India

Don't let your first impressions of Delhi stick like a sacred cow in a traffic jam: get behind the madcap facade and discover the inner peace of a city rich with culture, architecture and human diversity, deep with history and totally addictive to epicureans.

Before the 20th century

Popular Hindu mythology claims that Delhi was the site of the fabled city of Indraprastha, which featured in the Mahabharata over 3000 years ago, but historical evidence suggests that the area has been settled for around 2500 years. Since the 12th century, Delhi has seen the rise and fall of seven major powers. The Chauhans took control in the 12th century and made Delhi the most important Hindu centre in northern India. When Qutab-ud-din Aibak occupied the city in 1193, he ushered in six and a half centuries of Muslim rule. The Delhi Sultanate lasted from 1206 to 1526, despite its inconsistent rule, and was followed by the mighty Mughals from 1526 to 1857. The basis of what is today Old Delhi, including the Red Fort and the Jama Masjid, was built during the reign of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (1628-58).

In 1803, the British captured Delhi and installed a British administrator. Delhi was not the capital of India at the time, but it was an important commercial centre and had a population of 150,000 by the start of the 20th century.

Modern history

When the British decided to make Delhi the capital in 1911, they built New Delhi in a grandiose imperial style, as if the sun would never set on the British Raj. Only 16 years after the city was inaugurated as the nation's capital, Delhi was torched during the trauma of Partition. In a matter of weeks it was transformed from a Muslim-dominated city of less than a million inhabitants to a largely Hindu city of almost two million.

Recent history

Today, very few city residents can lay claim to being 'real' Delhiites, and most of the population of New Delhi comprises Hindu-Punjabi families, many originally from Lahore (located in present-day Pakistan).

Since Independence, Delhi has prospered as the capital of India. In the past decade its population has increased by 50%, largely due to rapid economic expansion and increased job opportunities. The city is also looking smarter than it has for centuries, with the copious urban overhaul in time for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The downside of this boom is increased overcrowding, traffic congestion, child labour, housing shortages, power cuts and pollution.

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  The Imperial, Delhi

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If you've got the cash and the dash to mix it with the city's elite, Delhi has sporting facilities to burn, including gyms, tennis courts and billiards tables. Most of the major top end (and a sprinkling of midrange) hotels have swimming pools.

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Shankar's International Dolls Museum Central Delhi 0 ratings 0 reviews	National Museum Central Delhi 0 ratings 0 reviews
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One of Delhi's drawbacks is that for more than half the year the climate is lousy. For about four months - from November until about March - it's fine, with daytime temperatures between 21 and 30°C (70-86°F). However, by the end of April it's hot, while May and June are really hot - temperatures can swoop up to more than 45°C (113°F). In July it gets cooler but the humidity really hits, often with all-day rain through August and September.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting there and away

Delhi is a major international gateway. It's also a centre for domestic travel, with extensive bus, rail and air connections. Delhi's airport can be prone to thick fog in December and January (often disrupting airline schedules), making it wise not to book back-to-back flights during this period.

Getting around

Delhi's bus system is not for the faint hearted, or indeed for those who need to get somewhere on time. The network covers most of the city and is dirt cheap, but is also overcrowded and ramshackle - adventure travel you might say. There are plenty of metered yellow-and-black taxis, but don't expect the existence of a meter to mean they will be used. Learn to negotiate before you get going. Auto-rickshaws are generally speedy over short distances and less expensive - cycle rickshaws are somewhat romantic, but harder to find now they have been removed from the modern parts of the city. Motorcycle rickshaws are a better bet during busy hours. They have set courses and prices and can muscle their way through traffic as well. Trying to cycle through Delhi streets would be a foolish choice for a traveller. Try the metro instead - check out www.delhimetrorail.com for more details.

Health & Legal Requirements

Dangers and annoyances

First-time visitors especially should be on their guard against Delhi's touts and tricksters, who are remarkably inventive in their schemes to part tourists from their cash.

Touts buzz around tourist honeypots such as Connaught Place, Paharganj and the New Delhi train station. These oh-so-helpful fellows will try to cart you off to shops, travel agencies or 'official' tourist offices, where they earn commission at your expense.

However, you'll probably find the scammers pretty innocuous if you follow a policy of ignoring them or calling their bluff. If you do have problems, seek out the 'tourist police', who have marked jeeps stationed at tourist centres, including the international airport, New Delhi train station and Janpath.