About India Gate

India Gate is situated on the Raj Path and was commissioned by Sir Edwin Lutyens for paying reverence to the Indian Soldiers, who died during the First World War. The huge walls of India Gate reveal more than 90,000 names of the soldiers who lost their lives during the war. This structure was completed in 1931 and was originally called as the All India War Memorial. It is mainly a 42 m tall gate that is surrounded by beautiful fountains and gardens.

At the base of this structure, there is an eternal flame called 'Amar Jawan Jyoti', which pays tribute to the soldiers who died during the Indian Independence. There is also a boat club and children's park near India Gate that are situated on Rajpath.
 

chandni chowk

About Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk is considered as one of the oldest and busiest markets in North Delhi. It is situated in the Shahjahanabad area between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid. On both sides of the wide Chandni Chowk streets are historical residential areas flanked by narrow lanes (galis).

It houses many temples like Shri Digambar Jain Lal Mandir and Hindu Gauri Shankar Temple. Apart from these temples, it also has a Gurudwara namely Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib. There exist 2 mosques in this place, namely Muslim Sunehri Masjid and Muslim Fatehpuri Masjid.  

It is counted among the biggest wholesale and retail markets of India. It was built in 1650 when Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan shifted his capital to Delhi and is around 300 years old. It is believed that the Emperor's daughter Jahanara, designed this market, where an array of shops were established in a half-moon shape.

Chandni Chowk is famous all over in India for its eating joints and some of these are very old. Tourists can reach this place as the by travelling by bus to the Inter State Bus Terminal that is located very close to it.    
 

Connaught Place,Delhi

Connaught Place is the commercial hub of New Delhi, which is popular among tourists for shopping. It was built in 1931 and was inspired from well planned and well structured Victorian style of architecture. Connaught Place is divided into two zones, inner circle and outer circle. It was designed by Robert Tor Russell and W. H. Nicholls, and was named after the Duke of Connaught, who was the member of British royal family.

Of the two circles of Connaught Place, Inner Circle has numerous international brands, restaurants, eateries and bars and bookshops. The place is also popular for buying handicraft items from the nearby location, Janpath.

All the branches of major nationalised and international banks along with the offices of tour operators and emporiums are present in Connaught Place. There is also a central park, located at the centre of Connaught Place, which offers a beautiful environment.

Connaught place is located in the heart of the city and can be reached with the availability of various modes of transport such as bus, auto-rickshaw and metro.

The Official Language of India

India is a country where people prefer speaking their own regional language more than Hindi & English, however most languages are derivatives of Hindi. In a place like Delhi, which is the Capital of India, people come from all over India in search of employment & education. To meet & understand each other on the same platform, Hindi is spoken by most of the Delhiites. 

The most important aspect of speaking this language is the pronunciation. Words if not spoken correctly can have very different meanings altogether. To start with, you need to know the very basic courtesies. 

The Basics

The first thing you must do when you greet an Indian in Hindi, is bow a little and say Namaste; it means Hello/Hi but in a much respected manner. Indians are famous for their humbleness and gratitude, they follow their forefather’s teachings - Guest is God.  

Similarly when you like something and you want to say thank you, you either say Dhanyawaad or Shukriya. 

People understand the word 'sorry' but if for some reason they don’t and you are stuck in a repentant situation, you can say Maaf Kijiye. 

If you want somebody to take you some place, you need to say Chalo or Chaliye and if you want them to stop, sayRuko or Rukiye.

When you are in a new place, you need to deal with all kinds of people and certain places in Delhi would definitely require you to do a little bit of haggling for the best price. Here three words would make it easier for you to deal with them; Kitna means how much, Zyada means more and Kam means less. Money translates to Paise.

If you are fine with something, you can use OK like usual or in Hindi you can say Theek Hai; this can also be used as an affirmative answer. For a simple 'yes' you can also use Haan and when you need to say 'no', use Nahi. If you are impressed by something, you can appreciate people by saying Acha Hai.

