Delhi
Scholars have traced Delhi's roots as a city to as far back as 1000 BC. Today, the city is divided into two sections, simply called Old Delhi and New Delhi. Currently, the metropolis has an approximate population of about sixteen million inhabitants. There has been a tremendous increase in the living standards of the average 'Delhite' in the past couple of decades, and every conceivable western luxury is easily available here. Luxury hotels, restaurants, and boutique stores abound, and emporiums offer handicrafts and other treasures from all corners of the nation.
There is amazing art and architecture all over Delhi; from the awe inspiring 16th century Mosques, palaces, forts, & other monuments of the Moghul Empire, to the magnificence of countless other buildings and structures. These can range from structures many thousands of years old, to the numerous impressive bureaucratic buildings constructed during the "British Raj". Just a few examples are Moghul achievements like the massive Red Fort (and the city inside it) and the towering Qutab Minar; classic British era structures India Gate and Rashtrapathi Bhawan; modern edifices like the magnificent Bahai Temple; as well as numerous gardens designed and laid out many centuries ago.
New Delhi is the capital of India and the home of the largest bureaucracy in the democratic world. It is also the nations primary center for fine arts and other cultural endeavors. Architecturally and socially, the city is a diverse mosaic, woven with the tapestries of the cultures that have ruled and/or inhabited Northern India over the last eight centuries.
