South Delhi is an administrative district of the

National Capital Territory of Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders w ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

with its headquarters in Saket. Administratively, the district is divided into three subdivisions, Saket, Hauz Khas, and

Mehrauli Mehrauli is a neighbourhood in South Delhi, a district of Delhi in India. It represents a constituency in the legislative assembly of Delhi. The area is close to Gurgaon and next to Vasant Kunj. History Mehrauli is one of the seven mediev ...

. It is bounded by the

Yamuna River The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of Ba ...

to the east, the districts of

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...

to the north,

Faridabad District Faridabad district is one of the 22 districts of the Indian state of Haryana with Faridabad city being the district headquarters. The Delhi-Mathura-Agra National Highway 44 (Grand Trunk Road) passes through the centre of the district, which oc ...

Haryana Haryana (; ) is an Indian state located in the northern part of the country. It was carved out of the former state of East Punjab on 1 Nov 1966 on a linguistic basis. It is ranked 21st in terms of area, with less than 1.4% () of India's land a ...

state to the southeast,

Gurgaon District Gurgaon district, officially known as Gurugram district, is one of the 22 districts of Haryana in northern India. The city of Gurgaon is the administrative headquarters of the district. The population is 1,514,432. It is one of the southern dist ...

of Haryana to the southwest, and

South West Delhi South West Delhi is one of the eleven administrative districts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India. Kapashera serves as the administrative headquarters of South West Delhi. South West Delhi is bounded by the districts of West D ...

to the west. South Delhi has a population of 2,731,929 (2011 census), and an area of , with a population density of 9,034 persons per km² (23,397 persons per mi²). The South Delhi neighborhood of Hauz Khas is witnessing the growth of trendy shops and lodgings. It is now becoming the center for domestic and international tourists and backpackers. The area also is home to historical monuments and has easy access to the

Delhi Metro The Delhi Metro is a mass rapid transit (MRT) system serving Delhi and its satellite cities of Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Noida, Bahadurgarh and Ballabhgarh, in the National Capital Region of India. The network consists of 10 colou ...

, making it a preferred location for many visitors to India and domestic middle-class visitors from other Indian states. The area attracts young tourists with numerous hip hostels and

cafe A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-caf ...

s. The division shown on the map bears only administrative significance, as to the common citizen, broadly speaking

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, primarily its western or right bank, Delhi shares borders ...

is vaguely ring-like, having five regions, namely North, West, South, East and Central. The usage of the term South Delhi in day-to-day life expands from

's IGI Airport in the New Delhi district to the river

Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

in the South East, a region protruding into administrative

district.

History

South Delhi is a vast area in the city of Delhi and contains many significant locations. Of the eleven 'historical cities' of Delhi, three, viz.

Qila Rai Pithora Lal Kot ( lit. "Red Fort") or Qila Rai Pithora ( lit. "Rai Pithora's Fort") is a fortified complex in present-day Delhi, which includes the Qutb Minar complex. It was constructed in the reign of Tomar king Anangpal Tomar between c. 1052 - c.1060 ...

(1st),

(2nd) and

Siri Siri ( ) is a virtual assistant that is part of Apple Inc.'s iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, macOS, tvOS, and audioOS operating systems. It uses voice queries, gesture based control, focus-tracking and a natural-language user interface to answer qu ...

(including Hauz Khas) (3rd) fall in the South Delhi district.

Jahaz Mahal Jahaz Mahal (in Urdu language ‘Jahaz’ means "Ship" and ‘Mahal’ means "Palace", the "Ship Palace"), is located next to Hauz-i-Shamsi in Mehrauli, Delhi on its northeastern corner. It was so named, since its reflection (illusion) in the s ...

, Zafar Mahal, Hauz Khas Complex, Bijay Mandal,

Qutub Minar The Qutb Minar, also spelled Qutub Minar and Qutab Minar, is a minaret and "victory tower" that forms part of the Qutb complex, which lies at the site of Delhi’s oldest fortified city, Lal Kot, founded by the Tomar Rajputs. It is a UNESCO W ...

