94+ Unknown Facts About Delhi You Must Know !

Delhi is not just one city; it is a collection of 8 historical cities built and destroyed over millennia. 🏛️

The known historic cities are: Qila Rai Pithora, Mehrauli, Siri, Tughlaqabad, Firozabad, Shergarh, Shahjahanabad, and New Delhi. 🧱

Legend says the original city was 'Indraprastha', built by the Pandavas from the Mahabharata around 5000 years ago. 📜

The 'Purana Qila' (Old Fort) is believed to be built on the exact site of Indraprastha. 🏰

The Red Fort was originally white! It was made of limestone, but when it chipped off, the British painted it red. 🎨

Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world, standing at 73 meters. 📏

The Iron Pillar at the Qutub Complex has not rusted for over 1,600 years, proving the advanced metallurgy of ancient India. 🧪

The 'Chor Minar' in Hauz Khas has 225 holes; historically, the severed heads of thieves were displayed here to scare people. 💀

Delhi was ruled by the Tomars, Chauhans, Mamluks, Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Sayyids, Lodis, Mughals, and the British. 👑

The city's name likely comes from King Dhilu, who ruled the region in the 1st century BC. 🤴

Feroz Shah Kotla fort is famous for being the home of 'Djinns'; people still write letters to them seeking wishes. 🧞‍♂️

The 'Khooni Darwaza' (Gate of Blood) got its name because three Mughal princes were executed there by British Captain Hodson. 🩸

Delhi was the site of the most expensive party ever thrown in history: The Delhi Durbar of 1911 (adjusted for inflation). 🎆

The new Parliament Building is triangular in shape to represent sacred geometry and optimal space usage. 📐

The 'Sengol' (historical specter) is installed in the new Parliament near the Speaker's chair. 🔱

Rajpath was officially renamed 'Kartavya Path' (Path of Duty) in 2022. 🛣️

The 'Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya' at Teen Murti Bhavan is a high-tech museum dedicated to all Prime Ministers of India. 🇮🇳

Delhi is home to 'Bharat Mandapam' (Pragati Maidan), the venue of the historic G20 Summit. 🌍

The 'Yashobhoomi' in Dwarka is one of the world's largest convention and expo centers. 🏟️

The 'War Memorial' near India Gate features the names of every Indian soldier martyred in conflicts since 1947. 🎖️

The 'Netaji Statue' under the canopy at India Gate is made of a single block of granite weighing 280 metric tonnes. 🗿

The 'Signature Bridge' is double the height of the Qutub Minar and features a glass viewing deck. 🌉

Delhi has a 'Waste to Wonder' park where the 7 Wonders of the World are created entirely from scrap metal. ♻️

The 'Bharat Darshan Park' features replicas of famous Indian monuments made from waste material. 🗑️➡️🕌

Connaught Place (CP) has the 9th most expensive office real estate in the world. 💰

CP is designed in the shape of a giant horseshoe, modeled after the Royal Crescent in Bath, UK. 🇬🇧

The Delhi Metro is the largest and busiest metro network in India. 🚇

The famous announcement voice 'Agla station Rajiv Chowk hai' belongs to Rini Simon Khanna (English) and Shammi Narang (Hindi). 🗣️

The 'Magenta Line' and 'Pink Line' operate completely driverless trains (UTO - Unattended Train Operation). 🤖

The Delhi Metro runs on 100% renewable energy for a significant portion of its operations (solar power from Rewa). ☀️

The deepest metro station is Hauz Khas (29 meters deep), which is equal to a 10-story building underground. 📉

The highest point is at Dhaula Kuan, where the metro passes 23.6 meters above the ground. 🎢

Delhi has the 'Namo Bharat' (RRTS), a high-speed rapid rail connecting Delhi to Meerut in under an hour. 🚄

Delhi has the largest fleet of CNG-run public transport in the world, a shift made to combat pollution. 🚌

Shastri Park was the first-ever metro depot to be built in the city. 🚉

The Delhi Metro smart card is interoperable and can be used for DTC buses as well. 💳

Butter Chicken was invented in Delhi at 'Moti Mahal' in Daryaganj in the 1940s. 🍗

Dal Bukhara at ITC Maurya is cooked over a slow coal fire for 18 to 24 hours continuously. 🥘

Chandni Chowk's 'Paranthe Wali Gali' has been serving fried parathas for over 150 years. 🍽️

The 'Daulat Ki Chaat' is a winter-exclusive dessert made from milk foam that disappears if the sun gets too hot. ☁️

Delhi is famous for 'Chole Bhature', and fans often fight over whether 'Sita Ram Diwan Chand' or 'Chache Di Hatti' is better. 🥣

The 'Fire Paan' (burning betel leaf) trend originated in Connaught Place. 🔥🍃

Majnu Ka Tilla (MKT) is known as 'Little Tibet' and serves the best authentic Laphing and Momos in the city. 🥟

Karim's near Jama Masjid was established by a chef who worked in the royal kitchens of the last Mughal Emperor. 👑

The 'Lotan Chole Kulche' in Old Delhi is famous for being so spicy that people often cry while eating it. 🌶️

