Page 68 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

66  DELHI & THE NOR TH

A PORTRAIT OF DELHI

AND THE NORTH

The peaks of the Himalayas, the most spectacular natural barrier in the world,
mark the boundaries of the area that extends northwards from Delhi. A variety
of cultures and landscapes lie within this region. Delhi’s bustling urban sprawl
gradually gives way to the lush, flat farmlands of Punjab and Haryana, north of
which are the serene mountainous lands of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
In geological terms, the Himalayas displaced by the Partition of India in
are very young (see pp68–9), but 1947, when the western portion of Punjab
even so, they evoke a feeling became part of Pakistan. Homeless
of timeless eternity, and have been refugees from west Punjab have
a source of spiritual inspiration to since prospered in Delhi, and now
Indians for thousands of years. dominate the city’s commercial
The monasteries and temples life. As the nation’s cap ital, Delhi
situated on their slopes perfectly continues to attract people from
complement the profound all over India, giving this vibrant city
beauty of these mountains. Saffron flowers a resolutely cosmopolitan air.
Most visitors to the region start The hardworking, resilient
out from Delhi, the country’s capital, a city Punjabis have also transformed their
that represents a blend of several historical home state with modern farming
eras. Its grand Mughal past is evident in its techniques, introduced in the 1960s.
many stately monuments and tombs. The As a result of this “Green Revolution”,
elegant tree-lined avenues and bungalows Punjab and Haryana today produce
of New Delhi evoke the period of the much of India’s wheat and rice, and one-
British rule. Yet both coexist alongside the third of its dairy products. Punjabis are
modern world of high-rise buildings, also among the most successful immigrant
shopping arcades and multiplex cinemas. communities in the world, and today,
Delhi’s population swelled massively many families have at least one member
to accommodate the millions of people living abroad, whether in London, New

A deep blue glacial lake near Thamsar Pass in Himachal Pradesh

066-067_EW_India.indd 66 26/04/17 11:42 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Portrait template “UK” LAYER
(SourceReport v1.2)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm