Dhaula Kuan
Encyclopedia
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The name also now refers to the neighborhood surrounding the intersection. It lies in South West Delhi
South West Delhi
South West Delhi is an administrative district of the National Capital Territory of Delhi in India.South West Delhi is bounded by the districts of West Delhi to the north, Central Delhi to the northeast, New Delhi and South Delhi to the east, Gurgaon District of Haryana state to the south, and...
.
Intersection
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 Delhi to the south, and East Delhi to the east across the...
to Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
, and points south and southwest, respectively. National Highway 8 is also the primary route of traffic from Delhi to Delhi Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Indira Gandhi International Airport is the primary international airport of the National Capital Region of Delhi, India, situated in West Delhi, 16 km southwest of New Delhi city centre. Named after Indira Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, it is the busiest airport in India in...
.
A major infrastructure project during the 1990s and early 2000s lead to the construction of a figure-eight interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
that eliminated stop lights and improved traffic flow
Traffic flow
Traffic flow, in mathematics and civil engineering, is the study of interactions between vehicles, drivers, and infrastructure , with the aim of understanding and developing an optimal road network with efficient movement of traffic and minimal traffic congestion problems.-History:Attempts to...
.
In addition to being a major road hub, Dhaula Kuan is also a primary stop on the Delhi Ring Railway and will be the location of a Delhi Metro
Delhi Metro
Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground...
stop when construction is completed on the Connaught Place - Airport line.
Currently, Dhaula Kuan serves as a primary exchange point for multimodal travellers
Intermodal passenger transport
Intermodal passenger transport involves more than one mode of transport of passengers. Some modes of transportation have always been intermodal; for example, most major airports have extensive facilities for automobile parking and have good rail or bus connections to the cities nearby. Urban bus...
, and its importance is expected to grow as the Delhi Metro and Terminal 3 at Delhi Airport is constructed.
History
The name Dhaula Kuan, means white well in HindiHindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, (just as Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri is Earth's seventh highest mountain at ; one of fourteen over eight thousand metres. Dhaulagiri was first climbed May 13, 1960 by a Swiss/Austrian expedition....
means white mountain), and refers to an ancient water well
Water well
A water well is an excavation or structure created in the ground by digging, driving, boring or drilling to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The well water is drawn by an electric submersible pump, a trash pump, a vertical turbine pump, a handpump or a mechanical pump...
in the area that has white-colored sand. It has been speculated that the well was constructed by Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II
Shah Alam II , also known as Ali Gauhar, was a Mughal emperor of India. A son of Alamgir II, he was exiled to Allahabad in December 1759 by Ghazi-ud-Din, who appointed Shah Jahan III as the emperor. Later, he was nominated as the emperor by Ahmad Shah.Shah Alam II was considered the only and...
, the nominal Mughal emperor of India
Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire , or Mogul Empire in traditional English usage, was an imperial power from the Indian Subcontinent. The Mughal emperors were descendants of the Timurids...
in the 1761-1806 CE period, whose actual area of control spanned a small territory in the environs of Delhi. Shah Alam II is said to have been fond of excursions across his limited domain, from the Red Fort to the Palam area, leading to the sarcastic verse, Az Dilli ta Palam, Badshah Shah Alam (From Delhi to Palam, Shah Alam is Emperor). Dhaula Kuan (the well) is located along this route, and its masonry has been dated to the Shah Alam period.
Neighborhood
'Dhaula Kuan' has now also come to refer to the neighborhood that surrounds and serves the interchange. The latter includes both small scale industry and restaurants.Dhaula Kuan sits between Chanakyapuri
Chanakyapuri
Chanakyapuri ,is an affluent neighborhood and Diplomatic Enclave in New Delhi, established in 1950s, and located about 14 km. from Delhi Airport. Chanakyapuri, literally meaning "City of Chanakya", is named for Chanakya, a third century BC Maurya advisor and prime minister.Chanakyapuri plays...
and the Delhi Cantonment
Delhi Cantonment
Delhi Cantonment is one of the three statutory towns that make up the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Its population according to the 2001 Census was 124,452...
; the former is an affluent neighborhood that is home to a number of embassies and the latter houses a number of military personnel and their families.
Major institutions and points of interest in the neighborhood include:
- The South Campus of the University of DelhiUniversity of DelhiThe University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
, including the Sri Venkateswara CollegeSri Venkateswara CollegeSri Venkateswara College is a constituent college of the University of Delhi in India providing liberal art, science and commerce education at the undergraduate level...
and the Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma CollegeAtma Ram Sanatan Dharma CollegeAtma Ram Sanatan Dharma College , formerly Sanatan Dharma College, is a co-educational constituent college of the University of Delhi. The college was founded on August 3, 1959 by the Sanatan Dharma Sabha, Delhi. Late Shri Atma Ram Chadha, a well-known philanthropist, took over as chairman of the...
. - The Army Public SchoolArmy Public School, Dhaula Kuan, New DelhiThe Army Public School, Dhaula Kuan is a public school located at Delhi, India. It is operated under Indian Army supervision under the aegis of Indian Army welfare Education society . The school was founded in 1953 and has about 6000 students...
. - The Air ForceIndian Air ForceThe Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
Auditorium. - The ArmyIndian ArmyThe Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...
Golf CourseGolf courseA golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
. - Springdales SchoolSpringdales SchoolSpringdales School is a group of English-language co-educational schools run by the Springdales School Society in New Delhi.There are four branches of the school - at Pusa Road, Dhaula Kuan, Jaipur and Kirti Nagar . The schools are affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education . The...
Metro
Dhaula Kuan Metro StationDhaula Kuan (Delhi Metro)
The Dhaula Kuan Metro Station is located on the Delhi Airport Express Line of the Delhi Metro. This station will be the only elevated one along the Airport Express Line and will feature check-in facilities...
is located on the Delhi Airport Express Line of the Delhi Metro. This station will be the only elevated one along the Airport Express Line and will feature check-in facilities.
This station has been opened for public for the first time on Independence Day, Monday 15.08.2011.