New Delhi, the capital of India. A city for the wise and the spice! With a long history of successions, starting from the Delhi Sultanate to Mughals to British colonialism to its eventual independence, India’s New Delhi hosts all three branches of its government. It also stands as one of the fastest developing cities in the world – and that’s not all!
Today, we’re highlighting some fascinating facts about the fabulous city!
1. Delhi and New Dehli Are Two Different Places
Didn’t see that one coming, did you? It’s true. Even though we often use both names interchangeably, Delhi and New Delhi are two different places altogether. The former is a substantial city or union territory of India within which sits the latter. New Delhi is the capital of the country and also hosts the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial arms of its government.
2. Red Fort’s Original Color
The iconic Red Fort that bears the tricolor flag of India and upholds the might of Delhi wasn’t always red.
It is said that since the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s favorite colors were red and white, the fort was painted as such to his liking. However, since the structure was made out of limestone, it soon started to wither away, after which the British painted it red.
3. Home to the Tallest Brick Minaret
That’s right, we’re talking about the Qutub Minar. Qutb-ud-din Aibak of the Delhi Sultanate first commissioned the construction of this minaret in 1199. Standing at 72.5 meters tall, the Qutub Minar is a renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4. Once Bound by 14 Gates
From the 8th to the 20th century, city rulers built gates across Delhi. What once used to be 14 gates has now diminished to only 5 – the Lahori Gate, which is the entryway into the Red Fort; the Ajmeri Gate, which faces Ajmer and was built in 1644; the Kashmiri Gate, located in the northernmost end of the city, built by Robert Smith in 1835; the Delhi Gate, another entryway into the Red Fort; and the India Gate, one of the most significant landmarks of recent times.
5. The Origin of Butter Chicken
If you’re a fan of good food, you’ve likely heard of this buttery delicious blend of spices and flavors. It was in a Delhi restaurant known as Moti Mahal that this now world-famous dish was born. Also known as Murg Makhani, the dish is created by tossing tandoor chicken into a rich buttery gravy, If the sound of that doesn’t get you salivating, we don’t know what will.