Unity and Diversity - Women Set the Agenda for 2015
All India Women's Conference invites you all to the XXXIV Congress of the International Alliance of Women being held in Delhi from the 26th October to 3rd November 2007. Delhi, the capital of India, with its 5000 years old history is particularly an appropriate setting for an international event. Evidences of prehistoric settlements, ruins of medieval cities, monuments both grand and small, co-exist with colonial bunglows and contemporary post independence architecture. You may suddenly find a ruined arch many hundreds of years old beside a recently built shopping mall, or see the reflection of a high rise building in the waters of a step well.
Delhi has been the site of seven cities: Quila Rai Rithora (late 12th century AD), Tughlakabad (14th Century AD), Jahanpanah (14th century AD), Kotla Ferozeshah (15th century AD), Purana Quila (16th century AD), Shahjanabad (17th century AD) and New Delhi, built by the British (20th century AD). The remnants of these can be seen in the forts, palaces, mosques and gardens in Delhi and its vicinity.
The Purana Qila (the Old Fort) stands on the site of the first city of Delhi, Indraprastha, the capital of the Pandavas in the great epic of Mahabharata. The Qutab Minar, one of the most famous towers of the world, was finished around 1200 A.D. and has stood like a sentinel since then to watch over Delhi . The Lodi tombs and mosques set in the beautiful Lodi Gardens date back to the 13th century. The Lal Qila or Red Fort built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in the 16th century is the most famous of all Indian royal palaces. Delhi has many mosques, the most famous of which is Jama Masjid built by Emperor Shahjahan.
New Delhi was built by the British in the 1920s in the classical or Greek style, planned by Sir Edward Lutyens and Sir Edward Baker who designed the Viceregal Palace, now the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the President of India lives, the Parliament House, the Supreme Court, India Gate and the North Block and South Block which houses government offices.
Delhi is a city of gardens and there are beautiful gardens with flowering trees and flowers such as the Lodi Gardens, the Nehru Park, Buddha Jayanti Park and many others. It is also a city where art and culture flourish. There are museums such as the National Museum, the Archaeological Museum, the Crafts Museum, the National Gallery of Modern Art and numerous smaller art galleries. There are theaters and halls where you can see plays, Indian classical and modern dancing and listen to music - Western and Indian classical.
Delhi makes you aware of India 's plural culture. It is home to people from all parts of India who speak different languages and profess different religions. You will find here ancient and modern temples, mosques, gurudwaras and churches where people worship side by side. Hotels and restaurants offer dishes from all parts of India, as well as French, Italian, Thai, Chinese and, Japanese food. It is a wonderful city to shop. You can buy traditional Indian handicrafts and handlooms as well as the latest designer clothes, shoes and handbags.
Delhi has numerous public and private schools, nearly 200 colleges and five universities.
ln late October and early November, the weather should be perfect. Sunny and warm during the day, cool in the early mornings and evenings. Light woolens may be necessary. You will be here during the festival season and can see the celebrations of - Dusserah und Diwali, the festival of lights.
Brief excursions from Delhi can take you to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri built bv Emperor Akbar. You can go to Agra by car, Bus, Train or plane. Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, known as the pink city is also easily accessible by road, rail or air. Rajasthan is a desert, an architectural delight, full of palaces, forts and temples with a history of royalty and cultural traditions.
Today, Delhi is a bustling metropolis, a blend of the modern and traditional, a vibrant cultural center as well as a cauldron of politics and power. It is the sixth most populous city in the world and one of the fastest growing cities of Asia. Delhi blends within its folds the great variety, beauty and dynamism of India of the 21st century .
Please come - attend the plenary sessions and round tables, enjoy the food, the cultural programmes, the sight Seeing and shopping. We welcome you and hope you will have a pleasant stay.
Aparna Basu
Vice-President |
Manorama Bawa
AIWC President, AIWC |
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