India (officially the Republic of India) is the second most populous country in the world.

Here are some interesting and fun facts about India. Interesting Facts About India

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Chess was first invented in India. Hindi and English are the official languages of India. India has never invaded another country. In India you drive on the left hand side of the road. India has more Post Offices than any other country. India is the largest democratic country in the world. The value of pi was first calculated by an Indian mathematician- Budhayana. India has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. However, there are still many people living in poverty. To help, please donate to Give India. Cricket is the most popular sport in India. The Indian cricket team won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20. Christians make up just 2.3% of the population in India. 80.5% of Indians are Hindu. Indian Railways is the largest employer in the world. Over a million people work for them! The Indian Film Industry is the largest in the world- even bigger the Hollywood! Bollywood makes Hindi films. Most Indians have their marriages arranged by parents and family members, with the consent of the bride and groom. India has a very low divorce rate. About 50% of Indian women marry before reaching 18 years of age. India has the 3rd largest military force in the world.

India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).

The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu. The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name `Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus. Chess was invented in India. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India. The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C. The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificient temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola. India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations. The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.

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India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world. The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.

The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake. The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'. Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days. The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.

Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also orignated in India. Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12(10 to the power of 12). Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world (Source : Gemological Institute of America). The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982. Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts. India exports software to 90 countries. The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population. Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively. Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion. There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world. The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively. Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D respectively. The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century. The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination Larger . than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday. Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.

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Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today. India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution. Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

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If you look at India's history, you will find that India is full of so many interesting facts. Indians have always been intelligent and creative. It is one of the oldest countries in the world. It is a land where all the people from different cultures and religious background live together as a nation. Indian people are very friendly and caring. They like spending time with their families. There are so many different languages spoken in India but still you can communicate with people through the national language of Hindi.

10 Interesting facts about India: y y y y y The famous board game called "Chess" was invented in India. In India's 100,000 years of history, it has never invaded any other country. India is the 6th largest country in the world, the largest democracy and one of the oldest civilization. India was one of the richest countries in the world before the British invasion in 17th century. The value of "pi" used in mathematics was first calculated by the Indian mathematician Budhayana in 6th century. y India is one of the largest exporter of computer software products. It exports softwares to over 90 countries. y India has the world's largest pilgrimage destination called the Vishnu Temple the city of Tirupati. About an average of 30,000 people visit this temple donating about $6 million US dollars, everyday. y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y Sanjay Tejwrika is the Microsoft Testing Director of Windows 2000, responsible to iron out all initial problems y Rajiv Gupta is the GM of Hewlett Packard Sabeer Bhatia created Hotmail ( Hotmail is world's No.1 web based email program ) Vinod Khosla co-founder of Sun Microsystems The origination of Yoga was done 5,000 years ago in India. India has the most number of mosques. It has 300,000 mosques which is much more than the Muslim world. Christians and Jews have been living in India since 52 A.D. and 200 B.C. respectively.

14 Facts about India

Vinod Dahm invented Pentium chip ( 90% of the today's computers run on it)

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Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar are the Chief Executives of McKenzie & Stanchart Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America. 38% of doctors in USA are Indians 12% of scientists in USA are Indians 36% of NASA scientists are Indians 34% of Microsoft employees are Indians 28% of IBM employees are Indians 17% of INTEL scientists are Indians 13% of XEROX employees are Indians

Religion facts about India

India is the birthplace of many religions that are present in the world today. The most of India's population is Hindu contributing towards the 80% of the population. Hinduism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It was developed about 5000 years ago. Hinduism is a colourful religion with a lot of rituals. People who follow this religion believe in a lot of Gods and Godesses.