In a new place, you always end up looking up for one thing or the other. In Hindi Kahaan means where and you can use it for finding a place, person or thing. One of the things that you often look for is 'food'; food in Hindi is called Khaana and water is Paani. 

There may be times when you need some help; at such times, you should say Madad Kijiye which is Hindi for please help me. 

Here in India, people do understand English, but it’s better to know certain words in Hindi as it helps in building your own confidence and connecting with people. Backpackers often carry heavy translation books in hand trying to perfect their Hindi, not knowing that it’s a very tedious task. 

All you really need to know are some basic words of Hindi and combining that with your usual hand gestures will most definitely get your point across.   

5 tips for India first-timers

1. Choose your route wisely

Think about what interests you, what you like doing, and tailor your trip accordingly. The itineraries section at the front of Lonely Planet India can be a great help here.

The most popular India tour is the all-time classic Golden Triangle. Clichéd, yes, but if time is short this is a fantastic introduction to three of India’s very best destinations. Start in Delhi (Hamayun’s Tomb, Old Fort) before hitting Agra (Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri) then Jaipur (Pink City, fort at Amber). Head back to Delhi’s wonderful bazaars for a final shopping spree before you fly home.

And if you have more specific interests:

Shopping - Delhi

Beaches - Goa

Trekking - Himachal Pradesh

Yoga - Rishikesh

Food – everywhere!

Tigers - Madhya Pradesh

Thrill-seekers - Manali

Religious fervour - Varanasi

Just chilling - Kerala

2. Slow down

Too many people try to cram too much into a visit to India. Don’t be one of them. Seeing one place slowly is so much more rewarding than seeing many places in a flash. You’ll be less stressed, gain a deeper understanding of where you are and have more time to build relationships with the people you meet.

3. Avoid the crowds

One billion locals gets a bit too much for some travellers, but India also has plenty of quiet retreats. If you need to escape the crowds in the sprawling cities, consider heading south to the backwaters of Kerala, north to Tibetan-influenced mountainous regions such as Ladakh or paying a visit to one of India’s many hill stations.

4. Stay healthy

Avoid tap water, and any food that may have been washed in it, at all times. No ice, no salads and no fruit you haven’t just peeled yourself.

Many travellers go veggie whilst in India. It’s not a bad idea. A dodgy bit of meat will do you a lot more harm than slightly undercooked vegetables. Plus, many Indians are vegetarian, so there’s a fabulous choice of vegetarian food. If you do eat meat, make sure it’s well cooked. If in doubt, eat at a place that’s packed with locals.

Toilets are notoriously bad in India, but they don’t have to be health hazards. Consider using the left-hand-and-water-jug method preferred by many locals (it is, after all, so much more hygienic than using dry paper), but don’t forget to carry soap with you so you can wash your hands properly afterwards.

5. Keep cool

India is renowned for its touts and scams, for its in-yer-face hassles and for being generally bloody hectic. There are various ways you can reduce the chances of being overcharged or just plain cheated (see scams in India), but there’s no way you can avoid them altogether, so the single most important piece of advice for any India first-timer is to try to remain calm, no matter what. Frustrations boil over easily in India, and being able to control them, take a deep breath and move on, is key to enjoying your overall experience.

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Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure, or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".

Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. After slowly recovering from the contraction resulting from the late-2000s recession, where tourism suffered a strong slowdown from the second half of 2008 through the end of 2009, and the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, international tourist arrivals surpassed the milestone 1 billion tourists globally for first time in history in 2012. International tourism receipts (the travel item of the balance of payments) grew to US$1.03 trillion (€740 billion) in 2011, corresponding to an increase in real terms of 3.8% from 2010. In 2012, China became the largest spender in international tourism globally with US$102 billion, surpassing Germany and United States. China and emerging markets significantly increase their spending over the past decade, with Russia and Brazil as noteworthy examples.

Tourism is important, and in some cases, vital for many countries. It was recognized in the Manila Declaration on World Tourism of 1980 as "an activity essential to the life of nations because of its direct effects on the social, cultural, educational, and economic sectors of national societies and on their international relations." Tourism brings in large amounts of income in payment for goods and services available, accounting for 30% of the world's exports of services, and 6% of overall exports of goods and services. It also creates opportunities for employment in the service sector of the economy, associated with tourism. These service industries include transportation services, such as airlines, cruise ships, and taxicabs; hospitality services, such as accommodations, including hotels and resorts; and entertainment venues, such as amusement parks, casinos, shopping malls, music venues, and theatres.

Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India

The Ministry of Tourism, is the nodal agency for the formulation of national policies and programmes and for the co-ordination of activities of various Central Government Agencies, State Governments/UTs and the Private Sector for the development and promotion of tourism in the country. This Ministry is headed by the Union Minister of State for Tourism (Independent Charge). 

The administrative head of the Ministry is the Secretary (Tourism). The Secretary also acts as the Director General (DG) Tourism. The office of the Director General of Tourism {now merged with the office of Secretary (Tourism)} provides executive directions for the implementation of various policies and programmes

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT IN INDIA

    Tourism development in India has passed through many phases. At Government level the development of tourist facilities was taken up in a planned manner in 1956 coinciding with the Second Five Year Plan. The approach has evolved from isolated planning of single unit facilities in the Second and Third Five Year Plans. The Sixth Plan marked the beginning of a new era when tourism began to be considered a major instrument for social integration and economic development.

    But it was only after the 80’s that tourism activity gained momentum. The Government took several significant steps. A National Policy on tourism was announced in 1982. Later in 1988, the National Committee on Tourism formulated a comprehensive plan for achieving a sustainable growth in tourism. In 1992, a National Action Plan was prepared and in 1996 the National Strategy for Promotion of Tourism was drafted. In 1997, a draft new tourism policy in tune with the economic policies of the Government and the trends in tourism development was published for public debate. The draft policy is now under revision. The proposed policy recognises the roles of Central and State governments, public sector undertakings and the private sector in the development of tourism. The need for involvement of Panchayati Raj institutions, local bodies, non-governmental organisations and the local youth in the creation of tourism facilities has also been recognised.

    The other major development that took place were the setting up of the India Tourism Development Corporation in 1966 to promote India as a tourist destination and the Tourism Finance Corporation in 1989 to finance tourism projects. Altogether, 21 Government-run Hotel Management and Catering Technology Institutes and 14 Food Craft Institutes were also established for imparting specialised training in hoteliering and catering.

Tourist Attractions

    India is a country known for its lavish treatment to all visitors, no matter where they come from. Its visitor-friendly traditions, varied life styles and cultural heritage and colourful fairs and festivals held abiding attractions for the tourists. The other attractions include beautiful beaches, forests and wild life and landscapes for eco-tourism, snow, river and mountain peaks for adventure tourism, technological parks and science museums for science tourism; centres of pilgrimage for spiritual tourism; heritage trains and hotels for heritage tourism. Yoga, ayurveda and natural health resorts also attract tourists.

    The Indian handicrafts particularly, jewellery, carpets, leather goods, ivory and brass work are the main shopping items of foreign tourists. The estimates available through surveys indicate that nearly forty per cent of the tourist expenditure on shopping is spent on such items.

Indian tourism on a rise with fall in Rs value

The depreciating rupee may have hurt market sentiments, but it has definitely been a boon for the tourism and hotel industry in the country.

With the rupee hitting a new low every day against the dollar and touching 100 against the pound sterling, Indian travel, tourism and hospitality sectors are set to enter peak season from October, and are gung-ho on the prospects.

Safety and precautions are some of the main concerns for tourists travelling from abroad. Terrorism is one the biggest threat India is facing at the moment. Recent attacks have targeted public places including the ones visited by the tourists. The areas like Jammu Kashmir and North-East are the worst hit and tourists should plan their travel, keeping in the mind the present scenario. 

