Interesting Facts about India

 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 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 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 India 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 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 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 team
conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, 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.

 58 years back, a salute of 21 guns and the unfurling of the Indian National flag by Dr. Rajendra
Prasad heralded the historic birth of the Indian Republic on January 26, 1950; 894 days after
our country became a dominion following withdrawal of British Rule. Since then, every year the
day is celebrated with great pride and happiness all over the nation.

 The transition of India from a British colony to a sovereign, secular, and democratic nation was
indeed historical. It was a long journey of around two decades that started with the
 conceptualisation of the dream in 1930 to its actual realization in 1950. A look into the journey
that led to the birth of Indian Republic will make our celebrations more meaningful.

 Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress

 The seeds of a republican nation were sowed at the Lahore session of the Indian National
Congress at the midnight of 31st December 1929. The session was held under the presidency of
Pt. Jawarhar Lal Nehru. Those present in the meeting took a pledge to mark January 26 as
"Independence Day" in order to march towards realizing the dream of complete independence
from the British. The Lahore Session paved way to the Civil Disobedience movement. It was
decided that January 26, 1930 would be observed as the Purna Swaraj (complete
Independence) Day. Many Indian political parties and Indian revolutionaries from all over the
country united to observe the day with honour and pride.

 Indian Constituent Assembly Meetings

 The Indian Constituent Assembly, which was constituted as a result of the negotiations between
the Indian leaders and members of the British Cabinet Mission, had its first meeting on
December 9, 1946. The Objective of the Assembly was to give India a constitution, which would
serve a lasting purpose and hence appointed a number of committees to thoroughly research
the various aspects of the proposed constitution. The recommendations were discussed,
debated and revised many times before the Indian Constitution was finalized and officially
adopted three years later on November 26, 1949.

 Constitution came into force

 Though India became a free nation on August 15, 1947, it enjoyed the true spirit of
Independence on January 26, 1950 when the Constitution of India finally came into force. The
Constitution gave the citizens of India the power to govern themselves by choosing their own
government. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, took oath as the first President of India at the Durbar Hall in
the Government House and this was followed by the Presidential drive along a five-mile route to
the Irwin Stadium, where he unfurled the National Flag.

 Ever since the historic day, January 26 is celebrated with festivities and patriotic fervor all
around the country. The day owes its importance to the constitution of India that was adopted
on this day. On this Republic Day, read what the greatConstitution of India, that propounds
liberal democracy, has in its store. Let's also feel proud in pronouncing what thePreamble to our
Constitution(External website that opens in a new window) says.
 Did you know?
 With 395 Articles and eight Schedules, the Indian Constitution is the largest written constitution
in the world.

 Quotes


 Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of Independent India, in his special message to his
countrymen, on the birth of the Indian Republic, said: 

"We must re-dedicate ourselves on this day to the peaceful but sure realization of the dream
that had inspired the Father of our Nation and the other captains and soldiers of our freedom
struggle, the dream of establishing a classless, co-operative, free and happy society in 'his
country'. We must remember that this is more a day of dedications than of rejoicing - dedication
to the glorious task of making the peasants and workers the toilers and the thinkers fully free,
happy and cultured."
 


 C. Rajagopalachari, His Excellency the Governor-General in a broadcast talk from the Delhi
Station of All-India Radio on Jan 26, 1950 said: 

"On the eve of my laying down office, with the inauguration of the Republic, I should like to
tender my greetings and best wishes to the men and women of India who will henceforth be a
citizen of a republic. I feel deeply thankful for the affection showered on me by all sections of
the people, which alone enabled me to bear the burden of an office to the duties and
conventions of which I had been an utter stranger.

Bharat Ratna Award

Bharat Ratna Awardees List

India has produced a legacy of brave hearts since times immemorial. Probably there is not enough space
to measure their sacrifices. However, we cannot close our eyes to those people who have made our
country proud by excelling in their own fields and bringing us international recognition. Bharat Ratna is
the highest civilian honour, given for exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and
Science, and in recognition of Public Service of the highest order.

The original specifications for the award called for a circular gold medal, 35 mm in diameter, with the
sun and the Hindi legend "Bharat Ratna" above and a floral wreath below. The reverse was to carry the
state emblem and motto. It was to be worn around the neck from a white ribbon. This design was
altered after a year.

Bharat Ratna Award

Bharat Ratna Award 

(Reverse Side)

The provision of Bharat Ratna was introduced in 1954. The first ever Indian to receive this award was
the famous scientist, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. Since then, many dignitaries, each a whiz in
varied aspects of their career has received this coveted award.
In fact, our former President, Shri A. P. J Abdul Kalam is also a recipient of this esteemed honour
(1997). There is no written provision that Bharat Ratna should be awarded to Indian citizens only. The
award has been awarded to a naturalized Indian citizen, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, better known as
Mother Teresa (1980) and to two non-Indians – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela (1990). It
is also not mandatory that Bharat Ratna be awarded every year. The last time this award was given was
in 2008, to Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi.

Lata Mangeshkar receiving 

Bharat Ratna

Ustad Bismillah Khan receiving 

1. India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.

2. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.
3. India is the world's largest democracy.
4. Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500
B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
5. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
6. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from
all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC
was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
7. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language
for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
8. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine
consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our
civilization.
9. Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest
country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was
attracted by India's wealth.
10. The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived
from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
11. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the
astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
12. The value of pi was first calculated by 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.
13. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were 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(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during
the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12).
14. IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the
pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi.
15. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
16. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake called Sudarshana was constructed
on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.
17. Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
 18. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted
complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic
surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical
equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion,
metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.
19. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians
established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).
20. The four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of
the world's population.
21. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
22. India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.
23. India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World.
24. India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.
25. India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.

Famous Quotes on India (by non-Indians)

 Albert Einstein said: We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no
worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.
 Mark Twain said: 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
instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.
 French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of
living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is
India.
 Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA said: India conquered and dominated China culturally
for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.

Facts to make every Indian proud

Q. Who is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems?

A. Vinod Khosla

Q. Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no introduction as 90% of the

today's computers run on it)?
A. Vinod Dahm

Q. Who is the third richest man on the world?

A. According to the latest report on Fortune Magazine, it is Aziz Premji,
who is the CEO of Wipro Industries. The Sultan of Brunei is at 6th
position now.

Q. Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail (Hotmail is world's No.1 web

based email program)?
A. Sabeer Bhatia

Q. Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs (AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator
of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few)?
A. Arun Netravalli

Q. Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard?

A. Rajiv Gupta

Q. Who is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000,

responsible to iron out all initial problems?
A. Sanjay Tejwrika

Q. Who are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart?

A. Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar.

We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America, even
faring better than the whites and the natives.
There are 3.22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). ,

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