![\"ndel.jpg\"](\"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/ndel.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDelhi \u2013 with its tenacious touts and crush of mechanical and human traffic \u2013 can be downright confronting and confounding for the first-time visitor. But don\u2019t let petulant first impressions muddy the plus points of this truly multidimensional metropolis. Scratch beyond the…<\/p>\n
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Delhi \u2013 with its tenacious touts and crush of mechanical and human traffic \u2013 can be downright confronting and confounding for the first-time visitor. But don\u2019t let petulant first impressions muddy the plus points of this truly multidimensional metropolis. Scratch beyond the gritty surface and you\u2019ll swiftly discover that India\u2019s capital is sprinkled with glittering gems: captivating ancient monuments, magnificent museums, a vivacious performing-arts scene and some of the subcontinent\u2019s yummiest places to eat.<\/p>\n
A vibrant melting pot, you\u2019ll hear a jumble of vernaculars spoken in Delhi, the most common being Hindi, English, Punjabi and Urdu. In terms of its layout, Delhi encapsulates two very different worlds, the \u2018old\u2019 and the \u2018new\u2019, each presenting deliciously different experiences. Spacious New Delhi was built as the imperial capital of India by the British; rambunctious Old Delhi served as the capital of Islamic India. Visitors can easily dip into both, spending half the day immersing themselves in history at the dramatic Red Fort, Jama Masjid and medieval-flavored bazaars of Old Delhi, and the other half reviving themselves over frothy cappuccinos or frosty cocktails at one of New Delhi\u2019s swanky caf\u00e9s and bars. Furthermore, Delhi\u2019s recent global cuisine revolution means that hungry travelers can now feast on everything from meaty Mughlai curries and plump South Indian idlis (rice cakes), to crispy wood-fired pizzas and squishy sashimi.<\/p>\n
For those here to catch a flight home there are some glorious last-minute shopping opportunities, with handicrafts from all around India \u2013 a real blessing if you regret not buying that twinkling mirror work bedspread in Rajasthan or striking Madhubani painting in Bihar.<\/p>\n
Geography\/Weather
\nThe National Capital Territory of Delhi is spread over an area of 1,484 km2 (573 sq mi), of which 783 km2 (302 sq mi) is designated rural and 700 km2 (270 sq mi) urban. Delhi has a maximum length of 51.9 km (32 mi) and the maximum width of 48.48 km (30 mi). There are three local bodies (statutory towns) namely, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (area is 1,397.3 km2 or 540 sq mi), New Delhi Municipal Committee (42.7 km2 or 16 sq mi) and Delhi Cantonment Board (43 km2 or 17 sq mi).<\/p>\n
Delhi is located at 28\u00b037\u2032N 77\u00b014\u2032E\/28.61, 77.23, and lies in northern India. It borders the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh on East and Haryana on West, North and South. Delhi lies almost entirely in the Gangetic plains. Two prominent features of the geography of Delhi are the Yamuna flood plain and the Delhi ridge. The low-lying Yamuna flood plains provide fertile alluvial soil suitable for agriculture. However, these plains are prone to recurrent floods. Reaching up to a height of 318 m (1,043 ft), the ridge forms the most dominating feature in this region. It originates from the Aravalli Range in the south and encircles the west, northeast and northwest parts of the city. Yamuna, a sacred river in Hinduism, is the only major river flowing through Delhi. Most of the city, including New Delhi, lies west of the river. East of the river is the urban area of Shahdara. Delhi falls under seismic zone-IV, making it vulnerable to major earthquakes.<\/p>\n
Delhi has a continental climate with high variation between summer and winter temperatures. Summers are long, from early April to mid-October, with the monsoon season in between. Winter starts in late October and peaks in January and is notorious for its heavy fog. Extreme temperatures range from \u22120.6 \u00b0C (30.9 \u00b0F) to 47 \u00b0C (117 \u00b0F). The annual mean temperature is 25 \u00b0C (77 \u00b0F); monthly mean temperatures range from 13 \u00b0C to 32 \u00b0C (56 \u00b0F to 90 \u00b0F). The average annual rainfall is approximately 714 mm (28.1 inches), most of which is during the monsoons in July and August. The average date of the advent of monsoon winds in Delhi is 29 June.<\/p>\n
Dangers & annoyances
