Culture of Delhi
There is nothing as a unique culture of Delhi. This is so because Delhi is the capital city of India, where people from all over the country have come and settled. Therefore, the culture of Delhi represents the culture of all the states of India in parts. In other words, it is a kind of synthesis and reflection of the culture of India, as a whole. Being the capital of India, New Delhi has also become the main center of politics, from where all the decisions are made and policies passed. However, the city does have a history of its own which has made some impact on its cultural scenario.
Delhi comes as a merger of the modern lifestyles as well as the old traditions and values. On one hand, we can see the Old Delhi still living in the past to some an extent and still upholding the values of the past. While, on the other we see culture in New Delhi where people have become slaves of ostentations. There is the sound the Qawwalis of Nizamuddin Shrine, Gurbanis of Bangla Sahib and Aartis of Chattarpur Mandir. At the same time, one can hear the loud and blaring music of pubs and discotheques.
Still another aspect of the culture of Delhi is the numerous fairs and festivals celebrated in the city. The Chhat Puja of Bihar is celebrated here with as much festivity as the Durga Puja of Bengal. There is also no difference in the celebrations of the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Fitr and the Punjabi festival of Lohri. It is interesting to note that the culture of Delhi also shows some influence of the people of Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, since these states border the capital city. Last but not the least, the various monuments of the city like the Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar, etc further add to the culture in New Delhi, India.
It is this diversity that makes Delhi so lively and colorful. Indo-Persian art is reflected in Jama Masjid while the Birla Temple and the Chattarpur Temple complex exude amalgamations of North and South Indian architectural styles. Some of the famous Gurdwaras of Delhi are Gurdwara Raquab Ganj, Sheesh Ganj and Bangla Sahib while Churches such as St. Thomas and St. Columbus are popular places of worship for Christians. Bahai Lotus temple is notable not only for its representation of the Bahai way of worship in Delhi but also the splendid architectural designs. Jains and Buddhists also have their own shrines in the city while the Tibetan monastery near the Interstate bus terminus is representative of the Tibetan culture in India.
