The national Capital can now boast of its own tagline — Dildaar Dilli (Magnanimous Delhi) to promote itself as a tourism-friendly destination. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday announced the city’s first-ever tagline and gave away cash awards to the winning entry.

Coined by Delhiite Amit Anand, a cashier in a small confectionery shop, the tagline was selected after a committee went through over 12,000 entries in a competition organised by the Delhi Government and Delhi Tourism.

While winner Amit Anand walked away with Rs 50,000 as the first prize, eight consolation prizes were also handed over to other selected candidates present at the launch.

Announcing the tagline, Sheila Dikshit said the city, loved by many since ages, had always accepted everyone as its own and that is its biggest identity. “From the days of Mughals to the British and now, Delhi has delighted everyone.

“Aur ye sabko apna leti hai, sabko sama leti hai, yeh Dilli ki badappan bhi hai aur sabse badi pehchan bhi (it accepts everyone as a family…this is its greatness and biggest identity),” she said.

The tagline will soon become popular and is surely going to sum up the essence of Delhi and is a step towards promoting it as a world-class city, the Chief Minister said.

Delhi has taken a cue from States such as Kerala (God’s own Country), Goa (Go Goa), Punjab (India Begins Here). Some others States which have taglines are Meghalaya (Halfway to Heaven), Odisha (The Soul of India), Karnataka (One State Many Worlds), Gujarat (Vibrant Gujarat), Himachal Pradesh (Unforgettable Himachal), Chhatishgarh (Full of Surprises), Rajasthan (Incredible State of India), Uttar Pradesh (Amazing Heritage, Grand Experience) and Madhya Pradesh (The Heart of Incredible India).