The National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) is comprised of the territories of New Delhi, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. It is normally referred to as Delhi and is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest metropolis by population in India. Delhi and New Delhi contribute 12.5 million people, whereas the other five territories add another 3.65 million people to form the National Capital Region. The NCT is a federally administered Union Territory, even with New Delhi being the capital of India. New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India, as well as numerous national museums, monuments, and art galleries.
Delhi lies in northern India. It borders the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh on East and Haryana on West, North and South. Delhi lies almost entirely in the Gangetic plains. Two prominent features of the geography of Delhi are the Yamuna flood plain and the Delhi ridge. The low-lying Yamuna flood plains provide fertile alluvial soil suitable for agriculture. However, these plains are prone to recurrent floods.
Owing to the migration of people from across the country, Delhi has grown to be a multicultural, cosmopolitan metropolis. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed Delhi. Today, Delhi is a major cultural, political, and commercial centre of India and the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population.
How to Get There
By Air: Delhi has an international airport with three runways and is one of the busiest airports in Asia. It is connected to every major domestic airport in India. The aim is to meet a traffic rate of over 55 annually by the end of this year and 100 million by 2020. Another airport is on the cards, to cope with the inexorable increase of traffic and big jets like the Airbus 380.
By Rail: Delhi, a major junction on the Indian rail map of India, is the headquarters of the Northern Railway. It has five termini to cater to traffic towards all directions.
By Road: Delhi is connected to other cities through many highways and expressways. Delhi currently has three expressways and three more are planned to connect it with its prosperous and commercial suburbs. The Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway connects Delhi with Gurgaon and the
international airport. The DND Flyway and Noida-Greater Noida Expressway connect Delhi with those two prosperous suburbs. Greater Noida is to have a new airport while Noida is to have the Indian Grand Prix.
What to See:
It is not possible to fit everything into a single page. The list starts with India Gate, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Red Fort, Chandni Chowk, Qutub Minar, Purana Quila, Jantar Mantar, Humayun's Tomb, Jama Masjid, Safdarjung's Tomb, Rajghat, Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Lotus Temple, Vijay Chowk, Connaught Place and hundreds of other monuments, gardens, parks, etc.
Transport in Delhi:
Public transport in Delhi is provided by buses, auto rickshaws and a metro rail system. Buses are the most popular means of transport catering to about 60% of the total demand. The state-owned Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) is a major bus service provider for the city. The DTC operates the world's largest fleet of environment-friendly CNG buses. The newly acquired deluxe low-floor high-capacity buses are most effective in transporting the masses while remaining eco-friendly. All auto-rickshaws are CNG-run as are most taxis.The Delhi Metro, a mass rapid transit system built and operated by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), serves many parts of Delhi as well as the satellite city of Noida in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. As of 2009, the metro consists of three lines with a total length of 90 km and 78 stations while several other lines are under construction, with the aim of completion of targets before the Commonwealth Games in end-2010. Gurgaon will be the next destination for the Metro.
Where to Stay:
The NCR has an amazing number of hotels. Apart from a dozen 5-star hotels, there are big numbers of starred hotels. Government and Railway guest houses add rooms, and every society/ cluster of houses has PG accommodation. All decent hotels are online, so reservations are easy. And in tourist season, reservations are a must.
Where to Eat:
There are over 3,000 restaurants in the NCR, catering to every palate and purse. Fast food eateries are visible in every nook and cranny, as are roadside vendors of the famous stuffed Paranthas. In fact, there is an 800m alley in Chandni Chowk called the Parantha Alley, in which eateries will provide you with any type of Parantha made anywhere in the world. But then, do be careful of the Delhi Belly. Drink pure and sealed bottles of mineral water only.
