New DelhiCapital
India · Country profile
New Delhi is the monumental capital of India, the grand colonial and modern capital district that the British built beside the ancient walled city of the Delhi, the imperial ensemble of the wide ceremonial avenues, the red sandstone government palaces, the vast domes and the public gardens laid out in the early twentieth century as the seat of the Raj. Today it shares the enormous metropolitan world of the National Capital Territory, with seventeen million people of the larger Delhi and the layered centuries of the many capitals of the plain, run by the Lodi, the Tughlaq and the Mughal empires that preceded the British project. The parliament, the presidential house, the India Gate and the great monuments of the walled city anchor the essential visits, while the markets, the temples and the crowded street life of the metropolis give the dense, electric reality of the Indian capital. Grand, chaotic and utterly colossal, New Delhi is the incomparable command centre of the world most populous democracy.
About New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital of India. The city's documented population is around 20,120,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Indian Rupee (INR) and Hindi and English are spoken; the dialling code is +91.
The Red Fort and the Mosque of the Old City
New Delhi is an enormous, two-faced metropolis where the essential circuit moves between the vast government axis of the colonial city, the heritage monuments of the old town and the markets and the temples of the living metropolis, with the museums, the forts and the gardens distributing the historic visits. The red fort, the great mosque, the dome of the Humayun tomb and the gate of the India frame the monument days, while the imperial centre of the government quarter with its wide avenues and its presidential palace carries the ceremonial axis. The markets of the city, from the spice lanes and the bazaars of the old town to the chic shops of the new districts, run the extraordinary commerce of the capital, and the metro of the city binds the whole metropolis together.
The Gate of the India and the Axis of the Government
The climate of the metropolis is the extreme continental of the northern plain, with the sweltering summer heat, the explosive monsoon rains, the mild golden dust of the autumn and the heavy winters with their foggy morns. The rupee is the currency, with the Hindi and the English the principal languages of the capital. The monuments, the government axis and the markets make the core circuit, and the metro, the local trains and the buses run the movement of the vast city. Light cotton clothing for the heat, a warm layer for the winter and a disciplined plan of the distances are the practical essentials of the enormous capital.
The Mausoleum of the Humayun and the Minaret of the Qutb
The great axis of the government quarter, the imperial sweep of the Kings Way that runs from the India Gate war memorial to the presidential palace, lined with the secretariat palaces and crowned by the vast red-and-cream dome of the residence of the head of state, forms the ceremonial spine of the capital, while the parliament house of the circular colonnaded design stands beside it in the heart of the imperial ensemble. The monuments of the walled city, the red sandstone grandeur of the Red Fort, the enormous Friday mosque of the Shah Jahan and the towering minaret of the Qutb, together with the sublime mausoleum of the Humayun of the gardens, give the incomparable mausoleum of the many-founded capital. The spice markets and the silver lanes of the old town and the malls, the temples and the craft bazaars of the new Delhi complete the essential, overwhelming circuit of the colossal capital of India.
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- Country
- India
- Population
- 20,120,000
- Coordinates
- 28.6139, 77.2090
- Capital
- New Delhi
- Region
- Asia
- Currency
- Indian Rupee (INR)
- Languages
- Hindi, English
- Calling code
- +91
- Country code
- IN
Entry requirements for India
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting India for tourism.
Getting to New Delhi
The nearest airports we list:
- Indira Gandhi International AirportDEL≈ 12 km from New Delhi
- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International AirportBOM≈ 1,147 km from New Delhi
- Rajiv Gandhi International AirportHYD≈ 1,271 km from New Delhi
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International AirportCCU≈ 1,306 km from New Delhi
- Kempegowda International AirportBLR≈ 1,715 km from New Delhi
Cities in India
Other cities we cover in India:
Frequently asked questions
Is New Delhi the capital of India?
Yes — New Delhi is the capital of India.
What currency do I need in New Delhi?
The local currency is the Indian Rupee (INR). Languages spoken in India include Hindi and English.
What is the dialling code for India?
The international dialling code for India is +91.
Which airport is nearest to New Delhi?
The nearest airport we list is Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL), about 12 km away.
How far is New Delhi from the nearest airport?
New Delhi is about 12 km from Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Do I need a visa to visit India?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Morocco (e-visa), United Kingdom (e-visa) and United States (e-visa). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of New Delhi? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.