Delhi consumes the highest amount of 'Momos' per capita in India. 🥟

Delhi Cantonment (Delhi Cantt) is considered the most haunted place in the capital. 👻

Drivers often report seeing a 'Lady in White' asking for a lift and running alongside the car at 60 km/h. 🚗

Sanjay Van is a dense forest where people have reported hearing children crying and seeing glowing eyes in the trees. 🌳

Lothian Cemetery is said to be haunted by a British soldier named General Nicholas who walks carrying his own severed head. 💀

The 'Mutiny Memorial' is rumored to be haunted by the restless souls of the 1857 revolt soldiers. ⚔️

A house in Greater Kailash (W-3) was abandoned for years due to a gruesome murder and rumors of whispers. 🏚️

Jamali Kamali Mosque is famous for people reporting getting 'slapped' by invisible entities. 👋

Agrasen Ki Baoli is rumored to have once contained 'Black Water' that hypnotized people into jumping in. 🌑

Delhi is the second most bird-rich capital city in the world (after Nairobi). 🦜

The 'Delhi Ridge' is actually the northernmost extension of the ancient Aravalli Mountain Range (oldest mountains in India). ⛰️

The city suffers from a 'Fifth Season' called the 'Smog Season' (October-November) due to crop burning and winter inversion. 🌫️

Delhi installed massive 'Smog Towers' in Connaught Place and Anand Vihar to filter air (though their effectiveness is debated). 🏭

The Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary is a hidden forest in South Delhi home to leopards and jackals. 🐆

The Yamuna river in Delhi is unfortunately one of the most polluted river stretches in the world. 🌊

The 'Amrit Udyan' (Mughal Gardens) in Rashtrapati Bhavan opens to the public only once a year in spring. 🌷

Delhi has a 'Toilet Museum' (Sulabh International) dedicated to the history of sanitation from 2500 BC to today. 🚽

The 'Phool Walon Ki Sair' is a unique festival where both Hindus and Muslims offer floral fans (Pankhas) to a temple and a shrine together. 🤝

There is a 'Street of Books' in Daryaganj (Sunday Book Market) where books are sold by the kilo. 📚

The Lotus Temple is the only Bahá'í House of Worship in all of Asia and has no idols inside. 🪷

The 'Museum of Illusions' in CP allows you to walk on the ceiling and shrink in size. 😵

Delhi has the highest number of CCTV cameras per square mile in the world (beating London and Beijing). 📹

The 'Doll Museum' (Shankar's) houses over 6,500 dolls from 85 countries. 🎎

Asia's largest wholesale fruit and vegetable market is in Azadpur, Delhi. 🍎

Asia's largest wholesale spice market is Khari Baoli in Old Delhi. 🌶️

Sarojini Nagar Market is known as the 'Fashion Capital of the Poor' due to export surplus brands being sold for cheap. 👗

Champa Gali is a Parisian-style hidden lane in Saket famous for aesthetics and coffee. ☕

Delhi has a 'Monorail', but it was a failed experiment and remains defunct. 🚈

The 'Bhairon Mandir' near Pragati Maidan is unique because devotees offer alcohol (liquor) to the deity. 🍾

The auto-rickshaws are color-coded Green and Yellow to signify they run on clean CNG fuel. 🛺

Delhi University (DU) North Campus was built on the site of the Vice-Regal Lodge where Lord Mountbatten proposed marriage to Edwina (allegedly). 🎓

The 'Jantar Mantar' features the world's largest stone sundial. ☀️

Akshardham Temple holds the Guinness Record for the 'World's Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple'. 🕉️

No electronics or cameras are allowed inside Akshardham, making it one of the strictest security zones. 🚫📷

Safdarjung's Tomb is often called the 'Last flicker in the lamp of Mughal Architecture'. 🕯️

Delhi hosted the Asian Games twice (1951 & 1982) and the Commonwealth Games in 2010. 🏅

Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah has been hosting Qawwali sessions every Thursday night for over 700 years. 🎶

Mirza Ghalib, the legendary poet, lived in a Haveli in Ballimaran which is now a museum. ✍️

The 'Delhi Belly' is a real term used by tourists for stomach upsets, but locals call it 'Immunity Building'. 😂

The Palam Air Force Museum is the only one of its kind in India open to the public. ✈️

The 'Nehru Planetarium' is the hub for all astronomy lovers in the city. 🔭

The 'National School of Drama' (NSD) in Delhi has produced stars like Irrfan Khan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Om Puri. 🎭

There is a 'Fire Museum' in Palam dedicated to the history of firefighting. 🚒

The city sits on Seismic Zone IV, making it highly vulnerable to earthquakes. ⚠️

Delhi has a locality called 'Neb Sarai', which is one of the oldest inhabited villages in the region. 🏘️

Before the 1911 capital shift, the area of Lutyens' Delhi was a forest inhabited by wild animals. 🌲

The 'Barakhamba Road' is named after a house with '12 Pillars' (Barah Khamba) that used to stand there. 🏛️

Tihar Jail in Delhi is the largest prison complex in South Asia. 🔒

Tihar Jail has its own brand called 'TJ's', selling products like bread, chips, and furniture made by inmates. 🍞