Even till date, known as the nation of snake charmers, the world sometimes fail to see the uniqueness in the beauty of India. With a huge diverse population and bewitching topography, India has certain distinctive factors which make it simply incredible. Listed below are the 20 amazing facts of India.
1/. Wettest place on earth: Situated in East Khasi Hill district of Meghalaya, Mawsynram is indeed the wettest place in the world, holding a Guinness World Record for the highest average annual rainfall of 11,873 millimetres. Meteriologists believe in its location close to the Bay Of Bengal having a huge role to play in these heavy rainfalls.
2/. Diamonds first mined in India: One of the most precious gem stones; diamond was first mined in India in the early 4th century B.C. It was indeed the only source of diamonds till the 18th century, until the quest for alternative sources started with depletion of the Indian diamond mines.
3/. World’s Highest Cricket Ground: The nation not only holds pride in the Indian cricket team but also houses the World’s Highest Cricket ground. Built in the early 1893, the Chail cricket stadium is located in the state of Himachal Pradesh built by the Maharaja of Patiala, Bhupinder Singh.
4/. Spices trade: The use of spices in India, dates back the early Vedic civilization and is also one among the reasons that lured the foreign invaders to come to India. Even today India supplies 70% of the world spices.
5/. Shani Shingnapur, Maharashtra: Located in the state of Maharashtra, Shani Shingnapur is a small village, say about 35 kms from Ahmednagar. In todays world filled with insecurity, greed and lack of trust; Shani shingnapur has about 300 houses with no doors. Only a loose door panel is used to keep away from the wild animals and stray dogs.
6/. Rocket on a cycle: It might not sound practical in today’s context but India’s first rocket was transported with the help of a cycle to the Thumba Launching Station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
7/. Kumbh mela, largest pilgrimage: Kumbh Mela is indeed one of the largest human congregations where a large number of Hindu pilgrims come together to bathe in the sacred river. Kumbh Mela 2011 recorded the largest gathering of 75 millions of people which was also visible from the space.
8/. 2nd largest English Speaking Nation: With Hindi and English as the official language of the nation, it is the second largest English speaking nation in the world, second only to US.
9/. Indian railways: Operated for approximately 170 years, Indian railways is indeed one of the largest rail networks of the world providing employment for approximately 1.3 millions of people.
10/. Child worshipped as Lord Hanuman: Arshid Ali Khan was born with a tail 10 cms long because of which he was worshipped as Lord Hanuman by the villagers. However it’s a different story that the tail had to be removed as Arshid, also known as Balaji was facing major health issues because of the tail.
11/. Biggest family in the World: If handling a family of four is a task, one can only imagine a family with 181 members altogether. And yes! This too is in India. Residing in the Baktawng village, India, Ziona, is the head of the world’s largest family with 39 wives, 94 children, 14 daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren.
12/. 31 doctors in one family: Having 31 doctors in a family sounds something close to impossible. But not to this family in Jaipur who have seven physicians, five gynecologists, three ophthalmologists, three ENT specialists, neurologists, urologist, surgeons, psychiatrists, pathologists and orthopedic doctors in the house. One of the youngest members might join soon to be the 32nd member of the doctor’s family.
13/. First university in the World: India definitely holds pride in housing the world’s First University, Takshashila which flourished from 600 BC to 500 AD. It is said to have 68 subjects and had about 10,500 students at one point of time from all around the world.
14/. The invention of Zero: Aryabhatta, an Indian mathematician invented Zero. It is believed to be widely used for calculations, astronomy, and astrology.
15/. Snakes and Ladders: The game of snakes and ladders, also known as the Moksha Patamu, was invented in India and is said to be there from as early as 2nd century BC. It was used mostly to teach moral lessons to children.
16/. Science day in Switzerland: Ever since 26 May 2005 Switzerland celebrates this day as Science Day, honoring the visit of the then Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam. Switzerland considered the then President as the father of India’s missile programme.
17/. Bollywood, largest producer of films: Not only is Bollywood one among the high earning industry but is also the largest producer of films in the world.
18/. Shakuntala Devi, the human calculator: Shakuntala Devi also known as the “Human Calculator” for her extraordinary mental calculation skills was of Indian origin. On 18 June 1980, she demonstrated the multiplication of two 13-digit numbers 7,686,369,774,870 × 2,465,099,745,779 randomly picked by the computer at London. She correctly answered 18,947,668,177,995,426,462,773,730 in 28 seconds.
19/. Use of sugar: The manufacture and the use of sugar, first started in India. The crystallization of sugar was started by the Indians in the early Gupta Dynasty, dating back to around 350 AD.
20/. Highest gold consumption in the world: A typical Indian wedding with the bride covered in gold ornaments from head to toe showcases the nation’s love for gold. They also have a festival called Akshaya Tirtya, which is considered an auspicious day for buying gold.
