PEOPLE
The capital of India , New Delhi , is known as a city of migrants. After the violent Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, millions of people, mainly from West Punjab , flocked here in search of a new life. Since then, there has been a continuing influx of people from all over India . The majority of Delhi 's 12 million citizens have settled here primarily for economic reasons—the average wage here is twice that of the country as a whole.  This mega-city nevertheless retains a small-town friendliness in its different neighborhoods. Life still centers around the family, even though the joint family system is breaking down, as is the case in all big Indian cities. Beyond the family is the larger world of the regional community which plays a significant role in the city's social and cultural life. Diaspora groups very often come together for auspicious occasions such as marriages or festivals, with which the Indian calendar is punctuated.
Its mixed population has made Delhi a resolutely cosmopolitan city where Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs live side by side. Yet, each community has retained its distinct cultural identity, and the city is less a melting pot than a thali (plate) whose offerings may either be savored singly or in interesting combinations.
Different levels of development are evident in Delhi , Agra and Jaipur. But in all other cities, with the liberalized economy bringing in a sudden flood of consumer goods, and cable television channels beaming foreign cultures into their homes, the lifestyles and expectations of the people are rapidly changing.
What makes the region so interesting is that contrasts often exist here in perfect harmony—a bullock cart plods placidly beside the latest luxury car; weather forecasts are made both by satellite imaging and astrological calculations; and jeans-clad youngsters eating pizza in fast food joints are just as much at ease in a sari or dhoti, sitting cross-legged on the floor at home, to participate in traditional ceremonies or rituals.
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