Facts About Delhi

Delhi is the National capital of India, is the home to a blend of millions of people from various background. In 1911 the capital of India was declared to be changed from Calcutta to Delhi and on 13th Feb 1931 it was officially done.

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via GIPHY

Here we list you surprising and interesting facts about Delhi that you should know:

1. New Delhi was planned by a British architect

Large parts of the city was designed by a British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker. Sometimes Delhi is also called Lutyens Delhi in honor of the contribution made in building the city.

Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker
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2. Largest Mosque in India

The Jama Masjid is the largest mosque in India which was built in 1656. This was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. There are so many other mosques in Delhi such as Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah, Fatehpuri Mosque, Sunheri masjid, Zinat ul Masjid.

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Jama Masjid, New Delhi
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3. The Red Fort was originally white

According to Archaeological Survey of India parts of Red Fort were made of limestone. When the white stone started chipping off, Britishers painted the building red.

Red Fort, New Delhi
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4. Humayun’s Tomb is the inspiration behind the iconic Taj Mahal

Humayun’s Tomb located in Nizamuddin area of Delhi, is the inspiration behind many architectural innovations including the construction of the Taj Mahal. This historical monument was built by Hamida Banu Begum for her husband Humayun who was the second Mughal Emperor. You can find more than 100 tombs within the entire complex of Humayun’s Tomb.

humayun tomb, Delhi
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5. Tallest Minaret in the world

Qutub Minar is the Tallest brick Minaret in the world. In 1200 AD, Qutub al Din Aibak the founder of the Delhi sultanate started construction of Qutub Minar. The first three storey are made up of red sand stone, the fourth, fifth and sixth storey are of marble and sandstone and at foot of tower is Quwwat ul Islam Mosque. Qutub Minar surrounding with ancient and medieval monuments form the Qutub Complex which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Qutub Minar, New Delhi.
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6. Asia largest spice market

Khari Baoli is the largest spice market in Asia. This is situated at in Old Delhi close to the Red fort near to Fatehpuri Masjid which is on western of Chandni Chowk. The spice market in Delhi was established in the early 17th century and is continued till date.

khari baoli spice market delhi
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7. Asia largest wholesale market for fruit and vegetables

Wholesale market at Azadpur is the largest fruit and vegetable market in Asia. This market is spread across an area of 80 acres. This Market was constructed by DDA in 1977. Here you will find both local and international fruits including Kiwis , mouth watering Alphonso mangoes, peaches, apples etc. A great variety of organic fruits and vegetables are also available in this mandi.

Also read: 17 Wholesale Markets In Delhi Where You Can Get Everything Cheap

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Azadpur Mandi Vegetable Market Delhi
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8. DTC runs the world’s largest group of eco-friendly buses

Delhi Transport Corporation which owns largest fleet of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueled buses in the world.

DTC Bus Depot
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9. Weirdest museums in the country

The Sulabh international museums of toilets in Delhi is a museum run by the Sulabh interntional which is dedicated to global history of sanitation and toilets . According to times magazine this museum is one of the weirdest museums around the world. This museum was established in 1992 by Dr Bindeshwar Pathak a social activist founder of sulabh sanitation.

Sulabh International Museum of Toilets, New Delhi
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10. Most expensive Common Wealth Games till date

Common Wealth games were held in Delhi from 3-14 October 2010 and has been reported to be the largest and most expensive of all CWGs till date.

Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi
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11. One of the greenest city in the world

With an ecological cover of 20% Delhi is considered to be one of the greenest cities in the world.

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India Gate With Rajpath, New Delhi
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12. Second most bird-rich capital in the world

Delhi is the second most bird rich capital city in the world after Nairobi, Kenya. The ridge for administrative reasons is divided into four separate zones such as the Old Delhi or Northern ridge, the New Delhi or Central ridge, the Mehrauli or South Central ridge and the Tuglaqabad or Southern ridge.

Okhla Bird Sanctuary, New Delhi
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13. National Rail Museum

The National rail museum is in Chanakyapuri, New delhi which focuses on rail heritage of India. Established in 1977 the museum is spread over 10 acres of land with indoor and outdoor exhibits. A toy train offers rides around that rail museum.

National Rail Museum, New Delhi
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14. Delhi was walled by 14 gates

Delhi was once a walled city which had 14 gates. Fives Gates of Delhi out of 14 still stand tall. The Kashmere Gate, the northern most gate of the walled city of Delhi was established in 1835 by engineer Robert Smith. The second is Ajmeri Gate which was built during the Mughal era in 1644 the gate apparent faces towards Ajmer. The Lahori Gate also known as Lahori Darwaza this is the main entrance to the Lal Quila or Red Fort, it is the only gate in delhi with modern elevator. The Delhi Gate is well known as Dilli Darwaza the gate is another entrance to famous to Lal Quila, it was constructed during the reign of Shahajahan. The Turkman Gate which is located in Shahjahanabad was built in the 13thcentuary.

Kashmiri Gate, Delhi.
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15. Lotus Temple – Only architecture of Baha’i faith in entire Asia

Lotus Temple is among the eight Baha’i temples around the world, and is the only architecture of Baha’i faith in entire Asia. The lotus temple which is located in New Delhi is a Baha’i house of worship and was completed in 1986. This temple has won the numerous architectural awards and featured in hundred of Newspapers. Like all Baha’i house of worship the Lotus temple is open to all religions people. The Baha’i House of worship in Delhi attracted more than 70 million visitors which is one of most visited buildings in the world.

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Lotus Temple, New Delhi.
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16. 7th most expensive hotspot in the world

Delhi Connaught Place is the seventh most expensive office market in the world according to a survey conducted by property advisory firm CBRE.

Tricolor At Connaught Place Delhi
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17. Delhi metro platforms are made user friendly for blind people

The Delhi Metro is the 12th largest metro system in terms of both lengths and numbers of stations. You must have noticed the yellow tiled tracks inside the metro stations and on the platforms. These tiles leads to the front of coach doors, straight to the lift and to the exit, which helps blind people to find their path. The metro has an average daily ridership of 2.4 million passengers and DMRC named second best metro in the world after US.

Tactile pavement For Blind People Delhi Metro
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Also read: 20 Places In Delhi Every Tourist Must Visit

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