ABOUT NEW DELHI

SIGHTSEEING IN DELHI

New Delhi was proclaimed the capital of India by the British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944).

This tree-lined & spacious city is one of India's fastest growing cities.It sprawls over the West Bank of the river Yamuna and is divided into two distinct parts, Old Delhi & New Delhi. Old Delhi is centered on the Red Fort built by Emperor Shah Jehan between 1636 & 1658. The streets of Old Delhi are narrow & bustling with energy. The beauty & serenity lies inside the courts of the main buildings.

Delhi has some of the finest museums in the country. Its boutiques and shopping arcades offer access to a wealth of traditional and contemporary crafts from all over the country.

• CAPITAL: New Delhi. Area: 491 sq km.
• POPULATION: 9370475.
• LANGUAGE: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English to a certain extent.
• TOURING SEASON: October, November, February and March. However, winter is severe and long from November to early March.
• CLIMATE: The summer season lasts from mid March to the end of June with average maximum and minimum temperatures of 36º C and 25º C. The monsoon season, following the hot summer, continues until the end of September with an average rainfall of about 26 inches. The winter season extends from late November to mid-February. The coldest month is January, when both the mean maximum temperature and the mean minimum temperature are at their lowest-- 21º C and 7º C, respectively.

• AIR: Delhi is easily accessible to and from most cities in the world. Most of the international airlines in the world fly to Delhi. Domestic airlines link Delhi to all the major cities in the country.
• TRAIN: The Indian railways, with their modern and organized network connect Delhi to major and minor destinations in India. There are three important railway stations in Delhi, viz.The New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway Station and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. The Shatabdi Express is recommended to reach cities like Chandigarh, Dehradun, Gwalior, Bhopal, Lucknow and Kanpur.
• BUS: Delhi is well connected by road to all major destinations in North India. The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) is located at Kashmiri Gate, Sarai Kale-Khan and Anand Vihar. Delhi Transport Corporation and Road Transport Corporations of the neighboring states provide frequent air conditioned, deluxe and ordinary coaches. Bus services from all the major places in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are available to Delhi. During the summer months, air-conditioned coaches are recommended.
• AIRPORTS: Delhi has two airports. Indira Gandhi International Airport,which is 20km away from the city connects Delhi to almost all the major countries in the world. Palam is the domestic airport which is situated closer to the city. Between the two airports, shuttle coach service is available. From both the terminals, Ex-Servicemen Air Link Transport Service (EATS) brings passengers to the city at nominal rates. State Bank of India is the official bank available at both the terminals. To assist with travel information, hotel bookings and various other services, tourists can avail of the help desk at the airport, which is open round the clock. Pre-paid taxi service is also possible at both the airports.
• BEST SEASON: The best season to visit Delhi is between October to March. December & January are cold months. The summer season in Delhi extends between April and July. End of July is Monsoons extending till September.