India’s capital city, New Delhi is a symbol of the country’s rich history and thriving present, and is regarded as the heart of the nation.
Ancient landmarks and a modern metropolis blend seamlessly in New Delhi. Side by side, the order and formality of the high seats and government sit beside the chaos and liveliness of exotic bazaars and street markets.
Indeed, New Delhi is jam-packed with plenty of famous sites – be they a monument, temple, palace or a landmark, all of which tells the story of this incredible city.
Did you know: In 1911 King George V of the United Kingdom decreed that the capital of British India would be moved from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) to Delhi.
Scroll on to read 17 crazy, interesting and unknown facts about New Delhi (2023 Edition):
Table of Contents
17 Interesting Facts About New Delhi (2023 Edition)
1. Delhi is the Second Most Populated City in the World
The world’s most populated city is Tokyo. As of 2022, the capital of India is home to an incredible 31.1 million people! Source: Macro Trends
2. The City Experiences Frequent Earthquakes
In 2013 alone, New Delhi suffered from 12 earthquakes, with four of magnitudes higher than 2.5 on the richter scale.
3. Delhi and New Delhi are Technically Two Different Places
New Delhi is officially India’s capital, whereas Delhi is the name for the surrounding region, the NCT (National Capital Territory of Delhi), of which New Delhi forms a small part of.
4. Winter Generally Begins in November and Peaks in January
However, summers in New Delhi are long – beginning in April and lasting through to October.
5. Home to the World’s Tallest Brick Structure: The Qutub Minar
This Mughal landmark, which stands at 73 metres tall, is one of the most popular tourist spots in the city.
Did you know: Mumbai is the most populous city in India, and the 6th most populated city in the world! Here’s 35 Incredible facts about Mumbai:
6. The Delhi Metro System was Voted the 2nd Best in the World
The survey was conducted by Global Metro Bench-making Groups NOVA and CoMET in 2014.
7. Delhi has a Diverse Population of Various Faiths
Aside from the Hindu majority, there are Muslim, Jain, Sikh and Christian communities. A turning point in Delhi’s demogrpahic history was the year 1947, in the wake of India’s independence, thousands of Hindu and Sikh refugees from predominantly Muslim Pakistan entered the city.
(Source: Britannica.com)
8. The City was Designed by British Architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker
The city was planned in the British colonial style with ancient Indian influences. New Delhi is also known as Lutyens Delhi in honour of his contributions.
9. Among The World’s Top 10 Most Popular Cities with Tourists
As of 2019 Delhi has entered the list of the world’s top 10 most popular cities for tourists, due to its rapid development in the tourism sector in recent years.
(Source: livemint.com)
10. The Lotus Temple in Delhi is the World’s Only Structure of the Bahai Faith in Asia
This place of worship is a super-popular attraction that is open to all, regardless of religion or background.
11. Five of the Original 14 Gates of the Walled City of Delhi are Still Standing
These include: Lahori Gate – facing Lahore in Pakistan, Delhi Gate – pathway to earlier cities in the state, The Ajmeri Gate – facing Ajmer in Rajasthan, Kashmiri Gate – facing north to Kashmir, and the Turkman Gate – named after the religious Saint Hazrat Shah Turkman.
12. The Entire Public Transport System in Delhi runs on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
From the auto-rickshaws to the iconic blue-line buses, everything runs on the eco-friendly gas.
13. Delhi’s Khari Baoli Market is Asia’s Largest Wholesale Spice Market
This is a must-visit for all the spice lovers out there.
14. Indira Gandhi International Airport was Voted 4th Best in the World
Delhi’s main hub, Indira Gandhi International, was once voted the 4th best airport in 2010.
15. New Delhi has an International Museum of Toilets
The museum hosts a rare collection of photos, facts and objects documenting the historic evolution of toilets from 2500BC to the modern era.
16. Delhi is the Second Most Bird-Rich Capital in the World
After Nairobi in Kenya, Delhi is the second most bird-rich capital in the world. The Delhi ridge is home to a large number of bird species.
17. 20% of Delhi’s Landmass is Covered by Forests
And it remains one of the greenest cities in the world.
Other Questions About New Delhi
What is Unique about New Delhi?
New Delhi is the most polluted capital city in the world. This is despite the city’s entire public transport system being run on CNG (compressed natural gas).