It was around 500 B.C. when other religions like Buddhism and Jainism started to develop. Today, about 0.5% of Indians are Jains and about 0.7% of Indians are Buddhists. During ancient period these two religions were very popular in India. The people who accepted these religions always spread it not just inside the country but also across in the sub continent and east and south of India. Religion facts about India y There have been people in India who followed religions that were non-Indian. About 12% of India's popualtion is Islam. This is the religion which was not formed in India but still it contributes towards the largest non-Indian religion in India. Religion facts about India y y y y y y y Hinduism: 82% Islam: 12% Christianity: 2.5% Sikhism: 2% Buddhism: 0.7% Jainism: 0.5% Zoroastrianism: 0.01%

Judaism: 0.0005%

Unusual facts about India

India has always been the gem of the east. Most of the people travel India to see it's uniqueness and the glories of the past. India is the country which is still holding to its past. The beautiful temples, glorious forts and monuments are still present in India like they used to be 100's of years ago. India has some of the very unusual facts.

Unusual facts about India y India has the highest bridge in the world . It is called Bailey Bridge and is located in Ladakh between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayas. y y Before 1986, India was the only place in the world where Diamonds could be found. The world's first University was established in India . The University was established in 700 B.C. at the place of Taxila. y y The biggest and the largest employer in the world is Indian railways employing over a million people. India has the highest cricket ground in the world. It is located in the northern state of India called Himachal Pradesh. The cricket ground is 2444 above the sea level and was built in 1893. y y Most important studies of Mathematics like calculus, trigonometry and algebra were originated in India. Taj Mahal which is among the seven wonders of the world is in India. Taj Mahal was built over a long period of 11 years. y India has the most number of post offices in the world.

Fun facts about India

India is the paradise of Asia. With its vast and exotic culture, it is the travel destination for a lot of the tourists. Priceless art, modern cities, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, temples, mountains, rivers and hills are some of the main attractions of India. India still follows it's traditional lifestyle since the the old days. The main charm in India are the festivals, which bring everyone together. You will be able to see a lot of people coming out on roads doing the rituals and hav a ing good time. Fun Facts about India: There are just so many festivals that every other day is a National holiday. India is the biggest democracy in the world. The most famous man in India is beleived to be Mahatma Gandhi. He taught the lesson of non- violence and had an immense contribution towards India's Independence. India became independent in 1947 and since then it's been developing at a very rapid rate. Fun Facts about India:

India has one of the most beautiful women in the world. India has won fve Miss World and two Miss i Universe titles. Although still you would notice that in India girls put very less concern about the make up and fitness as compared to western countries.

The National game of India is Hockey. Although, Cricket is the most popular game in India. Indians believe cricket as their religion. India's film industry is called Bollywood and it makes the most amount of movies in the world. Although, most of the Bollywood movies are copied from Hollywood! Indian movies are believed to be romantic with it's main emphasis on the LOVE part. Bollywood movies generally have the three main characters, "Actor", "Actress" and "The Bad Guy". India has a large number of doctors and engineers. Although, most of the Indian guys like wasting their time going after girls and hanging out with their friends.

India Facts
Whenever we look at India at a glance, the first thing we notice is its rich culture and unique diversity. "India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most astrictive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only!" - By Mark Twain The above quote about India truly describes what India is all about. India is a mix of various traditions, cultures, rituals, religions, casts, etc. a comprehensive of all these is what we call India. Read on further to explore other facts and information on IndiaName: India, also known as Bharat or Hindustan. Area: 3.3 million sq. km Population: 1027 million (as per 2001 Census) Capital: New Delhi Religion: India is a secular country where many religions co-exist. The major religions practiced areHindu: 80% Muslim: 14% Christian: 2.4% Sikh: 2% Buddhist: 0.7% Jain: 0.5% Zoroastrian and others: 0.4% Location: Between latitudes 8 4' and 37 6 ' north and longitudes 68 7 ' and 97 25' east. Coastline length: 7,600 km Languages: 17 Major languages, 844 dialects. Hindi and English are most Popular

Climate: India experiences three major seasons - winters, summers and Monsoon. States and Union Territories: India has 28 states and 7 Union Territories Government: Democratic form of Government Prime Minister: Mr. Manmohan Singh. President: Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalaam Currency: Rupees National anthem: Jan Gana Mana, written by Rabindranath Tagore National emblem: Replica of the Lion Capital of Sarnath National flag: Horizontal tricolor in equal proportion of deep saffron on the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom. In the center of the white band is a wheel in navy blue colour. National animal: Tiger National bird: Peacock National flower: Lotus National tree: Banyan ( ARASA NARAM ) National fruit: Mango Time Zone: The Indian time zone, Indian Standard Time (IST) is 5.5 hours (5 hours and 30 minutes) ahead of the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

