Interesting facts about India

1* 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.

2* The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name `Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.

3* Chess was invented in India.

4* Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.

5* The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.

6* 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.

7* India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.

8* 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.

9* 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.

10* India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.

11* The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.

12* 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.


1* There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.

2* The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.

3* The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.

4* 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.


5* Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.

6* 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.

7* 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.

8* His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharamsala in northern India.

9* Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.

10* Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

Invite your Indian Friendz and make our patriotic community more Powerful and Interesting

__________ Jai Hind ____________