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New Delhi

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Asia

   New Delhi
   New Delhi
   Coordinates       28.7° N 77.2° E
   Area
    -  Elevation     42.7  km²
                      - 216 m
   Time zone         IST ( UTC+5:30)
   Population ( 2006)
    -  Density       321,883
                      - 7538/km²
   Mayor             Asha Ram Verma
   Codes
    -  Postal
    - Telephone
    -  Vehicle
                      - 110 xxx
                      - +91-(0)11
                      - DL-0?
       Website: www.ndmc.gov.in
   The Humayun's Tomb, situated in New Delhi, has an architectural design
   similar to the Taj Mahal.
   Enlarge
   The Humayun's Tomb, situated in New Delhi, has an architectural design
   similar to the Taj Mahal.
   Commercial buildings in New Delhi
   Enlarge
   Commercial buildings in New Delhi
   The India Gate war memorial
   Enlarge
   The India Gate war memorial
   Sansad Bhavan, the Parliament of India
   Enlarge
   Sansad Bhavan, the Parliament of India
   The North Block in Raisina Hill, New Delhi houses the Indian Home
   Ministry and Ministry of Finance.
   Enlarge
   The North Block in Raisina Hill, New Delhi houses the Indian Home
   Ministry and Ministry of Finance.

   New Delhi pronunciation  ( Hindi: नई दिल्ली, Punjabi: ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ, Urdu:
   نئی دلی‎), an urban area within the metropolis of Delhi, is the capital
   of the Republic of India and the seat of the Government of India. It is
   one of the three municipal corporations of the National Capital
   Territory of Delhi.

History

Capital of the Raj

   Calcutta was the historic centre of the British presence in India, and
   effectively the capital of the British East India Company. However,
   Delhi had been the historic capital of much of the subcontinent for
   long historic periods. In particular, it had been the most recent
   capital of the Mughals. There remained an association with Imperial
   grandeur that the British Raj tried to use by holding several durbars
   for the Viceroy and visiting Royalty. In 1911, at the King-Emperor
   George V's Coronation Durbar, the announcement was made that the
   capital of the Raj was to be shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.

   New Delhi was laid out to the south of the older city constructed by
   Shah Jahan, which is now often referred to as Old Delhi. However, New
   Delhi overlays many of the previous cities constructed there; hence it
   includes many monuments of previous cities, and constructions.

   Much of New Delhi was planned by Sir Edwin Lutyens, who laid out a
   grandiose central administrative area as a testament to British
   imperial pretensions. Rajpath - then Kingsway - stretched from the War
   Memorial - now India Gate to the Viceroy's House - Rashtrapati Bhavan
   atop Raisina Hill. The scale, extravagance and magnificence of New
   Delhi was not unlike Washington, or Haussmann and his patron Napoleon
   III's Paris, both cities designed to awe the newcomer with the power of
   the central State. The Mughal garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed
   with more regard to India's climate and design tradition, following a
   conversation with Constance Villiers-Stuart.

   Tucked away are other clues to the worldview of the designers; Herbert
   Baker's Parliament House is barely visible from Rajpath, as
   deliberative democracy was not a central part of Britain's plans for
   India; in fact, the main entrance to the Central Secretariat North
   Block declares "Liberty will not descend to a people; a people must
   raise themselves to liberty. It is a blessing which must be earned
   before it can be enjoyed"

Independent India and autonomy

   After Independence a limited autonomy was conferred on the capital but
   it largely remained a chief commissioner's regime. In 1956 Delhi was
   converted into a Union territory and gradually the chief commissioner
   was replaced by a Lieutenant Governor. In 1991, the National Capital
   Territory Act was passed by the parliament and a system of diarchy was
   introduced under which, the elected Government was given wide powers;
   except law and order which remained with the Central Government. The
   actual enforcement of the legislation came in 1993.

Government

   As of 2005, the government structure of the New Delhi Municipal Council
   includes a chairperson, three members of New Delhi's Legislative
   Assembly, two members nominated by the Chief Minister of New Delhi and
   five members nominated by the central government. The current Chief
   Minister is Sheila Dikshit.

Tourist attractions

   Delhi is a spacious, open city that houses many government buildings
   and embassies, apart from places of historical interest. Notable
   attractions in New Delhi include the Rashtrapati Bhawan, the one-time
   imperial residence of the British Viceroys; the India Gate, a memorial
   raised in honour of the Indian soldiers martyred during the Afghan and
   subsequent wars; the Laxminarayan Temple, built by the Birlas, one of
   India's leading industrial families; The Swaminarayan Akshardham
   temple; Humayun's Tomb ; the Purana Quila, built by Humayun, with
   later-day modifications by Sher Shah Suri; Tughlaqabad, The ruins of a
   14th century fort on the outskirts of town; Qutab Minar , built by
   Qutb-ud-din Aybak of the Slave Dynasty; and the lotus-shaped Bahá'í
   House of Worship .

Fitness & sports in New Delhi

   Delhi is also taking steps towards encouraging its citizens to look
   after their personal fitness. The leading preferences these days are
   for Dr. Rajnish's tai chi, yoga, kickboxing.

   Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) has developed sports complexes with
   multiple sports and fitness facilities. Most sports are available at
   these complexes, including: - squash, cricket, tennis, badminton, table
   tennis, aerobics, and more.

Sister cities

     * United States Chicago, Illinois, USA
     * United States Washington D.C., USA
     * Belgrade, Serbia

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhi"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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