The official Sanskrit name for India is Bharat. INDIA has been called Bharat even in Satya yuga ( Golden Age )

More INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT India The name `India is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu. The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name `Hindustan combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus. The number system was invented by India. Aryabhatta was the scientist who invented the digit zero. Sanskrit is considered as the mother of all higher languages. This is because it is the most precise, and therefore suitable language for computer software. ( a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987 ). Chess was invented in India. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies which originated in India.

The' place value system' and the 'decimal system' were developed in 100 BC in India. The first six Mogul Emperor's of India ruled in an unbroken succession from father to son for two hundred years, from 1526 to 1707. The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The shikhara is made from a single ' 80 -tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola India is.......the Largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest country in the world AND one of the most ancient and living civilizations (at least 10, 000 years old). The game of snakes & ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat.' The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re -births. The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.

India has the most post offices in the world ! The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people !. The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Although modern images & descriptions of India often show poverty, India was one of the richest countries till the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth and was looking for route to India when he discovered America by mistake. The art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh 6000 over years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is al so derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'. Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. His calculations was - Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: ( 5th century ) 365.258756484 days. The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the6th century, which was long before the European mathematicians. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus also orignated from India. Quadratic equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 ( i.e 10 to the power of 53 ) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12( 10 to the power of 12 ). Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. ( Source . Gemological Institute of America )

The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982. Sushruta is regarded as the father of surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones and also plastic surgery and brain surgeries.

Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts. Did you know ? India also celebrates the birthday of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President and Vice-President and great statesman, as "Teachers' Day". Born on September 5, 1888, at Tiruttani, 40 miles to the north-east of Madras, Radhakrishnan grew to become the most famous Indian teacher and philosopher of all times. In his honour, this day is celebrated as Teacher's Day. He was also the Vice-President of India from 1952-1962. He held the office of the Chancellor, University of Delhi, before taking over as the President of India in May 1962.

"What makes a nation, is the past, what justifies one nation against others is the past", says the noted historian Eric Hobsbawm. Hence, when talking of a nation, it becomes very imperative that the past should also be talked about. And the past of India is as fascinating and interesting as it is momentous.

61 Interesting Facts About . . . India

1. India is about 1/3 the size of the United States, yet it is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of 1,166,079,217. India is the seventh largest country in the world, at 1.27 million square miles.g 2. India is the largest democracy in the world.i 3. The Kumbh Mela (or Grand Pitcher Festival) is a huge Hindu religious festival that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, 60 million people attended, breaking the record for the world s biggest gathering. The mass of people was photographed from space by a satellite.c 4. Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the f appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating. 5. To avoid polluting the elements (fire, earth, water, air), followers of Zoroastrianism in India don t bury their dead, but instead leave bodies in buildings called Towers of Silence for the vultures to pick clean. After the bones dry, they are swept into a central well.f

