admiration, and flourished with smiles when a group of decorated elephants appeared. Their procession opens the demonstration. Schoolchildren, veterans and folk dancers take part in it. Moreover, tractors carry platforms hidden by the scenery past the stands. This is a display of achievements or, individual ministries and institutions.

When the elephants have moved so far from the square that they will not be frightened by the noise of the motors, planes will appear in the almost invariably cloudless blue sky. The holiday ends with a military aviation parade. But only the official part of it. For a long time the Indians will have fun on this day.

Rajpath is bustling with life on weekdays. The capital essentially consists of two cities: New Delhi, where government offices, parliament, banks, diplomatic missions, the most comfortable residential areas are located, has a relatively small population - more than 300 thousand people, while Greater Delhi has about 15 million people.

No less significant is the Gandhi Jayanti holiday (Gandhi's birthday). Events on the occasion of the birth of the legend of the republic are held annually 2.

Rajpath

On the lawns of Rajpatha, the main street, adults and boys play football. In artificial reservoirs, stretching along the highway, boating. In the cool seasons, locals come here with families, like in a park, and relax on the grass.

Due to the abundance of trees and greenery, Rajpath somehow does not look like a street: the buildings stand far in the depths. Once upon a time there were only a few palaces of maharajas and administrative buildings built in the first half of the last century. This is where the creation of New Delhi began. On a hill, from which you can see far around, the palace of the English viceroy was built of red-sand stone - now the presidential palace - two secretariat buildings were close to it, where the British state apparatus was located, and now various ministries of the republic.

At the foot of the hill is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city - the parliament, built in the shape of a circle. The British recalled on this occasion the ancient Eastern belief: a circle means a symbol of eternity. And they said: the main building of the capital symbolizes the eternal domination of England. The Indians, having won independence, put a different meaning in this symbol: the parliament building, from a distance like a crown, crowns the freedom won by the people.

The construction of the capital quarter began before the First World War, but the British had no time for it. The war began. Then the post-war years of economic recovery of the warring countries. Only in the late twenties and early thirties was the construction of the business center completed. But now it is going violently. On both sides of the Rajpatha, multi-storey beautiful buildings have grown, combining classical motives of national art, modern styles, and the best adaptation of the premises to the tropical climate: they are both comfortable and protected by graceful canopies from the direct rays of the sun.

Monuments overview

Tourists should get to know the city from the south, from where it began to develop in ancient times. Many interesting architectural monuments have been preserved here.

Iron column

Behind the dilapidated fortress walls there are buildings of different shapes and colors. Today, in order to avoid vandalism, a fence has been arranged around the post. And before the black iron column there was always a crowd of children. They vied with each other to squeeze to the seven-meter pole, tried to wrap their arms around it and depressed, accompanied by understanding smiles of adults. They themselves tried to do the same, becoming, as it should be, with their backs to the column. Rarely, rarely did anyone manage to close their hands behind the pillar, and even then mostly over the head, although it is slightly less than half a meter in diameter. You should have hugged him, bringing your arms from below. Then, as the locals believe, any wish will come true. Where the column was hugged, it is polished to a shine. Above, it retained its matte black color. Not a single rust, although it has stood in the open for more than one and a half thousand years. And all this time it is washed by violent rains, sandstorms are sanding, the tropical sun is burning. Not erased by time, the engraved inscriptions made it possible to establish both the age and the place of manufacture of the column.

Qutb Minar

A seventy-meter stone tower - Qutb Minar - rises right next to the column. The stream of people flows in both directions: into the tower and out of it. Entering the twilight, illuminated only by the light from the loopholes, tourists climb up the steep spiral steps. Few manage to climb to the very top. It is an almost unenclosed patch - a flat roof. After many cases of falling or jumping from the roof of suicides, the entrance to the visitors to the upper tiers was closed. Now they only reach the first tier. However, and he soared up thirty meters.

As a Muslim building, Qutb Minar does not have images of people in the decoration and is decorated only with ornaments and symmetrical, graceful forms of carved stone. One of the inscriptions woven into the ornament says that the tower was built by order of "Qutb-uddin - emir of the emirs, commander-in-chief and head of state" in 1220. But the minaret tower is not the first building here. The fort, the walls of which have survived to this day, was created earlier, in the XI century AD.

Ancient city

For those who are keen on history and archeology, there are such interesting ancient monuments at every step that it is difficult to imagine. Many of them are not known, not solved, not found, as well as the fate of the city itself for a number of centuries. Legends claim that the city was the capital of the Pandavas, the mythical heroes of the local epic Mahabharata. Excavations of the places mentioned in the epic in some cases confirmed what the legends tell about the vicinity of Delhi. Based on this, scientists make assumptions that the first ancient city Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas, stood on the site of Purana Kila, an old fortress.

