About the City

The capital of India is the site of a remarkable fusion of the past and present. Ruins and ancient landmarks stand amidst modern buildings and giant skyscrapers. Older parts of Delhi show the influence of the Muslim rulers of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries with mosques monuments and exceptional landscaping.

New Delhi, on the other hand, was built by the British as the capital of India in 1911, and has a grandiose imperial style, with spacious, tree-lined avenues and imposing government buildings.

Despite its long history, New Delhi is officially very young. At partition in 1947, Delhi changed radically almost overnight. With the creation of a predominately Hindu India and an exclusively Muslim Pakistan, the Indian sub-continent witnessed a mass migration of peoples to both countries. The previously Muslim city of Delhi became a Punjabi-speaking city of Hindus and Sikhs. Heavy migration from various parts of the country doubled New Dehli's population and brought together a diversity of cultures.

Since independence, New Delhi has prospered as the capital of India. In the past decade its population has increased by 50 percent, largely due to rapid economic expansion and an increased number of job opportunities. New Delhi - one of the most affluent urban centers in India - is a city rich with culture, architecture and human diversity, steeped in history and home to almost 14 million inhabitants.

Global Classrooms: New Delhi Navigation