It is illegal for foreigners to import or 6. It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.f export Indian currency (rupees) 7. India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at j 28,904 murders per year. 8. India has one of the world s highest rates of abortion.e 9. More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India s population lives below the poverty line.l 10. Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune. Cows are considered one of humankind s seven mothers because she offers milk as does one s natural mother.k 11. Dancing is one of India s most highly developed arts and was an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every temple. It is notable for its expressive hand movements.f 12. Rabies is endemic in India. Additionally, Delhi Belly or diarrhea is commonplace due to contaminated drinking water.f 13. Many Indian wives will never say her husband s name aloud, as it is a sign of disrespect. When addressing him, the wife will use several indirect references, such as ji or look here or hello, or even refer to him as the father of her child.f 14. A widow is considered bad luck otherwise, her husband wouldn t have died. Elderly women in the village might call a widow the one who ate her husband. In some orthodox families, widows are not allowed near newlyweds or welcomed at social gatherings.b 15. India is the birthplace of chess.l The original word for chess is the Sanskritchaturanga, meaning four members of an army which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers.d 16. The Indian flag has three horizontal bands of color: saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, and green for faith, fertility, and chivalry. An emblem of a wheel spinning used to be in the center of the white band, but when India gained independence, a Buddhist dharma chakra, or wheel of life, replaced the spinning wheel.m 17. The temples of Khajuraho are famous for their erotic sculptures and are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. Scholars still debate the purpose of such explicit portrayals of sexual intercourse, which sometimes involves animals.a 18. The earliest cotton in the world was spun and woven in India. Roman emperors would wear delicate cotton from India that they would call woven winds. Mogul emperors called the fabrics morning dew and cloth of running water. i Khajurahos exotic art may suggest that sex 19. In ancient and medieval India, suttees, in which a recently widowed woman was a step for attaining ultimate liberation or moksha would immolate herself on her husband s funeral pyre, were common.b 20. The Himalayas from the Sanskrit hima, meaning snow, and alaya, meaning abode are found in the north of India. They extend 1,500 miles and are slowly growing taller, by almost an inch (2.5 cm) a year. Several ancient Indian monasteries are found nestled in the grandeur of these mountains.m 21. India is the world s largest producer of dried beans, such as kidney beans and chickpeas. It also leads the world in banana exports; Brazil is second.l 22. In India, the fold and color of clothing are viewed as important markers of social classification. Additionally, women will be viewed as either a prostitute or a holy person depending on the manner in which she parts her hair.k 23. With 150,000 post offices, India has the largest postal network in the world. However, it is not unusual for a letter to take two weeks to travel just 30 miles.f 24. In India, grasping one s ears signifies repentance or sincerity.f 25. The Bengal tiger is India s national animal. It was once ubiquitous throughout the country, but now there are fewer than 4,000 wild tigers left.m 26. Indians hold prominent places both internationally and in the United States. For example, the co -founder of Sun Microsystems (Vinod Khosla), the creator of the Pentium chip (Vinod Dahm), the founder/creator of Hotmail (Sabeer Bhatia), and the GM of Hewlett-Packard (Rajiv Gupta) are all Indian.h 27. Alexander the Great of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) was one of the first important figures to bring India into contact with the West. After his death, a link between Europe and the East would not be restored until Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) landed in Calicut, India, in 1498.l 28. The British Raj, or British rule, lasted from 1858 to 1947 (although they had a strong presence in India since the

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1700s). British influence is still seen in Indian architecture, education system, transportation, and politics. Many of India s worst famines are associated with British rule in India.i Every major world religion is represented in India. Additionally, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated in India.f About 80% of Indians are Hindu. Muslims are the largest minority in India and form approximately 13% of the country s population. In fact, India has the third largest population of Muslims in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan.i India has the world s largest movie industry, based in the city of Mumbai (known as the City of Dreams ). The B in Bollywood comes from Bombay, the former name for Mumbai. Almost all Bollywood movies are musicals.l Mumbai (Bombay) is India s largest city, with a population of 15 million. In 1661, British engineers built a causeway uniting all seven original islands of Bombay into a single landmass.l Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) is known around the world as Mahatma, which is an honorific title meaning Great Soul in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. He devoted his life to free India from British rule peacefully and based his campaign on civil disobedience. His birthday, October 2, is a national holiday. He was assassinated in 1948.m The lotus is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. The Bah' house of worship in Delhi, known as the Lotus Temple, is shaped like a lotus flower with 27 gigantic petals that are covered in marble.i The banyan, or Indian fig tree, is considered a symbol of immortality and is mentioned in many Indian myths and legends. This self-renewing plant is India s national tree.m Marigold flowers are used as decoration for Hindu marriages and are a symbol of The Lotus temple is one of the most good fortune and happiness.i visited temples in the world, with The official name of India is the Republic of India. The name India derives from over 50 million visitors per year the River Indus, which most likely is derived from the Sanskrit sindhu, meaning river. The official Sanskrit name of India is Bharat, after the legendary king in the epicMahabharata.m Introduced by the British, cricket is India s most popular sport. Hockey is considered the national sport, and the Indian field hockey team proudly won Olympic gold in 1928.i Indians made significant contributions to calculus, trigonometry, and algebra. The decimal system was invented in India in 100 B.C. The concept of zero as a number is also attributed to India.m The national fruit of India is the mango. The national bird is the peacock, which was initially bred for food.m Most historians agree that the first recorded account of plastic surgery is found in ancient Indian Sanskrit texts.b Hindi and English are the official languages of India. The government also recognizes 17 other languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu). Apart from these languages, about 1,652 dialects are spoken in the country.l India s pastoral communities are largely dependent on dairy and have made India the largest milk-producing country in the world.l India has the world s third largest road network at 1.9 million miles. It also has the world s second largest rail network, which is the world s largest civilian employer with 16 million workers.f Rivers have played a vital role in India s popular culture and folklore they have been worshipped as goddesses because they bring water to an otherwise dry land. Bathing in the Ganges in particular is thought to take away a person s sins. It is not unusual to spread a loved one s ashes in the Ganges.f Raziya Sultana (1205-1240) was the first woman leader of India. She was considered a great leader, though she ruled for only three years before being murdered.b Most Indians rinse their hands, legs, and face before eating a meal. It is considered Though the Ganges is one of the polite to eat with the right hand, and women eat after everyone is finished. dirtiest rivers in the world, bathing in the river is thought to wash away Wasting food is considered a sin.i ones sins During the Vedic era in India, horse sacrifice sanctioned the sovereignty of the king.a It is traditional to wear white, not black, to a funeral in India. Widows will often wear white in contrast to the colorful clothes of married or single women.k All of India is under a single time zone.g