Mehrauli Archaeological Park Mehrauli Archaeological Park is an archaeological area spread over 200 acre in Mehrauli, Delhi, adjacent to Qutub Minar World Heritage Site and the Qutb complex. It consists of over 100 historically significant monuments. It is the only area i ...

, and the

Safdarjung's Tomb Safdarjung's tomb is a sandstone and marble mausoleum in Delhi, India. It was built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style for Nawab Safdarjung. The monument has an ambience of spaciousness and an imposing presence with its domed and arched ...

comprise some of South Delhi's most scenic heritage sites.

Geography

The administrative district had 20% Green Cover, as of 2009. It has several spacious green parks, wildlife sanctuary, biodiversity parks, and green belts. Deer Park and Rose Garden in Hauz Khas, Asola Wildlife Sanctuary close to Delhi's southern border on the Aravallis foothills are few examples. It has a good mix of concrete and greens.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census South Delhi has a

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 2,731,929, roughly equal to the nation of

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

or the US state of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

. This gives it a ranking of 144th in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of . Its

population growth rate Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 83 million annually, or 1.1% per year. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to ...

over the decade 2001–2011 was 20.59%.

Economy

Many renowned markets of Delhi such as Sarojini Nagar Market,

Green Park Green Park, officially The Green Park, is one of the Royal Parks of London. It is in the southern part – the core part – of the City of Westminster, Central London, but before that zone was extended to the north, to take in Marylebo ...

Market etc. and malls such as DLF, MGF Metropolitan,

Select Citywalk Select CITYWALK is a shopping centre located in the Saket District Centre (Sector-6, Pushp Vihar), in Saket, New Delhi. The mall has a built-up area of , with of retail space. The mall is spread over and includes a 4 km long multiplex, se ...

, Malviya Nagar, etc. are located in South Delhi.

Administrative divisions

Transport

Roadways

Metro rail

Two lines of Delhi metro namely Yellow and magenta lines pass through the district

Railways

The nearest railway station is

Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station (station code: NZM) is a railway station in South Delhi, India. It is under the administrative control of the Delhi Division of the Northern Railway zone of the Indian Railways. It is one of the five main s ...

Airways

The nearest airport is

Indira Gandhi International Airport Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport serving Delhi, the capital of India, and the National Capital Region (NCR). The airport, spread over an area of , is situated in Palam, Delhi, southwest of the New ...

located towards west of district

Culture

South district is considered to be the most affluent of all residential districts of Delhi, other than the districts falling under Lutyen's Delhi, viz.

and

Central Delhi Central Delhi is an administrative district of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India. It is bounded by the Yamuna River on the east and by the districts of North Delhi to the north, West Delhi and South West Delhi to the west, New D ...

. With upscale areas like Saket,

Sainik Farm Sainik Farm is an affluent settlement in New Delhi where prominent people reside. The area has been embroiled in legal trouble over its legitimacy. It is situated south of Saket beyond the Mehrauli-Badarpur Road in the southernmost part of ...

, Malviya Nagar, Hauz Khas,

Rama Krishna Puram Ramakrishna Puram popularly known as R.K. Puram, is a residential colony in Delhi. Named after the saint Sri Ramakrishna, it houses many high-profile corporate houses. History Rama Krishna Puram area was built in the second phase of the exte ...

Gulmohar Park Gulmohar Park is a neighbourhood in South Delhi. This park lies between Hauz Khas and Gautam Nagar and is named after the red-flowered Gulmohar trees (''Delonix regia'') growing inside. The nearby residential colony is known as Gulmohar Park Jou ...

Gulmohar enclave Gulmohar Enclave is a posh neighborhood in South Delhi. It is adjacent to Gulmohar Park. It is a colony of 300 apartments and was constructed in 1983 by the Delhi Development Authority. It is now owned by the residents. Gulmohar Enclave is loc ...