General Tips

Among the Indian travel tips, the most important is that tourists should adhere to the laws and customs of the country. It’s important that you should not loiter around the various monuments and maintain safe distance from strangers. While travelling make sure to keep your contacts at home and inform them about your whereabouts. Make sure you carry photo copies of all travel related document while travelling. Beware of unsolicited person to your room and should keep all your money or any valuable items in the safe deposit of the hotel. 

Local Travel Tips

While on the road, keep your wallet inside your jacket. Beware of the taxi drivers and avoid travelling though the narrow alleys and poorly lit roads, especially during the night. It is important that you take travel insurance before coming to India and carry a local guide of the city you are travelling. ATM’s are available even in the small towns and converting money is not a problem these days. Tourists should be 

A crucial Indian travel advice is to carry your own water bottles as water is a hygiene concern in India. An important travel precaution in India is to strictly not take any food from strangers. Clothing is another aspect tourists need to keep in mind before coming to India. If you are planning to visit small cities or towns, then dressing modestly is a must and revealing clothes should be best avoided. Short sleeved tops and long bottoms are permissible and it is advisable to avoid wearing shorts or very tight fitting clothes. If possible try to dress in Indian attire – traditional kurtas for men and sarees or salwar kameez for women. 

If you follow the above mentioned travel safety tips and precautions then your journey to India is sure to be a great expedition, you will cherish all your life.

ideal trip

An ideal trip if you are short on time but want to visit the icons including the capital New Delhi, the stunning Taj Mahal in Agra and the fabled pink city of Jaipur

This trip is ideal if you are short on time but want to visit the icons of India. From the capital of Delhi, with its bustling markets, magnificent monuments and colonial past we head to Agra to view the well preserved Agra Fort and the stunning Taj Mahal. Truly one of the wonders of the world, see why it was described by Rabindranath Tagore as a 'teardrop on the face of eternity'. Then continue on to to Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, discover why this is known as the Pink City and explore the incredible Amber Fort.
Highlights

Red Fort, Raj Ghat, Humayun's Tomb and Qutab Minar in Delhi
Sunrise at the Taj Mahal
Red Fort in Agra
Splendour of the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri
Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and City Palace in Jaipur

India Tourism

India offers myriad flavours mingling in the steam of a country coming of age.Teeming with over a billion people who voice over a million concerns in fifteen hundred different languages, India is where people live with variety, thrive on diversity and are too familiar with largeness to let it boggle them.  Travellers and tourists to India may however not find it so undaunting. Mud huts and mansions face off across city streets and lurid luxury and limp living are inhabitants of the same lane. Just like in the 'masala' box in every Indian kitchen, measures of Calm and "Kaam" (work)craft the people of India. In this beautiful and bountiful land that is India, events, experiences and sensations heap themselves on the tourist at every step. India will be one of the most stimulating places you’ll ever visit, so you must visit.  Come savour the flavours of India - the spice in life beckons!

Some interesting facts about India you probably didn't know:  The game of 'chess' was invented in India.  India as a country has the largest number of post offices in the world! The Indian Railways is one of the largest employer in the world - 1.6 million employees at the last count and the first train to run in India was between Mumbai (then Bombay) and Thane in 1853.  Zero in the number system was invented in India by the renowned mathematician Aryabhatta!  India is the only country that has 300,000 active mosques.

history

History

History FAQs

Indian history dates back to 3000 BC. Excavations in Punjab and Gujarat reveal that the Indus Valley civilisation was a highly developed urban civilisation. In fact the two cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, situated on two sides of the river Ravi , are known to have been built on a similar plan. But that only meant a new wave of urbanisation was taking place along the Ganges around 1500 BC. This has been recorded in the Rig Veda - the earliest known literary source composed in this period that sheds light on India 's past.