Few people pay attention to the ugly, time-worn skeleton of a building inside the walled complex of buildings near Qutb Minar. You won’t understand whether it was destroyed or unfinished. It turns out that this pitiful skeleton was intended to outshine the Qutb Minar, to rise twice its height.

V arabic tales"A thousand and one nights" the vain caliph builds a tower through which he wants to climb to the seventh heaven to the gods. In the tale, things ended badly for both the caliph and the tower. The same story happened here. The ambitious Sultan Alauddin, who took the throne 60 years after the appearance of Qutb Minar, decided to glorify himself and create Alai Minar. But the building did not rise above twenty meters. So, unfinished, uncoated, it has remained to this day. The sultan had strong enemies, and he had to repel their onslaught. There is no time for vanity!

And there are dozens of monkeys by the road. They live in ruins. When cars approach, the animals boldly go out onto the road. As soon as a person appears from the car - they do not pay attention to peasants bystanders - they surround him. The interest of monkeys and humans is mutual. The peasants do not need them, moreover, monkeys are a disaster for them: they destroy crops, crops. The peasants do not have time to drive them away from the field. And the newcomers are townspeople, tourists are bringing with them goodies: nuts, fruits, sweets. Monkeys quickly run up to them, stretch out their paws, demand handouts.

One boy started teasing a monkey. Once he will give her a nut, another time he will only show and hide. The monkey first grabbed him by the shirt with his paw, and when he did not calm down, bit him. The scream of the boy and the behavior of the agitated monkey passed on to the pack. The elders, accompanying the children, quickly gathered everyone on the bus and took them away from the dangerous flock that had become.

Meanwhile, a large male, which had been dozing before, descends from the tree. Small animals and adult monkeys fearfully run away to the side. This is the leader of the pack. He gravely walks towards the tourist with a bag of nuts. He has such a habit that, apparently, he has no doubts: they will give him delicacies. This is already a beast. He must be reckoned with. While the leader fills his cheek pouches with nuts, the others wait or grab a handout furtively and headlong disappear from the eyes of their master.

Until recently, monkeys could be seen everywhere here, and at night - packs of jackals in the city itself. In 2008, work was even suspended for some time. international airport in New Delhi due to the invasion of the strip by monitors and jackals.

Now both those and others come across rarely. Many dogs have bred, and even the leader of the monkeys hastily climbed a tree from them. But the outskirts of the capital, its cesspools, are visited by jackals every night. Other "guests" also come. Sometimes hyenas come here and attack people sleeping on the street, especially children. The outskirts of the city are rich in partridges, hares, geese, ducks, various other birds, animals, and reptiles. Monkeys are found in the city itself, but rather on the roof of a station or airport than on a tree, or in the ruins of ancient buildings. A flock of monkeys, which scared the visiting boys so much, lives on the outskirts of the city, near the Tughlakabad fortress.

Tughlakabad fortress and Suraj Kund lake

By order of the founder of the Tughlak dynasty, a massive fortress was built in three years - in 1323. Then other structures appeared around it. Many of them disappeared without a trace. The mausoleum of the founder of the dynasty Giyas-ud-din Tughlak has survived better than other buildings.

It is worth driving a little further from the city along an impassable road, and you will find yourself in a world of a very distant past. Among the ruins of some buildings and boulders lies the majestic reservoir Suraj Kund, built in the 7th century AD. It covers about two and a half hectares. The sun god was worshiped here ("suraj" - the sun, "kund" - a well). Here the Hindu rulers entertained themselves. The shape of the ensemble corresponds to the purpose of the reservoir. Just like we see the sun, it is built in the form of a downward-facing cone. Stone steps, rings, shallow from above (for the convenience of swimmers), become higher and higher until they run into a patch - the bottom at a depth of more than thirty meters.

The distance from Suraj Kund to Qutb Minar is only a few kilometers, and in terms of the history of the Indian capital, it is equal to four centuries: Suraj Kund is the last known building of Delhi, after which archaeologists cannot find almost no trace of the city.

The capital either blossomed or fell into oblivion. Some cities disappeared, others appeared. The hero of our review himself has reincarnated into new incarnations thirteen times, and if we take three modern ones - Old Delhi, New Delhi and the expanded Greater Delhi that unites them - then sixteen. And each city is an important page in the history of the country.

And here again a stream of noisy cyclists, slow auto rickshaws, snarling scooters, black-smoking buses, old-old and ultra-modern cars. The streets are for the most part narrow, but wherever possible they are widened and built up with new houses. The names of ancient monuments - the royal reservoir Haus-Khaz of the 13th century, the Hindu temple of Kailash, the mausoleums of the Lodi dynasty of the 15th century - now began to denote the rapidly growing areas of the comfortable city. Other residential areas appeared in the place of wastelands. The capital is growing and expanding, but everywhere you can find ruins, then almost untouched by time architectural monuments. These monuments often stand next to modern graceful buildings and give the city a special flavor inherent only to it.

