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Delhi is the
capital of India and the third-largest city after Mumbai and
Calcutta. Delhi has not always been the capital of India but it has
played an important role in Indian history. Delhi is a relatively
easy city to find your way around in, although it is very
spread out. The section of interest to visitors is on the west bank
of the Yamuna River and is divided basically into two parts,
viz. Old Delhi and New Delhi. Old Delhi is basically the 17th
century walled city of Shahjahanabad, with city gates, narrow
alleys, the enormous Red Fort and Jama Masjid, temples,
mosques, bazaars and the famous street/area known as Chandni
Chowk. New Delhi is a planned city of wide, tree-lined streets,
parks and fountains. Its hub is the great circle of Connaught
Place and the streets that radiate south from it. Here you will
find most of the airline offices, banks, travel agents, the
various state tourist offices, the national tourist office,
economical rest/guest houses and several of the big hotels |
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However, of
late, the focus of business activity has shifted to South Delhi,
i.e. Chanakyapuri and beyond (and even upto the outskirts of Gurgaon).
Most of the popular residential areas are also concentrated there.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport is to the south west of the
city ( towards Gurgaon ), and about halfway between the
airport and Connaught Place is Chanakyapuri, the diplomatic
enclave. Most of embassies in Delhi are concentrated in this modern
area and most diplomats reside there or nearby. The major
attractions of Delhi are India Gate, Raj Ghat, Jantar Mantar,
Connaught Place, Parliament House, Baha'i Temple, the National
Museum, the Railway Museum, Red Fort, Purana Qila, Qutab Minar,
Safdarjang's Tomb, Humayun's Tomb, Lakshmi Narain Mandir, Delhi
Zoo, Mughal Gardens, Pragati Maidan, Badkal Lake, Suraj Kund
and Kalindi Kunj. The major Shopping centres are Chandni
Chowk, Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, South Extn., Santushti (Chanakyapuri),
Hauz Khas Village and Lajpat Nagar |