New Delhi: India's Capital City | Travel Guide

New Delhi serves as the capital of India and forms part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, which encompasses both New Delhi and Old Delhi along with surrounding urban and rural areas. The National Capital Territory covers 1,484 square kilometers and recorded a population of 16,787,941 in the 2011 census, making it the second most populous city in India after Mumbai. New Delhi itself was inaugurated as the capital on February 13, 1931, replacing Calcutta, which had served as the administrative center under British rule since 1772.

The city sits on the Indo-Gangetic Plain at an average elevation of 216 meters above sea level, positioned along the west bank of the Yamuna River. January temperatures range from 6 to 21 degrees Celsius while May and June see maximums frequently exceeding 45 degrees Celsius. The monsoon season delivers approximately 714 millimeters of annual rainfall between June and September. Winter fog regularly reduces visibility below 50 meters during December and January mornings.

Edwin Lutyens designed the core government district of New Delhi between 1912 and 1929, creating a radial street pattern centered on Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the President of India. Rashtrapati Bhavan contains 340 rooms spread across 200,000 square feet of floor space, with the main building measuring 190 meters from front to back. The approach boulevard, Rajpath, extends 2.4 kilometers from India Gate to Rashtrapati Bhavan. India Gate, completed in 1931, stands 42 meters tall and bears the names of 13,300 servicemen who died in the First World War and the Third Anglo-Afghan War.

The Parliament House, completed in 1927, follows a circular plan 170 meters in diameter. The structure houses the Lok Sabha with 545 seats and the Rajya Sabha with 245 seats. The Central Hall dome rises to an internal height of 30 meters. Adjacent government buildings include the North Block and South Block of the Secretariat, each measuring 380 meters long, completed in 1931 and housing multiple ministries.

Qutub Minar rises 72.5 meters across five distinct stories in the Mehrauli area, constructed beginning in 1192 by Qutb al-Din Aibak. The base diameter measures 14.3 meters, tapering to 2.7 meters at the top. The adjoining Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, begun in 1192, incorporates materials from 27 demolished Hindu and Jain temples. The Iron Pillar within the complex dates to approximately 400 CE, stands 7.21 meters tall, weighs an estimated 6 tons, and contains 98 percent wrought iron. The pillar has resisted atmospheric corrosion for over 1,600 years due to high phosphorus content creating a protective layer.

The Red Fort complex covers 94.5 acres and was completed in 1648 under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The red sandstone walls extend 2.5 kilometers in perimeter and reach heights of 18 meters on the river side and 33 meters on the city side. The Lahori Gate serves as the main entrance, opening onto Chhatta Chowk, a covered bazaar 275 meters long. The Diwan-i-Aam measures 60 meters by 27 meters with 60 red sandstone pillars. The Rang Mahal contained a central marble basin fed by the Nahr-i-Bihisht water channel. The Moti Masjid, built in 1659, features three marble domes and a courtyard measuring 54 meters by 39 meters.

Humayun's Tomb, completed in 1572, marks the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and directly influenced the design of the Taj Mahal built 60 years later. The main tomb structure sits on a platform 22.5 feet high, with the double dome rising to 42.5 meters. The garden follows the char bagh plan with four quadrants separated by water channels and walkways. The complex contains approximately 150 graves of Mughal royalty.

Chandni Chowk, established in 1650 by Shah Jahan, extends 1,520 meters from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Mosque. The street originally featured a water channel running down its center, removed during British administration. The market contains approximately 1,500 shops organized into specialized wholesale districts. Dariba Kalan specializes in silver and gold jewelry. Khari Baoli, established in the 17th century, operates as Asia's largest wholesale spice market with over 1,000 shops trading cumin, cardamom, turmeric, saffron, and dried fruits. Individual shops process between 200 and 500 kilograms of spices daily during peak season.

Connaught Place forms a double-story circular colonnade with an outer circle radius of 400 meters, completed in 1933. The design divides the structure into blocks labeled A through N, housing approximately 80 retail establishments on the ground level. The inner circle, known as Connaught Circus or Rajiv Chowk, contains a central park measuring 70 meters in diameter. The adjacent Palika Bazaar underground market opened in 1976 with over 400 shops.

Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Delhi handled 65.69 million passengers in 2018. Terminal 3, opened in 2010, covers 502,000 square meters under a single roof and can process 34 million passengers annually. The Delhi Metro began operations in 2002 with 8 kilometers of track and expanded to 348.12 kilometers across 10 lines serving 250 stations as of 2019. Daily ridership reached 2.76 million passengers in March 2019. The airport serves as a hub for Air India, IndiGo, Vistara, and SpiceJet.

The Indian Meteorological Department headquarters operates from Mausam Bhavan in Lodi Road. Delhi experiences Air Quality Index readings frequently exceeding 400 during October through January, classified as severe. PM2.5 concentrations during this period regularly measure between 300 and 500 micrograms per cubic meter, twenty to thirty times the WHO safe limit of 15 micrograms per cubic meter. Stubble burning in neighboring Punjab and Haryana states contributes approximately 10 to 35 percent of particulate pollution during October and November according to satellite data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research.

Nizamuddin Dargah, the tomb of Sufi saint Nizamuddin Auliya who died in 1325, attracts an estimated 20,000 visitors daily during normal periods and over 100,000 during the annual Urs festival. The complex includes the tomb of poet Amir Khusrow, who died in 1325, located within sight of his master's tomb as requested. Qawwali devotional music performances occur every Thursday evening after sunset.

The Lotus Temple, completed in 1986, features 27 free-standing marble-clad petals arranged in clusters of three forming nine sides. The central hall can accommodate 2,500 people and requires no interior columns due to its shell structure. The building consumes zero grid electricity from April through October, meeting needs through solar panels covering 500 square meters. Annual visitors exceed 4 million across all faiths, as the Baháʼí House of Worship admits all regardless of religious affiliation.

Akshardham Temple, opened in 2005, features a main monument constructed from 6,000 tons of pink sandstone from Rajasthan and 2,000 tons of Italian Carrara marble, assembled without structural steel. The central dome rises to 43 meters, supported by 148 elephants carved at base level, each weighing approximately 3 tons. The monument includes 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 carved domes, and 20 quadrangled shikhars. The adjoining Yagnapurush Kund measures 109 meters by 85 meters, containing 2,870 steps, and operates as the world's largest stepwell according to Guinness World Records.

The National Museum on Janpath houses approximately 200,000 works spanning 5,000 years, including a Harappan seal collection of 3,500 items, one of the largest globally. The museum displays artifacts from excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro dating to 2500 BCE. The Gandhara collection includes 176 sculptures. The manuscript section preserves Buddhist palm-leaf texts from the 9th century and illustrated Mughal manuscripts including a Baburnama from 1590.

Purana Qila, the Old Fort, sits on an elevated site identified by Archaeological Survey of India excavations in 1954–55 and 2013–14 as containing Painted Grey Ware dating to 1000 BCE, supporting claims this location corresponds to Indraprastha. The Qila-i-Kuhna Mosque inside, built in 1541, features five arches with a central arch spanning 14.6 meters. The Sher Mandal, a two-story octagonal tower completed in 1541, served as Emperor Humayun's library until he fell down its stairs in 1556, dying three days later from head injuries.

Jama Masjid, completed in 1656 under Shah Jahan, features a courtyard measuring 100 meters by 100 meters paved with red sandstone. The mosque accommodates 25,000 worshippers. Three gates provide entry, with the eastern gate historically reserved for the emperor. The prayer hall measures 61 meters by 27.5 meters, containing 260 pillars supporting the roof. The southern minaret, 40 meters tall and 130 steps to the top, offers views across Old Delhi. The mosque preserves a copy of the Quran written on deerskin, a hair from the Prophet Muhammad's beard, and his sandal.

The National Rail Museum in Chanakyapuri displays over 100 historic locomotives and coaches. The collection includes the Fairy Queen, built in 1855, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest operational steam locomotive. The working Patiala State Monorail Trainway, manufactured in 1907, ran until 1927 and remains the only example of this system globally. The Viceregal dining car from 1899 features teak interiors and originally served the Viceroy of India. The skull of an elephant struck and killed by a mail train in 1894 near Guwahati remains on display, measuring 86 centimeters across.

Lodhi Gardens preserves tombs from the Sayyid and Lodhi dynasties spanning 1444 to 1526. The tomb of Muhammad Shah, built in 1444, features an octagonal plan with sloping walls and the first visible dome on a Delhi tomb. Sikander Lodhi's tomb, built in 1517, measures 18 meters square with a central chamber 9 meters high. The gardens cover 36 hectares and contain approximately 8,000 trees, including 280 rose varieties in dedicated beds.