India Sept 08
Read More![Delhi (Hindi: दिल्ली, Urdu: دلّی / دہلی, Punjabi: ਦਿੱਲੀ) (sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second-largest city of India, and with its more than 18 million people,[3] the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population. It is a federally-administered union territory officially known as the National Capital Region (NCR).<br />
Located on the banks of river Yamuna in northern India, Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BC, according to archaeological evidence.[4] After the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, Delhi emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Indo-Gangetic plains.[5][6] It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857.[7][8]<br />
After the British East India Company gained control of much of India during the 18th and 19th centuries, Calcutta became the capital both under Company rule and under the British Raj, until George V announced in 1911 that it was to move back to Delhi. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built during the 1920s.[9] When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. As such, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India.<br />
Owing to the migration of people from across the country, Delhi has grown to be a cosmopolitan city. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed the city.[10] Today Delhi is a major cultural, political, and commercial center of India.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/India-Sept-08/i-Dfz85xn/0/af83b5c9/X2/DSC_0239-X2.jpg)
Delhi (Hindi: दिल्ली, Urdu: دلّی / دہلی, Punjabi: ਦਿੱਲੀ) (sometimes referred to as Dilli) is the second-largest city of India, and with its more than 18 million people,[3] the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population. It is a federally-administered union territory officially known as the National Capital Region (NCR).
Located on the banks of river Yamuna in northern India, Delhi has been continuously inhabited since at least the 6th century BC, according to archaeological evidence.[4] After the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, Delhi emerged as a major political, cultural and commercial city along the trade routes between northwest India and the Indo-Gangetic plains.[5][6] It is the site of many ancient and medieval monuments, archaeological sites and remains. In 1639, Mughal emperor Shahjahan built a new walled city in Delhi which served as the capital of the Mughal Empire from 1649 to 1857.[7][8]
After the British East India Company gained control of much of India during the 18th and 19th centuries, Calcutta became the capital both under Company rule and under the British Raj, until George V announced in 1911 that it was to move back to Delhi. A new capital city, New Delhi, was built during the 1920s.[9] When India gained independence from British rule in 1947, New Delhi was declared its capital and seat of government. As such, New Delhi houses important offices of the federal government, including the Parliament of India.
Owing to the migration of people from across the country, Delhi has grown to be a cosmopolitan city. Its rapid development and urbanisation, coupled with the relatively high average income of its population, has transformed the city.[10] Today Delhi is a major cultural, political, and commercial center of India.
Situated on Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India, the Secretariat Building is a set of two buildings on the opposite side of Rajpath that are home to some of the most important ministries of the Government of India.
The Secretariat Building houses the following ministries:
Ministry of Defence (MoD)
Ministry of Finance (MoF)
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)
Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
Prime Minister Office (PMO)
The Secretariat Building consists of two buildings: the North Block and the South Block. Both the buildings flank the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The South Block houses the Prime Minister Office, Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs
The North Block primarily houses the Ministry of Finance and the Home Ministry
The Secretariat Building was designed by the prominent British architect Herbert Baker. The building adopts from Moghul and Rajputana style of architecture. Examples include the use of Jali - decorated stone screens, Chajja - screens slanting outside from a building to protect from scorching sun and monsoon rains of India. Another feature of the building is a dome-like structure known as the Chatri, a design unique to India, used in ancient times to give relief to travelers by providing shade from the hot Indian sun.
The style of architecture used in Secretariat Building is unique to Raisina Hill.
The India Gate is one of the largest war memorials in India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, India Gate is prominent landmark in Delhi and commemorates the members of the erstwhile British Indian Army who lost their lives fighting for the Indian Empire in World War I and the Afghan Wars. Following India's independence, India Gate became the site of Indian Army's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, known as the Amar Jawan Jyoti.Burning in a shrine under the arch of India Gate since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (the flame of the immortal warrior), which marks the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph with a rifle placed on its barrel, crested by a soldier's helmet. Each face of the cenotaph has inscribed in gold the words "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Warrior). This cenotaph is itself placed on an edifice which has on its four corners four torches that are perpetually kept alive. It was unveiled on January 26, 1972 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, in the wake of the 1971 Indo-Pak War. Today, it is customary for the President and the Prime Minister, as well as visiting Guests of State, to pay homage at the site on occasions of State ceremonies.
Humayun's tomb is a complex of buildings in Mughal architecture built as Mughal Emperor Humayun's tomb. It is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi.
In time of Slave Dynasty this land was under the KiloKheri Fort which was capital of Sultan Kequbad son of Nasiruddin (1268-1287). It encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun as well as numerous others. The complex is a World Heritage Site and the first example of this type of Mughal architecture in India.
The architecture of the mausoleum is similar to Taj Mahal.
The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of Hamida Banu Begum, Humayun's widow starting in 1562. The architect of the edifice was reportedly Sayyed Muhammad ibn Mirak Ghiyathuddin and his father Mirak Ghiyathuddin who were brought in from Herat. It took 8 years to build and had a Chahr Bagh Garden style in its design, which is a Persian-style garden layout and was the first of its kind in the South Asia region.
Humayun's Tomb
![Restoration work by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture was completed in March 2003, enabling water to flow through the watercourses in the gardens once more[1]. Funding for this work was a gift from the institutions of His Highness the Aga Khan to India. In addition, AKTC is conducting a more significant restoration at Babur's tomb, the resting place of Humayun's father in Kabul.](https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/India-Sept-08/i-L5kgvFq/0/d1d89bb9/X2/DSC_0291-X2.jpg)
Restoration work by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture was completed in March 2003, enabling water to flow through the watercourses in the gardens once more[1]. Funding for this work was a gift from the institutions of His Highness the Aga Khan to India. In addition, AKTC is conducting a more significant restoration at Babur's tomb, the resting place of Humayun's father in Kabul.
