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Lotus Temple, New Delhi - courtesy emisar - CC-BY

New Delhi is the capital of India.

New Delhi is a small part of the Delhi metropolitan area and is a 20th century planned city. However, New Delhi is laid out on the same site as seven ancient cities and so includes many historic monuments such as the Jantar Mantar and the Lodhi Gardens. Human habitation was present in and around Delhi / New Delhi before the second millennium BC. In 1911, Delhi was made the capital of British India and a new political capital was designed to house the government buildings. New Delhi was officially declared as the seat of the Government of India and the capital of the republic after independence on 15 August, 1947.

New Delhi was built by the British to rule their empire. But the rest of Delhi is an endless low-rise sprawl of suburbia and slums, with southern Delhi (nearer to New Delhi) generally somewhat wealthier and the western parts poorer. New Delhi is a strange but wonderful story, of an Empire at its height, but also of an Empire that would soon crumble. The capital of India is a striking modern metropolis. A contrast to Old Delhi’s winding streets, the grand avenues and stately buildings of New Delhi are rich with history and culture, from Gandhi’s Delhi home to the tomb of Humayun, a complex of Mughal buildings reminiscent of the Taj Mahal.

Delhi / New Delhi offers literally thousands of shopping opportunities, many more than one could ever explore during one trip. Restaurants range from push cart street food to 5 star establishments.

New Delhi’s climate is infamously bad, combining the scorching temperatures of Rajasthan’s deserts with the frigid cold of the Himalayas. New Delhi has a semi-arid climate with major variation between summer and winter temperatures. The annual mean temperature is 25 °C (77 °F); monthly mean temperatures range from 14 C to 33 C (58 F to 92 F).The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 mm (28.1 inches), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August.

New Delhi is served by Indira Gandhi International Airport. Public transportation is buses, auto rickshaws and Metro rail system.

New Delhi population is 302,363 (2001).

+91 is India international calling code
11 is New Delhi area code

For more information about New Delhi