The Great Dynasties

By 6th century BC, the Magadh rulers dominated the Northern plains. It was also the time when new thinking emerged in the form of Buddhism and Jainism to challenge Hindu orthodoxy. The Magadh rule was followed by the rule of Chandragupta Maurya (322-298 B.C.), one of India 's greatest emperors. The Mauryan reign peaked under the reign of Ashoka the Great who extended his empire from the Kashmir and Peshawar in the North to Mysore in the South and Orissa in the East. Not only was Ashoka a great ruler, he was one of the most successful propagators of Buddhism in the country. After Ashoka's death in 232 B.C. the empire began to disintegrate and the country was repeatedly raided and plundered by foreign invaders, leaving India disunited and weak for the next 400 years. Stability returned with the reign of Chandra Gupta I (380-412 A.D.). His rule is considered the golden period in Indian history when art and culture flourished and the country prospered.Check out our recommended travel packages @ www.letsgoindiatours.com

ANCIENT HISTORY OF AGRA


Though Agra's history is largely recognised with Mughal Empire, the place was established much before it and has linkages since Mahabharat period and Mahirshi Angira in 1000 BC. It is generally accepted that Sultan Sikandar Lodī, the Ruler of the Delhi Sultanate founded Agra in the year 1504. After the Sultan's death the city passed on to his son Sultan Ibrāhīm Lodī. He ruled his Sultanate from Agra until he fell fighting to Bābar in the First battle of Panipat fought in 1526.
In the year 1556, the great Hindu warrior Hemu Vikramaditya, also known as Samrat Hem Chander Vikramaditya, won the state of Agra as the prime minister cum Chief of Army of Adil Shah of the Afghan Sūrī Dynasty. The commander of Humāyūn / Akbar's forces in Agra, Tardi Beg Khan, was so scared of Hemu that he retreated from the city without a fight. This was Hemu's 21st continuous win since 1554, and he later went on to conquer Delhi, having his coronation at Purānā Qil'a in Delhi on 7 October 1556 and re-established the Hindu Kingdom and the Vikramaditya Dynasty in North India.
The golden age of the city began with the Mughals. It was known then as Akbarabād and remained the capital of the Mughal Empire under the Emperors Akbar, Jahāngīr and Shāh Jahān. Shāh Jahān later shifted his capital to Shāhjahānabād in the year 1649.
Since Akbarabād was one of the most important cities in India under the Mughals, it witnessed a lot of building activity. Babar, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, laid out the first formal Persian garden on the banks of river Yamuna. The garden is called the Arām Bāgh or the Garden of Relaxation. His grandson Akbar raised the towering ramparts of the Great Red Fort, besides making Agra a center for learning, arts, commerce and religion. Akbar also built a new city on the outskirts of Akbarabād called Fatehpūr Sikrī. This city was built in the form of a Mughal military camp in stone.
His son Jahāngīr had a love of gardens and flora and fauna and laid many gardens inside the Red Fort or Lāl Qil'a. Shāh Jahān, known for his keen interest in architecture, gave Akbarabād its most prized monument, the Tāj Mahal. Built in loving memory of his wife Mumtāz Mahal, the mausoleum was completed in 1653.
Shāh Jahān later shifted the capital to Delhi during his reign, but his son Aurangzeb moved the capital back to Akbarabād, usurping his father and imprisoning him in the Fort there. Akbarabād remained the capital of India during the rule of Aurangzeb until he shifted it to Aurangabad in the Deccan in 1653. After the decline of the Mughal Empire, the city came under the influence of Marathas and was called Agra, before falling into the hands of the British Raj in 1803.


Agra, Main Street, c.1858
In 1835 when the Presidency of Agra was established by the British, the city became the seat of government, and just two years later it was witness to the Agra famine of 1837–38. During the Indian rebellion of 1857 British rule across India was threatened, news of the rebellion had reached Agra on 11 May and on 30 May two companies of native infantry, the 44th and 67th regiments, rebelled and marched to Delhi. The next morning native Indian troops in Agra were forced to disarm, on 15 June Gwalior (which lies south of Agra) rebelled. By 3 July the British were forced to withdraw into the fort. Two days later a small British force at Sucheta were defeated and forced to withdraw, this led to a mob sacking the city. However, the rebels moved onto Delhi which allowed the British to restore order by 8 July. Delhi fell to the British in September, the following month rebels who had fled Delhi along with rebels from Central India marched on Agra but were defeated. After this British rule was again secured over the city until the independence of India in 1947
Agra is the birthplace of the religion known as Dīn-i Ilāhī, which flourished during the reign of Akbar and also of the Radhaswami Faith, which has around two million followers worldwide. Agra has historic linkages with Shauripur of Jainism and Runukta of Hinduism, of 1000 BC.
Tāj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites

History of Delhi

Historical Region of North India

Delhi

A view of the Old City

Location Delhi

State established: 736 AD

Language Khariboli, Hindi, Urdu

Dynasties Tomaras-Chauhans (736-1192)

Mamluks (1206–90)

Khilji (1290–1320)

Tughlaqs (1320–1413)

Sayyids (1414–51)

Lodis (1451–1526)

Mughals (1526–1540)

Suris(1540-1553)

Hindu-Hemu(1553–56)

Mughals(1556-1857)

British (1857–1947)

Independence (1947-)

Historicalcapitals Delhi

The Indian capital city of Delhi has a long history, including a history as the capital of several empires. The earliest architectural relics date back to the Maurya Period (c. 300 BC); since then, the site has seen continuous settlement. In 1966, an inscription of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka (273-236 BC) was discovered near Srinivaspur. Two sandstone pillars inscribed with the edicts of Ashoka were brought to by Firuz Shah Tughluq in the 14th century. The famous Iron pillar near the Qutub Minar was commissioned by the emperor Kumara Gupta I of the Gupta dynasty (320-540) and transplanted to Delhi during the 10th century. Eight major cities have been situated in the Delhi area. The first five cities were in the southern part of present-day Delhi.

Though settlements have been dated to have been taking place in Delhi for millennia, there is no record to stand by that claim. Delhi is generally considered a close to 5000-year old city, as per Ancient Indian text The Mahabharata, since the first ever mention of the city is found in this religious scripture. Therefore, except the scripture, archaeological evidences to book the city's Ancient history are as good as nought. As a result, Delhi's Ancient history finds no records and this period may be regarded as the lost period of its history. Extensive coverage of Delhi's history begins with the onset of the Delhi Sultanate in the 12th century. Since then, Delhi had been the seat of Islamic and British rulers until India's independence in 1947.

The core of Delhi's tangible heritage is Islamic, spanning over seven centuries of Islamic rule over the city, with some British-styled architectures and zones in Lutyens' Delhi dating to the British rule in India. Whatever records exist of Delhi- in the form of scriptures or archaeological evidences, they crown Delhi as the Capital city of some empire or the other all through, with minor random breaks in between, making Delhi one of the longest serving Capitals and one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It is considered to be a city built, destroyed and rebuilt several times, as outsiders who successfully invaded the Indian Subcontinent would ransack the existing capital city in Delhi, and those who came to conquer and stay would be so impressed by the city's strategic location as to make it their capital and rebuild it in their own way.

Ancient history of RAJASTHAN

Ancient history of RAJASTHAN

The Indian king HARSHAVARDHAN, who belonged to the vibhuti clan basically from Yaduvanshi clan, ruled over not only Rajasthan but also India, after his death the rajput came in rajasthan history. Harshvardhan was the first to use the word RAJPUTRA, after this the rulers of the region would refer to themselves as rajput or rajpoot. Parts of Rajasthan belonged to the Indus Valley Civilization between about 3500 and 1750 BCE. Excavations at Kalibanga in Northern Rajasthan have revealed the existence of human settlements of the Harappan times on the banks of a river that dried up later, which is believed to be the River Saraswati by some scholars. The historical evidence found in Bairat reflects the presence of Pre-Aryan people. The first Aryan settlement was at the Dhundhar region around 1400 BCE. Matsya or Meena (Sanskrit for fish) was the name of a Kshatriya tribe and the state of the Vedic civilization of India.It lay to south of the kingdom of Kurus and west of the Yamuna which separated it from the kingdom of Panchalas. It roughly corresponded to former state of Jaipur in Rajasthan, and included the whole of Alwar with portions of Bharatpur. The capital of Matsya was at Viratanagar (modern Bairat) which is said to have been named after its founder king Virata. Meenas are brothers and kinsmen of Virata, the ruler of Virat Nagar. They ruled this area(near to Virat Nagar) till 11th century