51. On India s Independence Day, August 15, 1947, the country was split into India and Pakistan. The partition g displaced 1.27 million people and resulted in the death of several hundred thousand to a million people. 52. In recent years, Indian authors have made a mark on the world with such novels as Salman Rushdie s The Satanic Verses (1988), Vikram Seth s Suitable Boy (1993), and Arundhati Roy s The God of Small Things (1997).i 53. India experiences six seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer monsoon, and winter monsoon.m 54. India is the world s largest tea producer, and tea (chai) is its most popular beverage.f 55. The Taj Mahal ( crown palace ) was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (15921666) for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631). This architectural beauty has been called marbled embroidery for its intricate workmanship. It took 22,000 workmen 22 years to complete it.m 56. The first and greatest civilization in ancient India developed around the valley of the Indus River (now Pakistan) around 3000 B.C. Called the Indus Valley civilization, this early empire was larger than any other empire, including Egypt and Mesopotamia.l According to legend, to prevent the builders from ever replicating the 57. After the great Indus Civilization collapsed in 2000 B.C., groups of Indo-Europeans beauty of the Taj Mahal, their hands called Aryans ( noble ones ) traveled to northwest India and reigned during what is were cut off called the Vedic age. Aryans spoke and imported Sanskrit into India, which is the mother of all European languages. The mingling of ideas from the Aryan and Indus Valley religions formed the basis of Hinduism, and the gods Shiva, Kali, and Brahma all have their roots in Aryan civilization. The Aryans also recorded the Vedas, the first Hindu scriptures, and introduced a caste system based on ethnicity and occupation.l 58. Alexander the Great invaded India partly because he wanted to solve the mystery of the ocean, which he had been told was a huge, continuous sea that flowed in a circle around the land. When he reached the Indian Ocean, he sacrificed some bulls to Poseidon for leading him to his goal.m 59. Greek sculpture strongly influenced many portrayals of Indian gods and goddess, particularly after the conquest of Alexander the Great around 330B.C. In fact, early Indian gods had Greek features and only later did distinct Indian styles emerge.m 60. Chandragupta Maurya (340-290 B.C.), a leader in India who established the Mauryan Empire (321-185 B.C.), was guarded by a band of women on horseback.a 61. When the first independent prime minister of India, pacifist Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), was featured in Vogue, his distinctive close fitting, single-breasted jacket briefly became an important fashion statement for the Mod movement in the West. Named the Nehru jacket, the prime minister s coat was popularized by the Beatles and worn by such famous people as Johnny Carson (1925 -2005) and Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990).n

Some interesting facts about India No country on the planet other than India and China can boast of such a glorious past
- Chess was invented in India. - Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years - Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind was invented in India. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago - The game of Snakes & Ladders was created in India by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. - The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in India in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'. - The Zero 0, 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.