\nLonely Planet receives many reports from travelers who have been victim to at least one of a number of scams operating in Delhi. Most scams involve touts, usually around tourist hubs such as Connaught Place, Paharganj and the New Delhi train station. These pushy fellows will try to cart you off to shops, travel agencies or \u2018official\u2019 tourist offices (the only official tourist office is India Tourism Delhi, above), where they earn commission at your expense. If you\u2019re being pestered by touts or face other problems, seek out the \u2018tourist police\u2019, who have clearly marked jeeps stationed at tourist centers including the international airport, New Delhi train station and Janpath.<\/p>\n
Always exercise caution with travel agencies, as scores of travelers have reported being hoodwinked by unscrupulous agents. To avoid grief, always shop around to gauge exactly what\u2019s on offer and choose agents who are members of accredited associations such as the Travel Agents Association of India and the Indian Association of Tour Operators. Finally, before parting with your hard-earned cash, insist on getting what you\u2019ve been promised in writing \u2013 this will be invaluable if you need to lodge a complaint with the tourist office or police.<\/p>\n
More and more travelers are being sweet-talked by Delhi travel agents and touts into taking tours to Kashmir, either as part of a \u2018special package\u2019 or stand-alone trip. Once in Kashmir most travelers discover they\u2019ve been given a very raw (often dodgy) deal, with far less delivered than promised. Given the number of complaints we\u2019ve received, it\u2019s probably best not to book tours to Kashmir from Delhi.<\/p>\n
History
\nHistory of Delhi is an integral part of Delhi General Info. The capital city of India, Delhi bears the legacy of a glorious history. A city dotted with many places of interest and various forms of entertainment, Delhi has a charm of its own. The most popular tourist attractions of Delhi are the Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Humayun’s Tomb, India Gate, Hazrat Nizamuddin’s Tomb, the Parliament House, Qutab Minar, etc. Each of these tourist attractions in Delhi manifests the great history of Delhi, India.<\/p>\n
The glorious and tumultuous history of Delhi is 5000-year-old. The history of Delhi begins with the formation of Indraprastha by the Pandavas and its subsequent conversion into a tranquil retreat. Several royal citadels such as the Indraprastha, Lal Kot, Quila Rai Pithora, Siri, Jahanpanah, Tughlakabad, Ferozabad, Dinpanah, and Delhi Sher Shahi (formerly Shahjahanabad) of various kings and emperors combine and integrate into one city that is always called Delhi. Thus, Delhi has always been identified for its power and imperial influence.<\/p>\n
The ancient Purana Qila and the eternal Jamuna River stands witness to Delhi’s historic and legendary past. The famous Red Fort, when built by Shah Jahan, drew the attention of administration towards the magnificent palaces of the fort. There were many attempts to eliminate Delhi. Nadir Shah had ordered his soldiers to plunder and annihilate Delhi. Abdali and Taimur Lane, too, tried to demolish Delhi. But the city resisted these attempts bravely and remained unshaken.<\/p>\n
The history of Delhi encompasses the role played by the city during India’s fight for independence. When India’s first war of independence took place in the year 1857 AD, Delhi came to the forefront. Delhi was made the capital of India in the year 1911 by the British, which shifted all activities during the freedom struggle towards Delhi. During this period, the Azad Hind Fauz tried to capture Delhi and establish Swaraj. The popular slogan Dilli Chalo, which evolved during the freedom struggle, is still used by leaders and political parties in rallies and demonstrations. Delhi \u2013 with its tenacious touts and crush of mechanical and human traffic \u2013 can be downright confronting and confounding for the first-time visitor. But don\u2019t let petulant first impressions muddy the plus points of this truly multidimensional metropolis. Scratch beyond the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2120","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plan-your-vacation-to-asia-with-our-traveling-information"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2120\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.asianinny.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nSource: http:\/\/www.lonelyplanet.com\/india\/delhi<\/a>,
\nhttp:\/\/www.indianholiday.com\/new-delhi\/history-of-delhi.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"