Hawa Mahal

20 MORE FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INDIA :)

20 MORE FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT INDIA :)

1. Movies: No list featuring facts about India would be complete without this tidbit: India has the largest movie industry in the world. Most Indian movies come from Bollywood, but there are many studios around the country who contribute as well.

2. Holy Writings: The Vedic Scriptures date to 2000-500 BC and were composed in the Punjab region.

3. Invented zero: A commonly known, but not to be neglected India fact is that the number and concept of zero was invented and documented first by Indians.

4. Ancient buildings: All over India, ancient buildings and structures can be found. Sculptures and paintings on the buildings often tell stories or describe life at that time period.

5. IT: The Pentium chip and Hotmail were created by Indians—Vinod Dahm and Sabeer Bhatia respectively. The Indian IT population is growing and is highly sought after all over the world.

6. School: The world’s largest Montessori school is in India. It has over 26,000 students!

7. National fruit: While India may not be the biggest mango exporter, over 12 million tons of mangoes are grown each year. That’s the equivalent of over 2,400 Asian Elephants!

8. Cotton: Indian cotton was well known; some of the earliest cotton came from India. Roman and Mongol royalty wore Indian cotton, known for being light and airy.

9. Beans: India produces more dried beans than any other nation on earth. This includes a variety of legumes such as the kidney bean and chick peas as well as a variety of lentils.

10. Bananas: Another top export from India is bananas. No other country exports as many bananas, not even Brazil, which is second.

11. Producer of milk: Because India’s pastoral community is heavily dependent on milk, India has become the largest producer of milk in the world.

12. National drink: Chai, or tea is drunk widely in India. They produce more tea than any other country, exporting to countries all over the world.

13. Spices: While Saffron has its roots in neighboring countries, India uses the most expensive spice in several sweets and other dishes.

14. Staples: The main food staples in India are rice in the south, wheat in the north, and dhal or lentils.

15. Lucky color: Red is the color of good luck and is usually worn for weddings and other celebrations and festivals.

16. Vegetarian: India has the largest amount of vegetarians in the world.

17. Finger food: Most Indian food is still traditionally eaten without silverware. Rotis or chapattis aid with this.

18. Time: All of India — despite the large land-space is on one time zone. This is, however, half-an-hour different to neighboring countries, making for a complicated time zone.

19. Cherrapunji is the wettest spot on earth. It receives at least 425 inches of rain every year, which is over 5 times more than the tropical rain forests of South America!

20. Highest peaks: The Himalaya includes the highest peak in the world—Everest. The mountain range stretches about 1,500 miles long and is over 23,600 ft at its highest.

FACTS

Whether you are from India looking for some Interesting Facts about India or a foreigner travelling to India and looking to know some facts about India, these 20 Facts about India will blow your mind away

1. Wonder: The Taj Mahal is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife.

2. Food: Cooking and eating are a large part of Indian culture and tradition. It’s not uncommon for meals to require hours of preparation time and most festivals and gatherings center around food.

3. Roads: The world’s largest road network is in India—over 1.9 million miles of roads cover the country.

4. Chess: Chaturanga—Sanskrit, meaning “four members of an army” was invented in India. Now known all over the world, chess had its beginnings in India.

5. Name: The official Sanskrit name for India is Bharat Ganarajya. Even today, it is often called Bharat by young and old.

6. Origin of India name: The name “India” comes from the Indus River, which is where earliest settlers made their homes. The Indus valley is one of the world’s earliest urban civilizations.