Vasant Vihar Vasant Vihar is a diplomatic and residential sub-division of the South West Delhi in National Capital Territory of Delhi, India. It is located near the diplomatic area of Chanakyapuri, and houses over 50 diplomatic missions of foreign countries, ...

and

Vasant Kunj Vasant Kunj is a posh neighbourhood located in South West Delhi district, Delhi, India. Its nearest Metro Station is Vasant Vihar metro station. The area is home to several prominent personalities, one being the former prime minister of India, ...

, it has one of the highest land prices in Delhi. Urban villages in South Delhi, like Hauz Khas Village, and

Shahpur Jat Shahpur Jat is an urban village in South Delhi, located near Hauz Khas and within one of the ancient capital cities of Delhi, Siri Fort. History When the Siri Fort was abandoned, Jats & Jatavs moved to the Shahpur Jat area, being attracted ...

have become hub for designer boutiques, restaurants and art galleries and design studios.

Notable personalities

Education

The

Indian Institute of Technology Delhi The Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi is a public institute of technology located in New Delhi, India. It is one of the 23 IITs created to be Centres of Excellence for training, research and development in science, engineering and technolo ...

All India Institute of Medical Sciences The All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is a group of autonomous government public medical universities of higher education under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India. These institutes ha ...

and National Institute of Fashion Technology, three of the country's premier institutes in the field of technology, medicine and fashion respectively lie in the Hauz Khas locality of South Delhi. The

Indian Institute of Foreign Trade The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) is a leading business school of India. Established in 1963, it works as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. It also functions as a civil services tr ...

of Delhi is located in the Qutub Institutional Area of South Delhi. Sangam Vihar is also located in South Delhi, which has the highest population in the State. The top Central University Jamia Millia Islamia is situated at Jamia Nagar area of South Delhi.

Importance

This district has thriving medieval era colonies or sarais, which now are severely congested and under neglect. These include Chirag Delhi, Kalu Sarai, Jia Sarai, Ber Sarai, Lado Sarai, Katwaria Sarai,

Yusuf Sarai Yusuf Sarai is a locality in South Delhi. It lies on the Sri Aurobindo Marg close to AIIMS, New Delhi, and accommodates both residential as well as market places . It is named after historic Yusuf Sarai, one of many sarais (inns or rest hous ...

, Hauz Khas Village,

Munirka Munirka is now an urban village in South West Delhi, located near Jawaharlal Nehru University and Indian Institute of Technology Delhi campuses. Originally it was a jat and brahmins village of Tokas, Rathi and mudgal Gotra. Munirka villager's ...

Kotla Mubarakpur Kotla Mubarakpur Complex, a medieval famous urban village, is a market place with residential colony in South central part of New Delhi. Kotla Mubarakpur classified by the Delhi Development Authority (D.D.A.) as an Urban Village which is dominat ...

, Begumpur, Saidulajaib, Mohammadpur, Khirki Village, Adhchini, Chhattarpur Village, Aayaa Nagar, Maandi Village, and Dera Village. Many important city roads such as Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road,

Mehrauli-Badarpur Road Badarpur is a historic town in South East Delhi district in Delhi. Badarpur is famous for its Badarpur Border bus terminal. It is also serviced by Badarpur Border station of Delhi Metro on Violet Line. The bus terminal and metro station have b ...

Aurobindo Marg Sri Aurobindo Marg or Aurobindo Marg, is an important South Delhi north-south arterial road connecting historic Safdarjung's Tomb to Qutab Minar. The road is named for Sri Aurobindo Ghosh; the Delhi campus of Sri Aurobindo Ashram is located o ...

, August Kranti Marg, Press Enclave Road, etc. fall in this district, while arterial roads like Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road pass through it.

References

External links

South Delhi District official website
{{Delhi Districts of Delhi South Delhi district