Delhi is not the largest city in the country. It began to grow in 1911, when the capital of colonial India was moved here. But this development was one-sided. Only palaces and mansions were built for the colonial authorities and the nobility.

Now there is another period of existence - the city has the status of a union territory, that is, it functions as a capital district. And how different these two periods of time are in the life of the city! Its appearance began to change already in the first years of independence. However, the most dramatic changes have taken place over the past few decades. The city has stepped over the old borders. New residential areas have sprung up in place of wastelands and slums. Once upon a time, buildings here did not rise above two floors. Now, multi-storey buildings rise here, intelligently adapted to the tropical climate. The growth of the city naturally necessitated the adoption of the planning principle of its development.

Life goes on as usual. In the birth of the new, there are still so many old signs, social layers of centuries. True, caste and other religious customs in last years not so strictly enforced, but they still tenaciously hold in their hands most of the population of the city, and indeed of the entire country.

Indians are looking to the future. They make their efforts to ensure that this future is bright, filled with creative work and a joyful life. This is a land of endless opportunities and resources. Her people, as a caring gardener, are able to strengthen the seedlings in need of special care and support the kind giants who have already gained height.

India is a country with centuries-old traditions, ancient religion and culture. While in the country, foreign tourists are advised to follow certain rules of conduct so as not to offend the feelings of local residents.

So, the traditional greeting in India is "namaste" - the Indian equivalent of "hello" (नमस्ते, "bow to you", pronounced "namaste"). Saying this greeting, you should fold your hands in a special gesture - tilt your head slightly and fold your palms at chest level as during prayer. If for some reason you cannot fold both hands (for example, one is busy), answering a greeting, you can raise only one hand to chest level, but always your right! The fact is that in India, as in the rest of Asia, the right hand is considered clean: it is eaten, blessed, given and taken away things, money. The left hand is unclean, the Indians think so, because they use it for hygienic purposes (toilet paper is traditionally absent). In addition, the legs are also an “unclean” part of the body. You cannot sit with your feet pointing at another person or towards the temple, nor can you point your foot at anything or someone.

Remember that in India any demonstration of personal relationships is not accepted, even between spouses - walking by the hand, hugging and kissing.

Only men and men can greet the hand in a Western manner. Women should fold their hands in a namaste gesture.

The use of all types of alcohol in India in public places is strictly prohibited, and is punishable by a fine of up to 5,000 rupees or imprisonment up to 3 months. It is not customary to carry bottles with alcohol down the street in your hands.

The sanitary rules for visiting India are not complicated - the country is not among the states that require a set of vaccinations for entry. Medical insurance is optional, but highly desirable. But be sure to take a first-aid kit with you, in which, in addition to the medicines you personally need, it is advisable to have an antibiotic, a sufficient amount of drugs for intestinal infections, antiseptics (green / iodine / peroxide, manganese, bandage, cotton wool). Do not forget also mosquito repellent (which, by the way, are carriers of malaria, dengue fever, etc.) and other insects (fleas, bedbugs).

To maintain health, you need to follow a small set of rules: wash your hands often and thoroughly, food should be freshly prepared and thermally processed, drink - only bottled water, tea, coffee, factory-made soft drinks (Pepsi / Cola / Fanta, etc.). ). You should not feast on vegetables and fruits that cannot be peeled off - grapes, dried fruits.

In the case of an intestinal disorder (symptoms - indigestion, pain, fever, high temperature that does not pass within 3 days), you should not self-medicate - you need to contact one of the local clinics, where medicine is very high level... After a paid consultation with a doctor (inexpensive, 100-300 rupees) and tests (done within an hour), you will be prescribed a medicine that will put you on your feet within 3-4 days.

Reading 3 min. Views 295 Published 01.11.2012

Delhi ( New delhi) Is the Indian capital, as well as one of the largest cities in the world. The capital of India spreads its territories on the western banks of the Jamna River, which is the right tributary of the Ganges. Doab is an inhabited and fertile plain located at the intersection of these rivers. This .

Delhi is a city of originality and uniqueness. Various monuments of architecture, ashrams, as well as religious centers form a huge variety of everything that is in this magnificent capital.

City of contrasts

Delhi is a city of real contrasts. Such an amazing combination of incongruous create 2 parts of the city - New Delhi and Old Delhi. The magnificent and inimitable contrast between the narrow streets that surrounds Old Delhi throughout its territory, as well as the modern infrastructure, queues at the cinemas and many other things that are in New Delhi, impress and enchant everyone who comes here.

Capital of modern India

Delhi is a place full of nightlife. All nightlife, as a rule, is concentrated in five-star hotels, which include bars, excellent service and quality restaurants, as well as clubs that are open until the early morning. Tourists can be transported here by both regular transport and.

There is a huge number of restaurants in the central part of the capital of India, and that is why there will never be any problem finding a restaurant where you can have a delicious lunch at a low price.