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Delhi, has seen the rise and fall of many empires which have left
behind a plethora of monuments that the grandeur and glory of bygone
ages . A city which traces its history to Mahabharata, the great
epic tale of wars fought between estranged cousins , the Kauravas
and the Pandavas for the city of Indraprastha.
Mughals ruled Delhi in succession starting from Qutab-ub-din to
Khiljis, Tughlaqs . The city of Delhi passed on to the hands of the
British in 1803 AD. It was only in 1911, when the capital of British
empire was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi, that Delhi got its
present prestige. After independence also, a kind of autonomy was
conferred on the capital but it largely remained a chief
commissioners regime. In 1956 Delhi was converted into a Union
territory and gradually the chief commissioner was replaced by a Lt.
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.
New Delhi, the capital of India, sprawled over the west bank of the
river Yamuna is one of the fastest growing cities in India. It is
surrounded on three sides by Haryana and to the east, across the
river Yamuna by Uttar Pradesh. Historically, the city has long since
been the foremost in political importance with successive dynasties
choosing it as their seat of power, between the 13th and the 17th
centuries. Remnants of the glorious past survive as important
monuments in different parts of the city.
The myriad faces of the city are simply fascinating. In some places
it remains a garden city, tree lined and with beautiful parks, but
in some places it can also be crowded with heavy traffic. Turbaned
Sikhs, colourfully dressed Rajasthani and Gujarati women working in
offices, Muslim shopkeepers along Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi,
Tibetans and Ladakhis in the street stalls along Janpath and
Kashmiris in the handicraft emporia around Connaught Place, all add
to the cosmopolitan feel of the city. Soaring skyscrapers, posh
residential colonies and bustling commercial complexes can be seen
along with the ancient historical monuments. Its boutiques and
shopping arcades offer access to a wealth of traditional and
contemporary crafts, from all over the country. Old Delhi which
looks entirely different from New Delhi area, is about 6 Km north of
the city center.
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