- The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population. Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively. - Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively - Varanasi, also known as Benaras, also called "the Ancient City" (when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.), is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today. - Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion. There are 300,000 a ctive mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world. - The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. - Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India. - Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. - Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. - The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people. - India exports software to 90 countries. - India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world. - India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations. - The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level. - Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts. - The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi bui lt in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday. - The Maha Kumbh mela in Allahabad which happens every 12 year s is the largest religious gathering in the world (70 million) - The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century. - The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is lo cated in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982. - Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.

- The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians. - Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C. in Vedic mathematics. Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).

http://www.facts-about-india.com/history-of-india.php - more informations.

Ancient India Facts

India is a country that will mesmerize you with its intriguing history and fascinating past. Though life has become very comp in lex modern times, the interesting facts of India continue to awe people all over the world. The country is no ordinary country. In fact, it had the components of a prosperous nation since ancient times only. The rich history of India is full of such interesting fac that ts one is bound to sit and analyze this fascinating country's history with much enthusiasm. For an amazing collection of facts on ancient India, scroll down. Facts of Ancient India Indians established Harappan culture in Indus Valley Civilization, at a time when many cultures comprised of nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago. The game of chess was invented in India. The birth of Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus happened in India. The Decimal and Place Value system originated and developed in India. In the 13th century, a poet saint named Gyandev introduced the game of Snakes and Ladders. Known as Mokshapat during those times, the game had a significant meaning. The snakes stood for vices, while the ladders represented good virtues. The essence of the game was that the ladders or good virtues take people to heaven while snakes or vices take people to a cycle of re-births. In 700 BC, the world's first university was established in India, in Takshila. It was one of the biggest achievements in the field of education, as more than 10,500 students came from all over the world to receive education in over 60 different subjects. The University of Nalanda was another milestone that was achieved in the field of education in 4th century BC. The earliest school of medicine known to mankind was Ayurveda and it originated in India. It was consolidated 2500 years ago by Charaka, the Father of Medicine. As many as 6000 years back, the art of navigation was developed in the River Indus, which was known as Sindh then. In fact, the word 'navigation' is a derivation of the Sanskrit word, 'Navgatih'. The correct time taken by the earth to revolve around the sun was calculated by the famous astronomer Bhaskaracharya. His calculation showed that the earth takes around 365.258756484 days to go around the sun once. In the 6th century, the famous Indian Budhayana mathematician calculated the value of "Pi" and also explained the concept of Pythagoras Theorem. In the 11th century, Quadratic Equations were introduced by Sridharacharya. Indians used numbers that were way too big than European numbers. While the latter limited themselves to 106, the Indians went a step ahead and used numbers as big as 1053.

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Surgery existed in India even 2600 years ago, when Sushruta, known as the Father of Surgery, conducted many complex surgeries. The valuable ancient scriptures have detailed information on Cataract, Artificial Limbs, Cesareans, Fractures, Urinary Stone Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Brain Surgeries. Anesthesia was used in ancient India and one finds detailed knowledge of the human anatomy and its functions. Two major religions, Buddhism and Jainism were established in India in 500 and 600 BC. The oldest city in the world that is inhabited even today is Varanasi or Benaras. The art of Yoga that is now popular worldwide originated in India only and was performed by highly revered sages, in the ancient times.

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Interesting Facts
y y y y y y y y This information is borrowed from the official Indian Government portal !!! India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization) The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu. The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus. Chess was invented in India. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India. The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C. The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola. India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations. The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and t e snakes indicated vices. The game was played h with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births. The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level. India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world. The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people. The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake. The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'. Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days. The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians. Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whe reas Hindus used numbers

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as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12). Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world (Source: Gemological Institute of America). The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982. Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his teamconducted complicated surgeries likecataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts. India exports software to 90 countries. The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population. Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively. Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion. There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world. The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively. Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century. The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday. Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577. Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today. India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution. His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India. Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

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