What is New Delhi Famous For?
New Delhi is known for numerous things including: its countless historical monuments and tourist attractions, its world-famous food, and its bustling, chaotic marketplaces.
How Old is New Delhi?
The city of New Delhi (or Lutyens Delhi as it was known) was built by the British, its foundation stone being placed in 1911 by Emperor George V of Great Britain.
So the city of New Delhi is 111 years old (as of 2022).
The city was inaugurated as the capital of India on 13th February 1931. So New Delhi has been the capital of India for 91 years (as of 2022).
What are 5 Interesting Facts about India?
Here’s five interesting facts about India:
- The name ‘India’ derives from the river Indus.
- India is the second largest English speaking country in the world.
- During WW2, India produced the largest volunteer Army in world history.
- India has the largest number of vegetarians in the world.
- There are more people in India than in the entire Western Hemisphere of Earth
For more crazy, weird, and interesting facts, head over to my post: 40 Interesting Facts About India
New Delhi Fact File:
General Wikipedia Information
New Delhi facts and information, updated as of 2023:
- Land area: Capital City: 42.7 square km (16.5 sq mi)
- Country: India
- Urban Territory: Delhi
- Established: 1911
- Inaugurated: 1931
- Elevation: 216 metres above sea level
- Total Population (Metro area): 26.454m people (as of 2016)
- Capital City Population: 257,803
- Official Website: ndmc.gov.in
- Time zone: UTC+5:30 (IST)
- Driving side: left
- Country Number/Prefix: +91
- Most iconic landmarks: Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb
- Most popular food: paranthas, chaat, butter chicken, kebabs
So there you have it! I hope you find this list an interesting read, and that it inspires you to visit Delhi one day!
India Travel Guides
For more in-depth reading on New Delhi and India in general, you can get your hands on a copy of these bestsellers below:
Travelling to India soon?
- Check out my 3-Day New Delhi Itinerary here:
- Here’s the Top Things To Do in New Delhi in 2023
- Want to learn some cool facts about India? Head over to my post: 47 Interesting Facts About India
- Click here to read my post: Delhi & Agra: 4 Day Itinerary
- You can read about my first visit to India here
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Book Your Trip to New Delhi: Budget Tips & Tricks
Flights: As always, I source the cheapest flights on the web from Skyscanner and Kiwi.com. They are considered the top flight search engines for the best deals.
Accommodation: I use Booking for the best hotel deals and HostelWorld for the cheapest stays. If you’re considering Airbnb, be sure to check Vrbo to find cheaper vacation stays.
SIM cards: DrimSim is a universal SIM card that isn’t tied to an operator and works in any country/region.
Travel Insurance: Stay protected from theft, injury, illness, and cancellations. A safety net in case anything goes wrong, I never leave without it. World Nomads is my favourite agent for total peace of mind.
Tours & Excursions: I book all my fave activities and guided tours on Get Your Guide & Viator – they do superb deals whilst offering excellent customer support.
Renting a car? I always use DiscoverCars, make sure you book your car hire in advance. For airport transfers, I use KiwiTaxi for the best deals.
Need to store your luggage in a locker? Use Radical Storage to store your stuff in a locker in any city for just $5 per day.
Head over to my Travel Tools page for all my best travel tips & advice and everything you need for your trip.
Enjoyed reading this! Must see the international museum of toilets – smile. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Cindy! Appreciate the feedback!
Best Wishes
Billy
Still, there are So Many Places to See In Delhi. It is Really Nice Blog
Hi Sanjith,
Agreed – there are so many places to see in Delhi, I have yet to seem them all. Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it.
Regards,
Billy
There are still a lot of places to see in Delhi. This blog is quite nice! Simply amazing! This blog has everything from language and perfect information on what to see in Delhi. I usually get information about the city monuments and other things from the website named move to Delhi.
Hi this post really helped with my geography homework at school
keep it up!
Just realized this is from 3 years ago
But this is still did help me with my geography homework!📚
5 stars!
By the way I am trying to read all you posts soooo yeah better make some more cause
I am kinda a fast reader😥
Pretty Long and detailed article on delhi.. there are still some places which are missing but i think you can easily update them throughout the next couple of months and this will raise your credibility as well