Delhi, the capital city of India is a city that conduits two different worlds, one is Old Delhi, which was once the capital of India during the rule of Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire. It is a maze of narrow lanes lined with crumbling havelis and redoubtable mosques. Quite the opposite is the imposing city of New Delhi created by the British Raj, which is made up of spacious, tree-lined avenues and magnificent government buildings. Delhi has served as the capital to several dynasties that has ruled over India and has been the seat of power for numerous rulers for about a millennium. Many a times the city was built, destroyed and then rebuilt here. Interestingly, a number of Delhi's rulers played a dual role, first as destroyers and then as creators.Since Delhi was under the rule of several dynasties and being the present capital of India with people from various parts of the country residing here, features a distinctive and unique culture. The culture of the city represents the culture of all the states of India in parts. In other words, it is a sort of amalgamation and reflection of the culture of India, as a whole. This metropolitan city displays a blend of modern lifestyles as well as the old traditions and values. One can witness those old traditions in Old Delhi, whereas, the culture in New Delhi is completely different, where people have become hostage of flamboyance. One can very well hear the sound of Qawwalis of Nizamuddin Shrine, Gurbanis of Bangla Sahib and Aartis of Chattarpur Mandir and simultaneously can hear the loud and blaring music of pubs and discotheques.This unique blend of modern lifestyle and traditional values makes the culture of Delhi unique. The most fascinating aspect of the city’s culture is that it is highly influenced by the culture of its neighboring states namely, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The presence of several historical monuments, temples of Hindus and Jains, churches, mosques and monasteries adds to the vivid and vibrant culture of Delhi. The culture of Delhi comprises festivals, various art forms, cuisine and religious beliefs. Being the national capital, Delhi is the home to people from different parts of the country and fairs and festivals form a major part of the city’s culture. The Chhat Puja of Bihar is celebrated here with as much festivity as the Durga Puja of Bengal. Eid-ul-Fitr, Buddha Purnima and Christmas are celebrated with same fervor and grandeur as Holi, Diwali, Lohri, Guru Purab, etc. are celebrated. Qutub Festival is one of the noted festivals that are being celebrated here. This particular festival mirrors the culture and tradition of Delhi and is celebrated for three-days in the premises of the Qutub Minar. Various forms of music and dance, which are important parts of the Indian culture, are showcased during this festival. Besides this, there a countless festivals celebrated in the city of Delhi with equal zest and fervor. Art and Craft of Delhi Art and craft of Delhi have a strong influence on the culture of Delhi. Being ruled by a number of great dynasties, the art and architecture of the city is worth seeing. The Indo-Persian art reflected in the architecture of Jama Masjid while the Birla Temple and the Chattarpur Temple complex emanating the blend of North and South Indian architectural styles, exemplifies the diversity as well as the richness of Delhi’s culture. The art and craft of the city has been patronized since the time unknown by various rulers. Emerged as the cultural hub of the country, Delhi is a centre for learning and promoting various art forms such a dance, music and paintings. It is today the home to several artists, musicians and painters. Cuisine of Delhi The food culture of Delhi represents the diversity that exists in the city. There is no particular cuisine of the city as the city is an amalgamation of various people from different parts of the country. Since it was the seat of power of the Mughal Empire for several centuries, the cuisine of Delhi has its influence. The absence of any particular culinary style has resulted in creating a unique style of cooking which became popular throughout the world, with dishes such as Kebab, biryani, tandoori. The city's classic dishes include Butter chicken, Aloo Chaat, chaat, dahi vada, kachori,chole bhature, jalebi and lassi. Street food of Delhi is famous all over the World and Chandni Chowk is one of the most famous places of Delhi for street food. Religion of Delhi The perfect example of Secularism is the city of Delhi, where people of different religions reside together with the feeling of brotherhood. People of almost all major religion can be found in the city and different places of worship of different religious beliefs can be found in the city. Temples of Hindus and Jains, mosques, churches, monasteries and gurudwaras are found in every part of the city. Besides these, followers of Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Baha'i Faith are also found in the city. This has highly influenced and played a major role in forming the culture of this metropolitan city. The culture of Delhi is indeed rich and vivid, which has been influenced by many factors and the rich as well as illustrious history of the city has made some impact on its cultural scenario.
