Delhi Through Pictures
Delhi Overview
Delhi is said to be one of the oldest existing cities in the world, along with Damascus and Varanasi. Legend estimates it to be over 5,000 years old. Over the millennia, Delhi is said to have been built and destroyed 11 times. The oldest alleged incarnation of the city shows up in the Indian mythological epic Mahabharata as Indraprastha. Located on the banks of the River Yamuna in the National Capital Territory of India, Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BC, according to archaeological evidence.
South Delhi
South Delhi is a blend of both ancient and New Delhi. South Delhi ranges from congested by lanes of villages like Munirka to swanky localities like Hauz khaz, Vasant Vihar, Greater Kailash, C R Park, Panchsheel Enclave, South Extension, Defence Colony, Friends Colony, Green Park etc. Delhi made its inroads by expanding to every potential location within the periphery of Delhi and South Delhi is the outcome of this very fact. New buildings, posh localities, improved shopping complexes, malls and world class infrastructure can be seen in South Delhi.
Well, we can’t ignore the historic aspect of South Delhi, which is built around the historic cities of Siri (the second city of Delhi, built by Allaudin Khilji in 1303 A.D.), Tughlaqabad (built by Ghiasuddin Tughlak in the 14th century) and Jahanpanah (built by Mohammed bin Tughlaq in 1327). The natural mix of old and new Delhi can be seen in localities of South Delhi where exquisite showrooms, restaurants and other modern infrastructural facilities have been developed but the historical charm still exists.
South Delhi lies in the range of Aravalli Mountain and you can find rocky structures and clave in most parts of South Delhi. With new infrastructural changes taking place in South Delhi, the age old historic importance seems to be camouflaged by new structures, shopping malls, hotels and residential societies.
South Delhi is famous for its tourist attraction which depicts the ancient historic remains like Hauz Khas, Qutub Minar, Tughlaqabad. New structures such as Lotus Temple, Chtrapur Mandir, Kalindi Kunj and Lodi garden make South Delhi a much sought after location in terms of tourism. The infrastructure and immaculate roads make transit an easy ride.
North Delhi
North Delhi lies in the region of Old Delhi and has its own importance in the landscape of Delhi. North Delhi has the trace of some great monuments that Mughals left behind like Red Fort and Jama Masjid. Delhi’s old and popular markets are located in North Delhi. Places like Chandni Chowk, Kashmiri Gate and Darya Ganj are located in North Delhi. It happens to be one of the densely populated areas of urban Delhi. Civil Lines, Model Town and Ashok Vihar are among the posh localities of North Delhi
North Delhi also has the charm and glory of having the exquisite campus of Delhi University, which is the main education hub of Delhi's undergraduate and post graduate studies. Another important university called Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, also happens to be in North Delhi. Both these Universities beckon students from all parts of India and there has been an increase in the influx of foreign scholars from other countries who come here for research in different faculties. Existence of Delhi University has a special importance for North Delhi and this is the reason why it is also called the "North Campus".
Famous colleges in North Campus include Sri Ram College of Commerce, Khalsa College, FMS, Kirorimal College, Miranda House, IP College, Hans Raj College and Delhi School of Economics. Presence of these colleges and the university itself has made the area being recognized as a youth hub and the much sought after education destination for young aspiring students. It has also helped the area economically in terms of business, consultancy and educational institutes, which have flourished at an alarming rate.
When we talk of North Delhi, we do refer to North Delhi's Azadpur Mandi which has bagged the title of "Mandi of National Importance". The mandi is a hub of vegetables, fruits and dry fruits. The Mandi transports fruits and vegetables to different parts of Delhi and other neighboring states.
East Delhi
If we look at the history of Delhi, we find that people lived on one side of the river because of the fear of invaders who used to invade via river. This is why Delhi was located on the west of Yamuna River. With the advent of bridges which connected either side of river, the name "Trans Yamuna" came into existence and was geographically called East Delhi.
Delhi being the national capital of India had the influx of people from all parts of the country. These people found East Delhi an appropriate place to build homes which embarked the growth of East Delhi. The period between 1980 and 1990 saw maximum number of growth in population.
East Delhi is located on the eastern bank of Yamuna River and this part of the city is also called "Trans Yamuna". East Delhi is surrounded by some parts of U.P, which includes Noida and Ghaziabad.
According to the census of 2001, the population of East Delhi was 1.448770 million. East Delhi lying at the other side of Yamuna River does not mean that it is having a different culture and tradition. The culture, tradition and lifestyle are almost the same as New Delhi. We find people from all religions and major festivals are celebrated here with the same vigor and enthusiasm.
East Delhi has been successful in accommodating large population of outsiders from different parts of the country. This is the reason why Delhi and other parts of Delhi have a cosmopolitan culture.
West Delhi
There are overall nine districts in Delhi. Some of the important and posh localities fall under West Delhi. Patel Nagar, Punjabi Bagh, Pitampura, Rohini, Dwarka, Janakpuri and Rajauri Garden are the major localities of West Delhi. Places in West Delhi are famous for shopping with trendy markets where you can have efrom clothes, home furnishing items, home durable goods etc This part of Delhi has grown at a good rate with new developments taking place. This can be seen in the developmental activities that has taken place in the region. Be it malls, shopping complexes, cinema halls or office complex, the region has seen tremendous growth in every arena. West Delhi also has some good schools and colleges which have their place on the education map of Delhi. Talking of Delhi and not talking of the food, well, that is unusual and West Delhi would not make you feel down in terms of food. It does have something very special to offer in the form of delicious food right from the road side eateries to well established brands. Food chains like Punjabi by Nature, BTW, McDonalds and Nirulas find their place every where in West Delhi.
There are some very popular commercial establishments in and around West Delhi. To name a few, there is District Center in Janakpuri which is indeed very important in terms of shopping and offices of various companies. There are business hubs at Rajaouri Garden, Punjabi Bagh and Patel Nagar. West Delhi has a marvelous shopping infrastructure in Pitampura and Rajouri Garden. The place witnesses good turn around of people from all parts of Delhi. Recent developmentin terms of shopping malls and trendy shops have made the place much more demanding then ever before.
West Delhi is largely a residential hub where you will find people of all caste and communities. However, Punjabi families dominate the localities such as Punjabi Bagh, West Patel Nagar, Rajouri Garden and Shalimaar Bagh.
Important hospitals in West Delhi include Indraprastha Hospital, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital and Rajeev Gandhi Cancer Hospital.
West Delhi has the advantage of better connectivity through busses, trains and now the Metro Rail. Induction of Metro Rail in the region has definitely helped in increasing the property rates here and the market value has also risen.