At a distance of 1,474 km from Mumbai, 1,462 km from Kolkata, 1,543 km from Hyderabad, 2,171 km from Chennai, 2,131 km from Bangalore, Delhi, also known as Dilli, is officially the National Capital Territory (NCT). New Delhi, the national capital of India, is one of the nine districts of the NCT of Delhi.



Located in northern part of India, Delhi is situated on the banks of River Yamuna at an elevation of 293 meters. It is bound by the states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Delhi is India's second most populous city after Mumbai. With an area of 47.2 sq. km, it is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The IT sector, handloom, fashion, textile and electronic industry contribute a lot to Delhi's economy.



Historically, the city was known as Indraprastha or Hastinapura, the renowned capital of the legendary Pandavas, which has overwhelming history and rich cultural heritage. It was first created as the capital of an independent kingdom by Tomars in 736 AD. Muhammad of Ghori captured the city in 1192 and his Slave Aibak established the Delhi Sultanate. The first battle of Panipat in 1526 saw the handover of Delhi from the Lodhis of Delhi Sultanate to the Mughals, when Babur established the Mughal Empire. The city of Delhi passed on to the hands of the British in 1803 AD. In 1911, British shifted their capital from Calcutta to Delhi. After independence in 1947, New Delhi was officially declared as the Capital of India.



Delhi has two parts, Old Delhi and New Delhi. While Old Delhi is all about Mughal and British architectural monuments, New Delhi is home to several offices and modern buildings. Some of the major attractions of the city include the Red Fort, India Gate, Qutub Minar, Jantar Mantar, etc. Other popular attractions include Rashtrapathi Bhavan, Akshardham Temple, Lotus Temple, Raj Ghat as well as several museums. Chandni Chowk, Karolbagh and Connaught Place have emerged as the major shopping hubs.



Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti are some of the major events of national significance celebrated in Delhi. Several religious festivals like Diwali, Holi, Eid, Guru Purab, Buddha Purnima and Christmas are celebrated with great joy and fervor. Qutub Festival is one of the cultural events during which musician and dancers from all across the country give their performance near the historical monument of Qutub Minar.



Delhi has great connectivity from major cities in India and countries like Sri Lanka, Dubai, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, USA & Europe. The railway network connects Delhi to the all major destinations in India. The three important Railway Stations of Delhi are New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Junction (4 km) and Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station (8.5 km). The three major bus stands in Delhi are ISBT (Inter State Bus Terminus) - Kashmiri Gate (4.5 km), ISBT Sarai Kale Khan (12 km) and ISBT Anand Vihar (15 km). Delhi is well connected by bus with Shimla, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Manali, Mumbai, Pune, Agra, Gurgaon, Jammu, Noida, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Lucknow, Nainital and Roorkee.



The best seasons to visit New Delhi are from February to March and from October to November.

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