7. British rule: The British ruled India from 1858-1947, although their presence and trade had been going on for some time before then.

8. Independence: On August 15, 1947, India gained independence from the British, after a successful nearly non-violent independence movement.

9. Government: India is governed under a parliamentary system and is a federal constitutional republic. There are 28 states and 7 union territories in India.

10. Capital: The capital city of India is New Delhi. It is the center of government and is also home to 2 UNESCO heritage sites.

11. Diamonds: Until 1986, the only place where diamonds had been officially found was in India.

12. Multi-lingual: There are 1,652 dialects and languages spoken in India. It is not at all unusual for an Indian to speak at least two and often more languages well.

13. Recognized languages: There are currently 22 recognized languages in India, with Standard Hindi and English being the standard languages.

14. English speakers: Because so many Indians speak English, India now has the largest population of English speakers in the world.

15. Borders: India shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and Bangladesh. Sri Lanka and the Maldives are neighboring ocean countries.

16. Exports: Going back thousands of years, India has long exported textiles. Current exports include steel, agricultural goods, and many services, such as in the tech or medical industries.

17. Beauties: India has won two Miss Universe and five Miss World titles so far. Many Indian beauty queens are also Bollywood actresses or models.

18. Age demographic: More than 50% of India is younger than 25 and more than 65% are 35 or younger. The average Indian age is much younger than most other nations.

19. Old civilization: Some of the oldest and most long-lasting civilizations can be traced to India, or areas that used to belong to India. Early empires were larger than other neighboring empires of the time, including Egypt and Mesopotamia.

20. Peace loving: India has never invaded any country. It was invaded by other countries and rulers, including Alexander the Great.

61 Interesting Facts About . . INDIA

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India

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 India is the largest democracy in the world.i 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 Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating.f 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 export Indian currency (rupees) It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.f India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year.j India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion.e 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 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 they offer milk as does one’s natural mother.k 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 Rabies is endemic in India. Additionally, “Delhi Belly” or diarrhea is commonplace due to contaminated drinking water.f Many Indian wives will never say their 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 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 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 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 Khajuraho’s exotic art may suggest that sex was a step for attaining ultimate liberation or moksha 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 involve animals.a 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 In ancient and medieval India, suttees, in which a recently widowed woman would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, were common.b 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 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 In India, the fold and color of clothing are viewed as important markers of social classification. Additionally, a woman will be viewed as either a prostitute or a holy person depending on the manner in which she parts her hair.k 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 In India, grasping one’s ears signifies repentance or sincerity.f 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 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 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 The British Raj, or British rule, lasted from 1858 to 1947 (although they had a strong presence in India since the 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 temple is one of the most visited temples in the world, with over 50 million visitors per year The lotus is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. The Bahá'í 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 good fortune and happiness.i The official name of India is the Republic of India. The name “India” derives from 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 Though the Ganges is one of the dirtiest rivers in the world, bathing in the river is thought to wash away one’s sins 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 polite to eat with the right hand, and women eat after everyone is finished. Wasting food is considered a sin.i 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 On India’s Independence Day, August 15, 1947, the country was split into India and Pakistan. The partition displaced 1.27 million people and resulted in the death of several hundred thousand to a million people.g 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 India experiences six seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer monsoon, and winter monsoon.m India is the world’s largest tea producer, and tea (chai) is its most popular beverage.f According to legend, to prevent the builders from ever replicating the beauty of the Taj Mahal, their hands were cut off The Taj Mahal (“crown palace”) was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) 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 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 After the great Indus Civilization collapsed in 2000 B.C., groups of Indo-Europeans called Aryans (“noble ones”) traveled to northwest India and reigned during what is called the Vedic age. 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 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 Greek sculpture strongly influenced many portrayals of Indian gods and goddesses, particularly after the conquest of Alexander the Great around 330 B.C. In fact, early Indian gods had Greek features and only later did distinct Indian styles emerge.m 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 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