The capital city of India and also the third largest in the world ranking, Delhi has a rich cultural heritage. In fact Delhi culture is a fine mingling of old and new- the Old Delhi embodies exquisite monuments, forts, museums, and the New Delhi is an emblem of architecture and palatial governmental buildings mostly of the modern times. Nowhere we can find such amalgamation of old beauties with modern tinge and Delhi culture becomes the trendsetter. So much so that Delhi culture has overpowered that of other two metros, namely Mumbai & Kolkata. Very recently Delhi has flourished as the most vivacious center of innovative arts in India with more than twenty-five art galleries, especially around Bhagwan Das Road and Mandi House. Tours, conferences, film displays and study courses on art admiration etc are often coordinated. To sum up, Delhi culture blossoms in its cultural features. Music and dance, festivals, peoples` lifestyle bears a proof of this embellishment of culture and tradition.
Festivals of delhi
The exquisite range of festivals and fairs glorifies Delhi culture. Being hometown of people of all diversified communities, Delhi culture encompasses popular festivals of India, namely, Diwali, Holi, Durga Puja, Makar Sankranti etc. Muslim festivals like Eid and "Bakrid" are being celebrated with great enthusiasm irrespective of cultural divergences. What is unique of Delhi culture is that Delhites have incorporated their own style of celebrating some Indian popular festivals. These festivals coalesce both old traditions with modern practices .The popular festival for Punjabis Lohri, feted annually on 13th January, marks the departure of chilled winter. On this day the people of Delhi set exalted balefire, along with dancing, singing, merrymaking for the whole night. On the very next day, Hindus celebrate Makar Sankranti. A Kite Flying Festival is also set up every year. On this day on the green lawns above Palika Bazaar at Connaught Place is being chosen as the venue for this festival. Flying colorful kites of course look gorgeous. The momentum is hightened when all the participants fly their kites, displaying their acquisitions. In Delhi, the Spring Festival of Hindus, namely Basant Panchami, is feted normally at the close of January or early on February, when Moghul gardens at Rashtrapati Bhavan are fully flush and are opened up for a month- long public display. Religious festivals too are equally popular, in special prayer meetings are organized in various places on the occasion of Buddha Jayanti and Mahavir Jayanti.
Delhi Tourism emphasizes the richness of Delhi culture by organizing a multiple festivals annually. It organizes the Qutub Festival, a fête of classical music and dance around Sharad Purnima in October at the Qutub Minar Complex. Thyagaraja Festival coordinated in February at the Vaikunthnath temple opposite Jawaharlal Nehru University. People observe fasts on this day and pray to Lord Shiva for his blessings. Amir Khusrau`s anniversary is famed in April and a carnival is devised in his accolade at Nizamuddin. On this function, the National Drama Festival is also adjudged where dramas are presented, generally at the Rabindra Bhawan. To celebrate the season of growing of luscious mangoes, Delhi Tourism organizes the Mango Festival in the month of July.
Music and dance of delhi
Delhi culture cannot stand apart with out its wealth of music and dance. Delhi is still under the spell of Mughal aura and it is prevalent in the rampant practice of Indian classical music and dancing styles. Whether Indian classical, Hindustani or Carnatic, or the lighter ghazals, there is no paucity of selection in New Delhi. Music connoisseurs have a variety of sounds to choose from in New Delhi. The people of Delhi are acquainted with raga, the melodic modes, and also talas the rhythmical notes of classical music. Carnatic music, an important sub division of Indian classical music genre, is completely melodious, with extemporized editions. Music is sung vocally and compositions that are prepared, are mostly written to be hummed, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style, called gayaki. The city is mushroomed by numerous auditoria and concerts are observed in great enthusiasm. Folk music too is nurtured by the various regional tribes like Gujjars, Gondas, Mundas.
Lavani is a popular folk form performed mainly by females. Dandiya is a form of dance-oriented folk music that has also been adapted for pop music worldwide.
Delhi culture perfectly amalgamates dance styles of genres of both classical and desi dance forms. Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Mohiniattam stand at per with the desi styles. Bhangra is a form of dance-oriented folk music that has been deduced from the conventional accompaniment called bhangra. Jhoomer is also another dance form. Dancers create a circle with a person playing the drum in the centerfield.
Cuisine of delhi
The cosmopolitan outlook of Delhi culture is aptly reflected in the cuisine of Delhites. Punjabi cuisine and Mughlai delicacies like kababs and biryanis are popular in several parts of Delhi. The popular cuisines of Mughals are relished; tandoori chicken, seekh and boti kebab are noteworthy mainly served in the eating outlets of Delhi. Delhi cuisine also executes some scrumptious local menu like parantha, kachori and chaat. Although the Delhites are inclined to the North Indian style, foods of various types , Rajasthani, Maharashtran, Bengali, South Indian are equally savored. South Indian foodies are inclined to mouthwatering dishes namely idli, sambar and dosa. The best of continental cuisine can be located at various hotels like The Oberoi, Taj Palace,and Captains Cabin. The food stalls ar Dilli Haat, offer a delicious vent of Indian cuisines and that too at a reasonable rate. Local delicacies include Chaat and Dahi-Papri. There are several food outlets in Delhi serving international cuisine including Italian and Chinese. Delhites too had the forte for sweet dishes like Halwas, laddos, padas. The specialty is that these are prepared with ghee and cashews and nuts. Rasmalai is a type of sweet made from milk and cream is popular. One would be deprived of something awesome if he has not tasted Delhi kulfis. It is prepared from solid chunk of thickened milk, topped with saffron, cardamom and nuts, which are eaten with Falooda (rice noodles). Spicy and salty snakes are famous plaited with variety of sausages. A Delhite meal is generally rounded with paan. Paan is betel leaf, folded and filled up with areca nuts, lime, cardamom, clove, nutmeg and grated coconut.
Lifestyle of delhi
Delhi culture is represented in the way the local people lead their lives. Lifestyle, thus, provides a blue print of the cultural heritage of the capital city of India. Exburant historical trends as exemplified in the splendid monuments and forts of Mughal era; Red fort, Qutab Minar , Humayun`s tomb illustrated the architectural wonder , thereby being crowned as the World Heritage sites by the UNESCO. The Lotus Temple, Laxminarayan Temple and Akshardham are examples of modern architecture, nicely juxtaposing the old and modern cultural contrast. Being the capital of the country, New Delhi is the hub nub of govermental and political developments. It is also commercially viable place. Because of all the reasons, lots of people from all over the country throng into the city. The city has sufficed the needs of every one - deluxe hotels with ace restaurants, 24-hour coffee shops, swimming pools, business desks, shopping arcade, to middle-range hotels and guest houses, tourist lodges are ubiquitous.
The Delhites are always a step ahead in terms of commercial and educational propensity. Innumerable schools, colleges and famous educational institutes like All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, Delhi School of Economics, provide the needs of standard education of different levels.
The expert craftsmen and artists have enhanced the cultural ebullience of the whole of India. Notable arts and crafts, namely, the Zardozi and Meenakari, largely have helped the Delhi`s art to capture the world market. Zardori is an embellishment created with the usage of amber ribbon, while the later is the art of ornamenting. Markets like Dilli Haat, Hauz Khas, Pragati Maidan also provide miscellanea of Indian handiworks and looms.
The adavantage of being the capital hub of India, delhi culture has improvised its rich heritage of tradition and culture with regular modern day influx. Musical rhythm, dance styles, exclusive festivals, regal cuisine are the perfect emblems of this Delhi `sanskriti` .
